The 8 a.m. Report: COVID-19 in Curry and Del Norte counties

This is our daily COVID-19 report for Curry and Del Norte counties; our last report was published at 8 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 13.

The Short Report

There was one new confirmed cases in Del Norte County, but no new cases reported in Curry County yesterday. 

• Curry County updated testing results. Details below.
• Del Norte reported one new positive test and updated testing results. Details below.
• Pelican Bay's published numbers did not change. Details below.

Curry County

No new cases were reported in Curry County yesterday, but testing numbers were updated on Facebook. The county has had 17 reported positive cases with 14 recovered and three active. There have been no hospitalizations or deaths.

Testing was updated yesterday to reflect 1,128 completed tests, of which 1,111 were said to be negative. This was an additional 15 tests from the Aug. 12 report.

Curry County updates its data on Facebook from time to time and also reports basic information HERE.

It has been difficult for The Pilot to follow or interpret Curry County's data because there has been no clarification of how the county is tabulating testing. For instance, a baby who tested positive was counted as positive and recovered even though subsequent tests showed the baby was not positive. And Curry County residents who work at Pelican Bay State Prison and tested positive there were removed from Del Norte's count when reported to Curry County, but they don't appear to be added to Curry's numbers — although Ward is reporting that she is removing out-of-state residents who test positive in Curry from the county's numbers when they are reported back to their home state.

Still, the numbers are relatively small.

Another way to look at COVID-19 in Curry County is offered by this dashboard  displaying Oregon Health Authority data (although it may lag behind county reports). The dashboard shows percentages, not raw numbers. 

Del Norte County

For more information about these numbers visit the county’s COVID-19 website at http://www.covid19.dnco.org

Pelican Bay State Prison

Pelican Bay State Prison is located in Del Norte County, but nearly a third of the facility's staff live in Curry County.

The California Dept. of Corrections and Rehabilitation reports results of its testing to the Public Health department in Del Norte County. If employees live outside Del Norte County, the health department passes that information on to the county of residence.

CDCR is still reporting zero inmate cases, 26 staff cases (24 from mandatory testing in July and two from May), with all but 18 staff returned to work

So far, no inmates at the prison have tested positive. CDCR publishes COVID-19 related information regularly HERE.

About Our Report

Our morning report, published at about 8 a.m., 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, shopping and recreation. 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 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 and there is sometimes a lag in the time information is reported locally and when it is compiled into state or national statistics.

What you need to know about COVID-19:

• 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 appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

• Fever or chill
• 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

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. Testing may also be available through Sutter Coast Hospital in Crescent City.

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 HERE to assist you in finding testing (does not include California locations).