JIC SAYS: Young adults remain majority of COVID positive cases in Humboldt; Many free testing options available | Lost Coast Outpost



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From the Humboldt County Joint Information Center:

Almost a year since the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Humboldt County, data suggests young adults – the 20-29 and 30-39 age groups – remain the largest percentage of the total number of cases. As it will likely take months before people in these age groups are eligible to receive the vaccine, health officials are encouraging routine testing and maintaining safety precautions.

In the latest weekly update of the Humboldt County Data Dashboard (humboldtgov.org/dashboard), residents aged 20-29 made up about 24% of total cases, while those aged 30-39 years accounted for about 20% of the total cases. Both groups have consistently maintained the highest rates since late September 2020, and the gap between them and the other age groups has only increased since late November 2020.

Public health officials have previously noted that people in these age groups tend to make up a large portion of the essential workforce and are often unable to work from home. “Although vaccines are part of our way out of the pandemic, they are only one piece of the puzzle,” said Sam Gentle, chief of the logistics section of the Emergency Operations Center. “We must continue to practice these proven behaviors that are now part of life – wear a mask in public, stay at least 6 feet away from those outside your home, wash your hands frequently and only travel. for essential purposes. Testing, even for those without symptoms, remains a great tool to identify how much virus is circulating in our community. ”

Testing continues to be available free of charge through state-contracted COVID-19 testing provider OptumServe, seven days a week, at Redwood Acres in Eureka. Walk-in visits are available at all OptumServe sites and the turnaround time for results averages 48-72 hours. See the full schedule below:

  • Eureka – Seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Redwood Acres, 3750 Harris Street)
  • Arcata – Mondays, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (Arcata Community Center, 321 MLK Jr. Pkwy.)
  • Garberville – Tuesdays, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (SoHum Health Sprowl Creek Campus, 286 Sprowl Creek Road)
  • • Fortuna – Wednesdays, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (River Lodge Conference Center, 1800 Riverwalk Dr.)
  • Hoopa – Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (Tsewenaldin Inn, 12482 CA-96)
  • McKinleyville – Fridays, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (Azalea Hall, 1620 Pickett Road)

To make an appointment:

  • • Go to lhi.care/covidtesting, or
  • • Call 888-634-1123.

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