A second Humboldt County resident has died after having been diagnosed with COVID-19. The individual was an elderly resident of the Alder Bay Assisted Living facility.

Humboldt County Health Officer Dr. Teresa Frankovich said her sympathies are with the resident’s family. “Our community mourns this second loss,” she said. “The death puts a harsh focus on the reality of this virus. Elderly and medically fragile individuals overall are at higher risk for severe illness. Sadly, they are also at increased risk of succumbing to the infection, even with excellent medical care.”

“As a community, we need to help protect these individuals by embracing prevention measures such as using facial coverings, social distancing and avoiding gatherings of those outside our household,” Frankovich said. “Less virus circulating in the community means less chance of virus entering the facility.”

The death was reported by St. Joseph Hospital, one day after Humboldt County’s first COVID-related death.

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Humboldt Health Alert: humboldtgov.org/HumboldtHealthAlert

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