Connie Beck, Director
Social Services | Public Health | Mental Healthnews release_________________________________________________________________________________

Feb. 20, 2020

First case of COVID-19 confirmedin Humboldt County
The Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services Public HealthBranch has received confirmation from the California Department of Public Healthand the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of one case ofCOVID-19 in a Humboldt County resident. A close contact who has symptoms isbeing tested as well.
This marks the first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus in Humboldt County.
Presently, the ill individuals are doing well and self-isolating at home, while being
monitored for symptoms by the Public Health Communicable Disease Surveillance
and Control Unit.
Close contacts of these individuals will also be quarantined at home and monitoredfor symptoms by Public Health staff. With the amount of foreign travel by county
residents, including travel to China, it is not surprising that a case has emerged
locally. Additional cases may occur either in returning travelers or their close
contacts.
“It’s important to remember that the risk to the general public remains low at thistime,” said Humboldt County Health Officer Dr. Teresa Frankovich. “Despite the factthat Humboldt County now has a confirmed case of COVID-19, there is no evidence
to suggest that novel coronavirus is circulating in the community at large.”
Frankovich added that transmission in the U.S. to date has been among close
contacts and not among the general public.
Public Health suggests the following precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19
and all infectious diseases, including common illnesses like colds and flu:
• Stay home when you are sick• If you have a fever, stay home or go home if you are already at work or
school, and stay home for at least 24 hours after you no longer have a fever(without the use of fever-reducing medicine).

• Wash your hands frequently and particularly before eating or drinking.
• Promote good hand hygiene in your home by educating household members
and making sure soap, hand sanitizers, and tissues are available.
• Avoid touching your face, particularly your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Encourage proper cough etiquette. Cough or sneeze into a tissue, sleeve orarm. Do not use your hands.
• Perform routine surface cleaning, particularly for items which are frequently
touched such as doorknobs, handles, remotes, keyboards and other commonly
shared surfaces.
The county’s Communicable Disease Surveillance and Control Unit will continue toprovide updated information about COVID-19 to health care providers, hospitals
and schools, as well as the general public.
For updated information about COVID-19, please continue to check thehttps://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/.
If you are ill and in need of medical care and have been in China within theprevious two weeks or have been in contact with an individual who has COVID-19,
please contact your health care provider or emergency department before
presenting for care. Arrangements will be made to have you evaluated in the safest
manner possible for health care staff and other patients.
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