Dr. Humboldt County Health Officer Ian Hoffman today questioned the state’s “surprising” decision to move Humboldt County to the COVID red level, making it one of only four provinces in the state to a lesser extent. of concern. – and the only one of the four who is not subject to a local home order.
Video above, rough transcript below.
###
From the Redwood News: “Can you please explain why you do not agree with the state’s methodology for moving Humboldt County back to the red level?”
Let me certainly talk about the different ways we look at data. The state CDPH has a methodology that looks at the data with a delay of seven days, plus another two days because it takes them so long to get the data. So we are really looking at data that is nine days old. Here in Humboldt County, we get the data almost daily directly. So we look at the data in real time and to give you an example, our case is currently about 100 more than they have in the state.
From the Lost Coast Outpost: ‘If the country does not agree with the state’s decision to place us in the red level, the health officer has the power to keep higher, purple level restrictions in place with a local order. Why do not you do that? ”
It is therefore a balance that many health officials and health officials had to follow, this very fine line during the course of this pandemic. A health order is one tool in the toolbox and it is not delicate, it is a very strong one and that is what there is currently not much enthusiasm in our community. We need shopping if something is going to change. Regardless of the level we are at, there are things we can do to keep our community safe.
Businesses that can open may choose not to do so, and they may choose to protect their customers and staff, given the uncertainty surrounding it all, and given the uncertainty that we may return to press boxes or local home orders. People can choose to get together, but they can choose to keep their household safe by not getting together and churches can decide not to reopen indoor services. We at Public Health have never seen the numbers look worse, and what we hear from many people in the community is that they understand this and that they continue to act as if we are in the press level while we in the red plane.
From the Redheaded Blackbelt: ‘With Humboldt in the less restrictive red level, there is a travel restriction between provinces that could hamper non-essential travel and prevent people in other parts of the state from taking a winter holiday to the only province in the state with open restaurants and other venues available to the public? ”
The red and purple level therefore has no effect on the travel restrictions. There is a travel advice all over the country that none of us should travel outside of our home area, and that applies to the whole of California, and then there is a local home order for the rest of California outside of Northern California that says that you should not, you should not travel from your home except for essential work or essential needs in the community.
If you are traveling, it is currently recommended in Northern California that you stay in your state or that you should not drive more than two to three hours from your home, and that it is really necessary for essential travel, or you know, to go outside, to walk to the beaches, such things are still strongly encouraged because we want to stay healthy and active during this time.
From the Redheaded Blackbelt: ‘As for the potential to see visitors coming to Humboldt from the outside in light of these new level status adjustments, are you concerned about the fact that Airbnb rentals will continue to work locally? As for visitors during the New Year holiday weekend, what supervision is there, if any, travel to the country for leisure purposes and holidays? ‘
So, as I mentioned earlier, regional travel advice for counties, any region that is in a local home order order is part of the order, is to stay home and not travel from your home, and you know, there is really oversee jurisdiction in each of the jurisdictions that will oversee the enforcement of the orders.
From the Redheaded Blackbelt: “What advice would you give to restaurant owners who question the reopening allowance, and if it’s worth reopening if it just needs to be reopened within the next few days, as food preparation planning, storage , staff, deliveries, etc. are expensive and time consuming? ”
I would strongly urge anyone with a restaurant that is now planning to reopen that they should be concerned that it could be reversed. As I mentioned, you can, you know, activate local Stay-at-Home orders very easily and it takes effect immediately. Furthermore, if our numbers rise instead of go down, the red level can definitely be changed back to the purple level, which will limit indoor eating.
From the Times-Standard: “Dr. Hoffman on Tuesday expressed strong disagreement with the state’s decision to move Humboldt County from the purple, widespread COVID risk level to the less restrictive, red substantial level. Is the province moving towards level assessment? ”
There is no process for judging a level in that direction. The level of assessment process is to move to more limited levels.
From KMUD News: Now that Humboldt is in the red, who can be allowed to shop indoors and eat indoors? “
All this can be found on the website Blueprint for Safer Economy. If you still have questions, you can definitely discuss them. But indoor retail goes to 50 percent, indoor dining is allowed at 25 percent in the red level.
Also from KMUD News: Do you predict that Humboldt will move into the press level again? What will cause renaming? ”
Very hard to say for sure. Again: the numbers have consistently seemed to have not decreased locally, so we are concerned about that. The thing that will lead to a return to the press level is that the numbers of the state will rise by 15 percent in the next few weeks, and I think that is likely.