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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recently issued new guidance recommending that everyone — regardless of vaccination status — resume wearing masks in public, indoor spaces in areas with “high” or “substantial” rates of COVID-19 transmission, which includes Humboldt County.

While cases of severe illness, hospitalization and death in fully vaccinated individuals remain very rare, officials say they are seeing increased rates of socalled “breakthrough” cases amid a surge in the more contagious Delta variant, which now accounts for 85 percent of cases nationally. As such, the CDC is urging fully vaccinated people to consider again masking in public to help prevent the virus’ spread, particularly if they live with someone who is immunocompromised, has underlying health conditions that put them at elevated risk of severe disease or is not fully vaccinated.

“Infections happen in only a small proportion of people who are fully vaccinated, even with the Delta variant,” the CDC reported. “However, preliminary evidence suggests that fully vaccinated people who do become infected with the Delta variant can spread the virus to others.”

The CDC defines areas of “high” transmission as those that have recorded more than 100 new cases per 100,000 in population over the past seven days with a test-positivity rate higher than 10 percent, and areas of “substantial” transmission as those with 50 to 99.99 new cases per 100,000 in population and a test positivity rate of 8 percent or higher over the prior week.

According to the CDC’s data, Humboldt County saw 123.19 new COVID-19 cases confirmed per 100,000 residents over the seven-day period ending July 24 with a test-positivity rate of 8.42 percent, which would place the county between the “high” and “substantial” designations but nonetheless trigger the masking recommendation.

The county’s dashboard, meanwhile, is more up to date and painted an even grimmer picture as this issue of the Journal went to press, showing the county having recorded 198 new cases per 100,000 residents and a test-positivity rate of 10.5 percent, which would place the county firmly in an area the CDC considers be “high” transmission.

Humboldt County’s numbers also outpace the state and nation. Nationwide, the CDC reported an average of 119.8 cases confirmed per 100,000 in population with a test-positivity rate of 7.61 percent, per the CDC. California, meanwhile, has recorded 83.3 new cases with a test-positivity rate of 5.4 percent.

Photo by Jennifer Fumiko Cahill

After a brief and much anticipated reopening, the Logger Bar, Blue Lake’s iconic watering hole, has shut its doors once again. Owner Kate Martin, who’d closed the bar for more than a year before talking excited with the Journal about its reopening last month, closed the bar “due to the sharp increase of COVID-19 cases,” saying it no longer “feels in the best interest of our community to stay open.” Read more at www. northcoastjournal.com. POSTED 08.03.21

Local officials issued a recommendation for all county residents — including those fully vaccinated — to resume using facial coverings in indoor, public settings on July 23.

Nationwide, health officials continue to report that fully vaccinated individuals account for an incredibly small number of hospitalizations and deaths. Locally, just two of 233 hospitalizations and none of the county’s 53 deaths have been confirmed to be in fully vaccinated individuals.

Humboldt County Public Health continues to host free vaccination clinics at various locations. For more information or to sign up for an appointment, visit www. myturn.ca.gov.

— Thadeus Greenson POSTED 07.28.21 Read the full story online.

For the news as it develops and all you need to understand politics, people and art on the North Coast, follow us online.

Kokatat Sold: After 50 years of owning Kokatat, Steve O’Meara has sold the Arcata-based paddling sports apparel and gear company to its director of operations, Mark Loughmiller. According to a press release, O’Meara will retain a minor stake in the company he founded in 1971 as a way to help people stay dry while traversing Humboldt County’s waterways.

POSTED 07.28.21

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New Councilmember: The Arcata City Council has selected Meredith Matthews to serve the remainder of former Mayor Sofia Pereira’s term. An administrative specialist with the Redwood Coast Energy Authority, Matthews steps into the seat Pereira vacated when being named the county’s public health director. Matthews is expected to be sworn in Aug. 18, with her term running through November of 2022.

POSTED 07.29.21

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DOD Mandates Vaccinations: The U.S. Department of Defense announced July 29 that it will require all civilian employees and military personnel to show proof of vaccination or wear a mask and provide regular COVID-19 test results. Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Jamal Brown called COVID-19 a “significant and evolving threat to our nation’s security,” with the Delta variant making protective efforts “all the more vital.”

POSTED 07.30.21

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The percentage of Humboldt County’s total COVID-19 cases confirmed in residents age 10 to 29, prompting Humboldt County Public Health to hold a series of vaccination clinics targeted at those age 12 to 29, who are eligible to get vaccinated but lag behind other demographics. POSTED 07.29.21

— The county of Humboldt, announcing that masks will now be required to enter any county facility, regardless of vaccination status, because rising case rates pose a “real threat” to the county’s ability to provide vital services.

— John Fullerton commenting on the Journal’s Facebook page about last week’s cover story, “The Advocate,” which detailed the life and impact of Charlie Bean, a Yurok Tribal member who took a life-changing accident that left him quadriplegic as a young man and turned it into a relentless mission to make the world a more accessible place for all. POSTED 07.30.21