Dr. Humboldt County Health Officer Teresa Frankovich is back today to answer more corona questions from local media. She begins today’s clip by addressing the recent rise of COVID cases in Hoopa. Public health has a good working relationship with the tribe, says Frankovich, and the two entities have worked together on contact tracing to help limit the spread there.
Now on to the Q&A – LoCO will include a brief summary of Drs. Frankovich. Watch the video for more:
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(1:34) The Two Rivers Tribune asks: There is currently an increase in cases in Hoopa (24 active cases at present). Can you explain how Hoopa’s numbers are reported and how those numbers are integrated into the County’s daily numbers? Are Hoopa numbers contacted by the county? Are they issues spread by the community?
“Hoopa residents are residents of Humboldt County and they are represented in our cases,” Frankovich says, but there may be a bit of time lag in the tallies.
(3:10) North Coast News claims: A widely cited University of Washington model predicts U.S. deaths from COVID-19 by December will reach nearly 300,000. The prognosis of 295,011 deaths is 137,000 more than the roughly 158,000 U.S. deaths reported so far. The Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation Model assumes that many states will place new orders of stay-at-home if dead climbs. Is Humboldt County at risk of another order for Shelter-in-Place before the end of the year?
“It is quite possible that at any point during this pandemic we may have to step back at the state or local level,” Frankovich says, which is why it is important to wear masks and restrict travel.
(4:55) The North Coast News asks: California has stopped deleting as adding to a list of counties that have more restrictions for businesses and schools because it’s trying to fix a technical issue with’s database the state’s coronavirus tests, health officials said Wednesday. The state has recorded 525,000 positive tests a highest in the nation. But California health officials say the true number is even higher. They do not know how much until they can add backlogged test data and fix the problem with the California Reportable Disease Information Exchange (CalREDIE). Has the incomplete data hampered the ability of public health officials in Humboldt to follow up with those who test positive and contact people who have been around them to limit the spread?
Frankovich acknowledges the data glitches that have occurred at the state level. As for the impact of those snags on work in Humboldt: ‘We are in a slightly better position than the state in some places. We do many of our tests in our in-house lab and we have instant access to those results and numbers. ”
(7:51) The North Coast News asks: It was reported yesterday that a second grader in Georgia tested positive for COVID-19 just a day after starting school. Are you worried about the possibility of this happening in Humboldt when some schools reopen for personal instruction?
“It’s very difficult to compare what can happen here with a place where they work with a very different plan in place,” says Frankovich, adding that local schools have worked very hard to follow the guidance of the California Department of Public Health. But even with good masking standards and social distance standards, it is impossible to fully protect schools.
“We will have cases of COVID at school if we have instruction in place,” she says.
(10:04) The North Coast News asks: In the Georgia case, the student teacher and 20 other students in the class must be quarantined for two weeks and then return to virtual learning, the school district said. Do reopening of schools make things more challenging for the health department to contain and track the virus?
Yes.
(11:13) A Redheaded Blackbelt reporter asks: will the turnout in cases this week in Hoopa de County put on the state’s watch list?
Frankovich emphasizes that there are other areas of concern besides Hoopa, but says the figures to look at in connection with the California watch list are the cases per 100,000 and the test-positive rate. ‘So far we are able to keep up [the positivity rate] on a reasonable number, but, as we have seen in other counties, outbreaks of a significant magnitude can change dramatically, ”says Frankovich. “So we’ll take a good look at the data to see.”
(12:00) A reporter from the Redheaded Blackbelt asks: Hoopa has restricted the movement of non-residents on her reservation out of concern for her elders in particular. But recently, cannabis destruction operations and fire crews were brought in to deal with the Red Salmon Complex. Has there been any indication of connections from these incidents to this recent rise?
“Not that I’m aware of,” Frankovich says.
(12:28) The Lost Coast Outpost asks: To what extent are promising drugs like therapies such as remdesivir, dexamethasone or convalescent plasma available in Humboldt County? Are they used here?
“These are all therapies available to patients here in Humboldt County at this time,” Frankovich happily announces. While its effectiveness is still to be seen, “it is a tremendous benefit to our residents that this has been achieved.”
(13:07) The Lost Coast Outpost asks: We’ve seen big, white food stalls outside some restaurants. They appear mostly enclosed. Are there public health guidelines for such structures?
“There are sure.” Restaurants that offer outdoor dining should not have closed structures. “You can basically have one side and that’s it,” Frankovich says. The province has reached out to locations where potential violations have been spotted to ensure these companies know the rules.
