County reports 13 cases
Public Health, sheriff air views on sports spectators
“Throughout this entire pandemic, the Sheriff’s Office has taken an educational approach to COVID-19 precautions, rather than an enforcement approach. We feel that this approach continues to be successful in our county.” — William Honsal, Humboldt County Sheriff
Compiled from a Humboldt County Joint Information Center release:
Humboldt County reported 13 additional cases of COVID-19 Friday, bringing the total number of county residents who have tested positive for the virus to 3,419.
The California Department of Public Health on Wednesday updated an FAQ for Youth Sports Guidance to state “age-appropriate supervision should be limited to a single adult (or immediate family member older than the sport participant).”
Humboldt County Health Officer Dr. Ian Hoffman said the state released updated guidance for Youth and Recreational Sports on Feb. 19 and took nearly a month to provide this specific information on spectators.
“In the absence of state guidance, we came up with a plan that would allow up to two adults to attend, with adherence to safety measures that include wearing a facial covering and distancing from non-household members,” he said. “We will continue to support common sense rules and regulations that are based in logic and what is best for Humboldt County.”
Friday afternoon, CDPH updated its Youth Sports Guidance to clarify that sideline cheer is now allowed as a moderate-contact sport. The guidance states that sideline cheer is considered comparable to competitive cheer, and as such, should follow all requirements of other outdoor moderate-contact sports.
Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal said the Sheriff’s Office would not dictate age-appropriate supervision for youth sports and will not be in attendance at these sporting events to monitor parents’ supervision of their youth athletes.
“Throughout this entire pandemic, the Sheriff’s Office has taken an educational approach to COVID-19 precautions, rather than an enforcement approach,” he said. “We feel that this approach continues to be successful in our county.”
Anyone attending youth sporting events is required to practice COVID-19 safety precautions, including maintaining social distancing, wearing a facial covering, avoiding mixing households and staying home if feeling sick, the JIC said in a release.
Read the updated FAQ at cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/ DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/ Youth-Sports-FAQ.aspx.
For the most recent COVID-19 information, visit cdc.gov or cdph.ca.gov. Local information is available at humboldtgov.org or during business hours by contacting covidinfo@ co.humboldt.ca.us or calling 707-441-5000.
Some Safeway and CVS Pharmacy locations are offering COVID-19 vaccination appointments. See if there are appointments available for your age group or sector at one of these locations by visiting the links below.
Safeway: https://www. mhealthappointments.com/ covidappt
CVS Pharmacy: https://www.cvs.com/ immunizations/covid19-vaccine?icid=cvs-homehero1-link2-coronavirusvaccine.