Del Norte County has expanded its COVID-19 eligibility as case rates tick up across the county.
On the vaccine front, county officials on April 1 expanded the group eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines to include anyone over 16, in the face of a drop off in demand at the countyâs vaccination sites.
The move â ahead of the April 15 date for that group to become eligible in all California counties â means vaccine administration sites can offer Johnson & Johnson and Moderna doses to anyone 18 and older and the Pfizer vaccine to anyone 16 or older, regardless their health conditions or other factors.
âAs a reminder, all these vaccines work very well, and the basic rule is to get the vaccine that is easiest for you to get access, too,â wrote Public Health Officer Dr. Warren Rehwaldt in a release. âAt this point, there should be no reason for anyone to not get a vaccine of some sort, if so desired.â
Despite a decrease in COVID-19 cases over the last few weeks, Del Norte County remains in the Purple Tier, the most restrictive tier in California.
According to information released by the state of California, cases in Del Norte County peaked Dec. 18, when 44 new cases were reported. That week, the county had an average of 17 new cases each day.
On Tuesday, Del Norte County reported five new cases and has an average of five cases a day this week. The county has had two deaths of people linked to COVID, the last Dec. 14.
On Tuesday, 92 new tests were reported with a positivity rate of 7.1 percent over the previous two weeks.
While California remains one of the hotbeds for COVID-19 in the nation, Del Norte County and much of Northern California are bucking the trend.
Cases continue to climb in Del Norte County, with 70 new cases reported in the last two weeks and six new cases reported Tuesday. But the vast majority are recovering with few problems, according to information released by Del Norte County Public Health.
There are currently 126 active cases in the county, with three people in the hospital. Since the pandemic began in March, two people with the virus have died in the county.
While the majority of California remains in place with stay-at-home orders, there is a little more freedom in Northern California. Last year, the state was broken into regions, with rules in place saying each region would be ordered to stay at home as soon as ICU capacity in the region fell below 15 percent.
Press release from Crescent City Fire and Rescue:
Local government first responders in Del Norte County had their first opportunity to receive the COVID-19 vaccine January 4
th. Firefighters from Crescent City Fire & Rescue, Gasquet Volunteer Fire Department, and Crescent City Police Department who opted to take the vaccine received their first vaccination of the two-shot series Monday evening. “Our local volunteer firefighters and police officers are often the first ones on scene of emergency situations where members of our community may be ill or having a medical emergency,” Fire Chief Bill Gillespie said.
The opportunity to receive the vaccination was made possible through the coordination and assistance of Del Norte County Public Health. Each time vaccinations are given, Public Health must obtain the vaccine doses, process screening information from each recipient, and make sure the vaccination records are entered into the California Immunization Registry. Vaccine recipie
Jessica Cejnar / Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020 @ 12:30 p.m.
Blended Learning For K8 Students Resumes Monday, High School Students Should Stay Tuned For Changes; Newsom Announces Plan, $2 Billion To Reopen Schools
Local students will pick up from where they left off when school resumes Monday, though district officials are urging those who left town or hosted out-of-town loved ones for the holidays to quarantine for two weeks.
Del Norte Unified School District’s K8 campuses will follow the same protocols they adhered to before winter break, Superintendent Jeff Harris told the Wild Rivers Outpost. This includes daily screening students and staff for COVID-19 symptoms and sending them home if they have symptoms, he said.