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Del Norte County Public Health is changing its COVID-19 quarantine and isolation guidance to coincide with state and federal recommendations.

The Public Health Branch will also no longer issue release letters to close contacts of positive COVID-19 cases, the agency reported Monday.

The Public Health Branch’s public service announcement comes after Del Norte County has seen a spike in cases, likely due to the omicron variant. However because the county “has not experienced an increase in rates of severe disease and hospitalization,” officials decided to reduce the quarantine and isolation period for COVID patients and close contacts from 10 days to five.

On Monday, the Public Health Branch reported that 134 new cases were identified over the weekend, including seven among the county’s incarcerated population. Five people are hospitalized with COVID-19 symptoms and there are a total of 326 active cases, according to the county’s Information Hub.

At Pelican Bay State Prison, there are 12 active cases among the facility’s inmate population, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Del Norte County Sheriff Randy Waltz said the jail had “a few positive cases.”

Suspects booked into the jail are being cited and released with orders to appear in court when their court date comes up, Waltz told the Wild Rivers Outpost on Monday.

Waltz said he was also working with the Del Norte County Probation Department to place a few inmates on home detention, including some who were within a few days of their scheduled release date. These are low-risk inmates, most of whom are charged with non-violent misdemeanors, he said.

These measures reduced the jail population, allowing correctional officers to isolate inmates who tested positive for COVID, Waltz said.

“We’re trying to keep as few people coming in and out of the jail as we can,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Del Norte Public Health Branch is advising those who test positive regardless of their vaccination status or the presence of symptoms, to stay home for at least five days from the onset of symptoms or from when they received positive test results.

Isolation can end after the fifth day if symptoms are resolving and a COVID test came back negative, according to the Public Health Branch’s PSA. However, if the patient isn't able to or chooses not to test or if their symptoms aren’t resolving, they’re advised to continue to isolate for 10 days.

For those who are close contacts to anyone with COVID-19 and are either unvaccinated or have yet to receive a booster dose, a five-day quarantine period is recommended. Quarantine can end after the fifth day if there are no symptoms and a COVID-19 test comes back negative, according to the Public Health Branch.

Those who have received the COVID-19 vaccine including the booster shot as well as people who have received a vaccine but aren’t yet eligible for the booster do not need to quarantine. However, they’re urged to test five days after their last close contact and to stay home and get a test if symptoms develop.

Those who are isolating as a result of COVID-19 or were a close contact are urged to wear a well-fitting mask around others for 10 days, especially if they are indoors.

Del Norte County Public Health Officer Dr. Aaron Stutz will give a COVID-19 update to the Board of Supervisors at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.

For more information about COVID-19 in Del Norte County, click here.

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