The 6 p.m. Report: COVID-19 in Del Norte and Curry counties
Our 6 p.m. report continues, with the latest data we could round up for July 22, 2020. Our last report was Tuesday, July 21.
New! Pelican Bay staff testing shows positives
Del Norte County Public Health this afternoon reported that results from staff testing conducted last week at Pelican Bay State Prison began to arrive today. All of the new positive results are related to staff testing and all positive caes are self-isolating at home, most of whom are asymptomatic.
So far, the data indicated 11 new cases in Del Norte County (see below). Reportedly some positive tests will be reported to Curry County. No new data has been received from Curry County.
Percentages
Readers have asked for percentages as a way of interpreting the data. It is difficult to have exact percentages, in part because we don’t have access to the very latest population numbers. Also, some people are tested multiple times (such as health care professionals). However, this rough data is interesting:
As of data and reports available to us on July 22:
National - 15.75% of population tested; 9.44% of tests positive; 2.90% of people with positive tests died.
California - 16.63% of population tested; 6.20% of tests positive; 1.90% of people with positive tests died.
Oregon - 8.34% of population tested; 4.37% of tests positive; 1.76% of people with positive tests died
Del Norte County - new information from Del Norte County makes it necessary for us to recalculate percentages; this will be updated when available.
Curry County - 3.68% of population tested; 1.19% of tests positive; no deaths
CURRY
Curry County Public Health has made no new reports since July 21. At that time the county had four active cases and seven recovered cases (a total of 11 overall).
The latest testing numbers reported of July 19 showed a total of 843 tests have taken place, of which 834 were negative. There have been no COVID-19 related deaths or hospitalizations reported in Curry County. Note: this latest case is not included in our percentages because related updated testing data is not available at this time.
More information is available HERE: https://currypublichealth.com/home
DEL NORTE
The latest information from Del Norte County Public Health (received late this afternoon):
- Mean Age: 31
- Symptomatic Cases: 42 cases (53%)
- Asymptomatic Cases: 37 cases (47%)
- Passive Case Finding: 35 cases (44%)
- Active Case Finding: 44 cases (56%)
ABOUT OUR REPORT
Our late afternoon report, Monday through Friday, is part of our effort to provide the communities served by the Curry Coastal Pilot and Del Norte Triplicate with the latest relevant information about COVID-19.
Although the communities we serve are in two different counties and two different states, residents frequently travel to neighboring communities for work and shopping. The virus is not contained by city, county or state boundaries. And we all need to know the rules at play in the jurisdictions we might visit.
Unless there is urgent information that must be shared, we plan to make just one post daily with the best information we can gather — and compile what is relevant for our Friday print editions.
If you have a suggestion for information you would like to see in this daily (Monday through Friday) report, please send an email to: [email protected].
Unfortunately, all jurisdictions do not report information in the same format, so some information has not been provided for us to share:
CALIFORNIA
California, updated July 22, 2020:
Tests reported —6,674,998
Total cases — 413,576
Total deaths — 7,870
California's positivity rate – a key indicator of community spread – is trending upward in the 14-day average. Hospitalization rates are also trending upward in the 14-day average.
On July 13, California imposed some restrictions statewide, including Del Norte County. This included shutting down indoor dine-in restaurants and bars. In other counties, especially in Central and Southern California, further restrictions are in place. There are now 33 counties on the state’s “watch list” with greater restrictions, and two (Kern and Butte) on a lower level of "watch." No county north of Glenn County is on the most-restricted list. Get the latest information about rules for various counties online here. Latest data is here: https://public.tableau.com/views/COVID-19CasesDashboard_15931020425010/Cases?:embed=y&:showVizHome=no
OREGON
COVID-19 has claimed two more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 271, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.
Oregon Health Authority reported 264 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today bringing the state total to 15,393.
The new cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (1), Benton (3), Clackamas (24), Clatsop (1), Coos (3), Crook (2), Curry (1), Deschutes (8), Douglas (2), Grant (1), Hood River (4), Jackson (11), Jefferson (6), Josephine (1), Klamath (6), Lane (6), Lincoln (2), Linn (6), Malheur (13), Marion (31), Morrow (3), Multnomah (51), Polk (4), Umatilla (24), Wasco (1), Washington (45), and Yamhill (4).
(The Curry County case listed here was in our report for Curry County yesterday, and was the county’s 11th confirmed positive case).
More Oregon information is available here.
Pelican Bay State Prison
Although Pelican Bay State Prison is in California, employees live in both Del Norte and Curry counties. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation maintains a website with the latest information about efforts to control COVID-19 at facilities throughout the state, including PBSP, and updates data regularly for both staff and inmates here.
As of information available at the time of this posting, there been no reports of confirmed positive tests of Pelican Bay inmates and only two confirmed positive employees, both of whom were reported to have recovered and returned to work.
See introductory section of this report for the latest information.
Across the country
The Centers for Disease Control keeps tab on COVID-19 across the country.
Information updated on July 22, 2020, showed:
Total cases — 3,882,167 (63,028 new cases since yesterday’s report)
Total deaths — 141,677 (1,047 deaths since yesterday’s report)
Centers for Disease control information is here.
Around the world
The World Health Organization publishes a regular situation report with a great amount of detail about COVID-19 around the world.
The July 22, 2020, report is here. https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200722-covid-19-sitrep-184.pdf?sfvrsn=7680210a_2
The report shows 14,765,256 cases worldwide and 612,054 deaths.
About COVID-19
Basic information about COVID-19 is available at the Centers for Disease Control website.
What you need to know:
Anyone can have mild to severe symptoms.
Older adults and people who have severe underlying medical conditions like heart or lung disease or diabetes seem to be at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 illness.
Symptoms may include:
Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:
Fever or chills
Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
New loss of taste or smell
Sore throat
Congestion or runny nose
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea
This website has a handy self-checker questionnaire.
Testing — updated!
Del Norte County provides a website here with information about testing, which includes some options for Oregon residents, as well as California residents. As of today, the information may seem a little dated, but it's a good start if you would like to be tested.
CVS Pharmacy in Crescent City also provides testing, appointment required, for California residents only. Information here.
In Curry County, check this website for testing information. Also the State of Oregon has a new website to assist you in finding testing (does not include California locations). https://govstatus.egov.com/or-oha-covid-19-testing