Our 6 p.m. report continues, with the latest data we could round up for July 16, 2020.

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].

News! The City of Brookings has KN95 Masks available for small businesses. Information here.

The information here is as of late afternoon Thursday, July 16. Unfortunately, all jurisdictions do not report information in the same format, so some information has not been provided for us to share:

California and Del Norte County

California, updated July 16, 2020, with data from July 15:

• Tests reported — 5,793,276
• Total cases — 347,634 (3.3% increase over previous day)
• Total deaths — 7,227 (2.0% increase over previous day)

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. Get the latest information about rules for various counties online here. 

Del Norte County 

There was one new confirmed case of COVID-19 in a Del Norte County resident reported today. The public health department said in an email notice that the case is currently under investigation and contact tracing is underway.

Del Norte County also said that a new confirmed case of COVID-19 was reported today in a resident oustide Del Norte County, but who was tested in Del Norte County. Follow up was completed and the case was transferred to the appropriate jurisdiction and is therefore not reflected in the updated positive numbers. No further information about that case was provided.

• Total tests: 3109
• Total confirmed cases: 62
• Total active cases: 1
• Total inactive cases: 61
• Total hospitalizations: 2
• Total deaths: 0 

• Contact to a Known Case: 43 cases (69%)
• Travel-Acquired: 1 cases (2%)
• Community Transmission: 17 cases (27%)
• Under Investigation: 1 cases (2%)

• Males: 31 cases (50%)
• Females: 31 cases (50%)

• 0-17 years: 16 cases (26%)
• 18-49 years: 34 cases (55%)
• 50-64 years: 8 cases (13%)
• 65+ years: 4 cases (6%)

• Mean Age: 32

• Symptomatic Cases: 36 cases (58%)
• Asymptomatic Cases: 26 cases (42%)

• Passive Case Finding: 25 cases (40%)
• Active Case Finding: 37 cases (60%)

For more information about these numbers is available here.

Oregon and Curry County

Oregon Health Authority did not report any new cases in Curry County and there has been no report of new cases in the county since July 7.

COVID-19 has claimed two more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 249, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 437 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today bringing the state total to 13, 509.

The new cases reported today are in the following counties: Benton (4), Clackamas (28), Clatsop (2), Coos (2), Deschutes (28), Douglas (4), Hood River (5), Jackson (8), Jefferson (6), Josephine (1), Klamath (3), Lane (12), Lincoln (3), Linn (4), Malheur (17), Marion (53), Morrow (8), Multnomah (108), Polk (7), Tillamook (2), Umatilla (50), Union (1), Wasco (2), Washington (76), and Yamhill (3).

Today’s case count is the highest since the onset of the pandemic. The rise in cases is attributed to the spread of COVID-19 from social gatherings and sporadic spread. Worksite outbreaks and long term care facility outbreaks also are contributing cases to the daily count.

Since Oregon began reopening, we have seen outbreaks when people get together to celebrate with family and friends. Some examples include:

• Graduations
• Birthdays
• Weddings
• Holidays

COVID-19 is spreading more among social activities involving groups of younger people. OHA has recorded outbreaks linked to:

• An exercise classes
• A fraternity party
• A bachelor party

While it is difficult not to celebrate these events as we have in the past, COVID-19 is spreading in our communities and people must think hard about altering daily routines that may put people at risk.

OHA recommends that everyone:

• Limit the size of our gatherings
• Keep our distance
• Cover our faces
• Find alternative ways for those who are vulnerable to participate.

Curry County has not updated its information website since July 10. It continues to show:

• Active positive cases: 2
• Recovered cases: 7
• Negative cases: 777
• Completed tests: 786

The latest information from Curry County is posted 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.

According to data available on the afternoon of July 16:

• There are 2,307 incarcerated persons with active cases of COVID-19 statewide. To view more detailed case and testing information, see the CDCR and CCHCS Patient Testing Tracker.
• There are currently 795 active CDCR/CCHCS employee COVID-19 cases statewide (1,356 cumulative; 561 returned to work). See the CDCR/CCHCS COVID-19 Employee Status webpage for a breakdown by location.
• There are currently 71 incarcerated persons receiving medical care at outside health care facilities across the state.
• Tents have been installed to provide additional housing for low-risk patients at institutions and to help curb the potential spread. Work on erecting four tents finished this week at Folsom State Prison, adding to the existing tents at San Quentin State Prison, the California Institution For Men (CIM) and at the California Medical Facility (CMF). Plans for potential tents at the California Health Care Facility (CHCF) and the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility (RJD) are under evaluation.
• A poster checklist of required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) was distributed to institutions. It is a graphical breakdown of previous PPE requirements detailed in a memo released earlier this month.
• The Board of State and Community Corrections has approved $15 million from their Federal emergency COVID-19 funds to be allocated to CDCR so the department can better meet the housing needs of those being released from prison who are at-risk of homelessness, and to protect public health and safety. The department intends to use the funds to expand on its established network of community-based reentry programs throughout the state that provide transitional housing. The funding will be used to place both those released to state parole supervision as well as those being released to county probation supervision in the community.  CDCR will continue to collaborate with stakeholders, local law enforcement partners, and other agencies to leverage state and federal resources to help meet the reentry and housing needs of those releasing from California’s state prisons. On July 10, CDCR announced a series of release actions aimed at reducing the incarcerated population by approximately 8,000 by August in order to create more physical distancing as well as isolation and quarantine space within its institutions. Since March, CDCR’s has reduced its incarcerated population by more than 10,000 people due an expedited release of approximately 3,500 persons and suspension of county jail intake.

CDCR is engaged in testing employees statewide and tested at PBSP earlier this week. Results will be provided to employees and if there are confirmed positives, they will be reported to the county health department.

There have been three CDCR staff deaths, previously reported here:

• May 30 — staff member from California Rehabilitation Center
• June 3 — staff member from Ironwood State Prison
• July 13 — staff member from North Kern State Prison

There have been 39 inmate deaths.

Across the country

The Centers for Disease Control keeps tab on COVID-19 across the country.

Information updated on July 16, 2020, showed:

• Total cases — 3,483,832 (67404 new cases since the day before)
• Total deaths — 136,938 (947 deaths since the day before).

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 16, 2020, report is here. 

Of 13,378,853 cases, a total of 226,181 had been reported in the previous 24 hours. Of 580,045 deaths, 5,579 had been reported in the previous 24 hours.

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

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.