Jan. 19, 2021

Contact: OHA External Relations, covid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us" target="_blank">orcovid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us

Oregon reports 637 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 5 new deaths

PORTLAND, Ore. — COVID-19 has claimed five more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 1,808, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 637 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 134,468.

Vaccinations in Oregon

Today, OHA reported that 8,141 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry. Of this total, 5,511 vaccine doses were administered on Jan. 18 and 2,630 were administered on previous days but entered into the vaccine registry on Jan. 18.

Cumulative daily totals can take several days to finalize because providers have 72 hours to report doses administered and technical challenges have caused many providers to lag in their reporting. OHA has been providing technical support to vaccination sites to improve the timeliness of their data entry into the state’s ALERT Immunization Information System (IIS).

Based on currently entered data, the average daily number of vaccinations for the past seven days has been 12,289 doses administered per day.

Date of Administration	Total Doses
Tuesday, Jan. 12	12,775
Wednesday, Jan. 13	14,533
Thursday, Jan. 14	13,836
Friday, Jan. 15	14,759
Saturday, Jan. 16	15,094
Sunday, Jan. 17	9,513
Monday, Jan. 18	5,511

Oregon has now administered a cumulative total of 225,066 first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccines. All vaccinations were administered by Oregon hospitals, long-term care facilities, emergency medical service (EMS) agencies, urgent care facilities and Local Public Health Authorities (LPHAs).

To date, 339,950 doses of vaccine have been delivered to sites across Oregon.

These data are preliminary and subject to change. OHA's dashboards provide regularly updated vaccination data and Oregon’s dashboard has been updated today.

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 328, which is 14 fewer than yesterday. There are 92 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is two fewer than yesterday.

The total number of patients in hospital beds may fluctuate between report times. The numbers do not reflect admissions per day, nor the length of hospital stay. Staffing limitations are not captured in this data and may further limit bed capacity.

More information about hospital capacity can be found here.

Cases and deaths

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (5), Benton (16), Clackamas (63), Clatsop (1), Columbia (5), Coos (3), Crook (2), Deschutes (37), Douglas (5), Hood River (1), Jackson (41), Jefferson (2), Josephine (27), Klamath (25), Lake (3), Lane (71), Lincoln (5), Linn (7), Marion (67), Morrow (2), Multnomah (125), Polk (14), Tillamook (1), Umatilla (13), Union (4), Wasco (4), Washington (76) and Yamhill (12).

Oregon’s 1,804th COVID-19 death is a 78-year-old man in Deschutes County who tested positive on Jan. 5 and died on Jan. 15 at St. Charles Bend hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,805th COVID-19 death is a 78-year-old woman in Josephine County who tested positive on Dec. 28 and died on Jan. 18 at Asante Three Rivers Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,806th COVID-19 death is an 81-year-old woman in Lane County who tested positive on Nov. 25 and died on Dec. 15 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,807th COVID-19 death is a 91-year-old man in Washington County who tested positive on Dec. 11 and died on Jan. 15 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,808th COVID-19 death is a 65-year-old woman in Washington County who tested positive on Jan. 4 and died on Jan. 17 at Oregon Health & Science University Hospital. She had underlying conditions.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations

To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine situation in Oregon, visit our webpage, which has a breakdown of distribution and other useful information.

There is a phone outage in both the Illinois Valley and Wolf Creek areas impacting Ziply customers.  In both of these areas, customers are unable to reach 911 from their landline phones.  Wireless phones are not impacted.  We have not received an estimated time of restoration. 

In the event of an emergency in these areas, please use a cell phone to call 911 until further notice.  As we receive updates on the phone system, we will update the public.

 

JOSEPHINE COUNTY 911 AGENCY

GRANTS PASS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

726 NE 7TH STREET, GRANTS PASS, OR 97526

Telephone  541-472-1911   Fax 541-474-0827

 

INCIDENT: Search and Rescue Mission on Grayback Mountain

INCIDENT DATE AND TIME: 01/18/2021 at approximately 5:50 pm         

REPORTING DEPUTY:  Undersheriff Travis Snyder                       

DETAILS:  On Monday, January 18, 2021 at approximately 5:50 pm, the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office received a report of an injured hiker on Grayback Mountain.  The hiker was identified as a 42-year-old female who was accompanied by a male who was able to call for help.  Search and Rescue volunteers attempted hiking to the location of the two subjects, which was reportedly about one mile from the Grayback Cabin. 

Due to extreme conditions, Search and Rescue personnel were unable to reach the two subjects.  A Coast Guard helicopter responded to the location on the night of January 18th and dropped off a paramedic with supplies to get all parties through the night.  Due to darkness and weather conditions, retrieving personnel from the mountain was not an option.    

In the morning hours of Tuesday, January 19, 2021, an Oregon Army National Guard Helicopter attempted to retrieve the two hikers and paramedic however had difficultly due to poor weather conditions.  After several attempts, the two hikers and the paramedic were retrieved by an Oregon Army National Guard helicopter and transported to the Medford airport and the female patient is being evaluated for the level of injuries sustained.     

EUGENE, Ore.—A former Eugene elementary school teacher pleaded guilty today for sexually abusing a minor female, announced U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams.

William Hamann, 38, pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking of a child.

According to court documents, on several occasions beginning in 2018 and continuing until July 2019, Hamann paid a minor female for oral sex and recorded the minor performing the sex acts. The minor female was 15 years old during the first encounter with Hamman. Eugene Police Department detectives and FBI agents arrested Hamann on July 26, 2019, when he came to meet the minor a fourth time. Agents searched his mobile phone and found a recording of one of the sex acts. Hamman used social media to arrange the meetings with the minor.

On August 21, 2019, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned a four-count indictment charging Hamann with sexual exploitation and trafficking of a child, possession of child pornography, and attempted sex trafficking of a child.

Hamann was also charged with multiple counts in Lane County Circuit Court, including sodomy and sex abuse.

Hamann will be sentenced on March 1, 2021 before U.S. District Court Judge Ann Aiken. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will recommend a sentence of 160 months in federal prison to be served consecutively to a 20-month prison sentence in Lane County.

As part of the plea agreement, Hamann has agreed to pay restitution in full to his victim.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Eugene Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Jeff Sweet, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, and Katherine Green, Lane County Deputy District Attorney.

Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at (503) 224-4181 or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.

Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, child victims suffer re-victimization each time the image of their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s website at www.missingkids.org.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

# # #

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ore. - The Douglas County Sheriff's Office has been notified by Lumen Technologies (formerly CenturyLink) of a service disruption which is impacting residents in Camas Valley, Tenmile, Winston, Green, Myrtle Creek, Days Creek, Tiller and Milo due to a fiber line cut. The service disruption may affect the ability for residents in the area to reach 9-1-1 on a Lumen Technologies (CenturyLink) landline. 

Residents may be able to get through to emergency services on a cellular telephone, if they have service. Some fire stations have also been manned with personnel. 

At this time, there is no estimated time of repair. Additional details will be released as they become available. 

###

Welcome to the Oregon FBI’s Tech Tuesday segment. Today: Building a digital defense with smart passwords and passphrases.

Last week, we talked about how bad actors are using stolen email passwords to gain access to smart home devices – think of items such as surveillance cameras and internet-connected doorbells. They are using that access to make 911 calls to law enforcement, resulting in a mass response – including SWAT teams. The best way to protect yourself is to use complex passwords or passphrases for online accounts, and don’t reuse passwords across different accounts.

The start of the new year is a great time to look at the passwords you use and make some easy – but consequential – changes.

Rule number 1 – Make sure, at the very least, that your email, financial, and health accounts all have unique passwords or passphrases.

Rule number 2 – Make sure your password or passphrase is as long as the system will allow.

Rule number 3 – Creating new passwords doesn’t have to be super complicated… just make sure they are complex. One easy way to do that is to create a passphrase. Pick a string of words that only you would associate with each other.

For instance, picture a scene that is unique to you such as your backyard and put those thoughts together. “Broken oak tree with fence needing staining overcome by snails and moss” can become “brokenoakstainsnailsmoss”. That’s 24 characters. Add in a capital, special character, and a number and you just made your passphrase even stronger but still easy to remember: “Brokenoak$tainsnailsmo55”.

Make sure you avoid well known strings of words that other people would put together – such as the colors of the rainbow or the name of a popular book.

Rule Number 4 - A password or passphrase is only the first piece of what’s called multi-factor authentication (or MFA). To keep yourself safe, you need at least two – preferably more – pieces to that MFA puzzle. Here’s an easy way to remember what multi-factor authentication includes:

• Something you know (passphrase or password)
• Something you have (such as a randomly-generated PIN texted to your phone)
• Something you are (such as face or fingerprint imaging)

Finally – consider using a reputable password manager. A manager is a program that saves all of your passwords locally or in a cloud vault, and all you have to remember is that one, very complex master passphrase. As with everything, there are no guarantees of 100% safety, but the more roadblocks you can build, the safer you likely will be.

If you believe your e-mail or other smart device credentials have been compromised, you should report the incident to the FBI’s Internet Crime Center at www.ic3.gov or call your FBI local office.  

###

Director Christopher Wray has named Kieran Ramsey as the special agent in charge of the Portland Field Office. Most recently, Mr. Ramsey served as the director of the FBI Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell in the Counterterrorism Division at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Ramsey joined the FBI as a special agent in 1998 and was assigned to the Seattle Field Office. He worked on a public corruption task force, an organized crime squad, and on the Seattle Joint Terrorism Task Force. Mr. Ramsey also served as the senior leader of Seattle’s Evidence Response Team and deployed to the World Trade Center after 9/11.

In 2005, Mr. Ramsey was promoted to supervisory special agent and worked in the Counterterrorism HUMINT Operations Unit at FBI Headquarters. He served in that position for two years and was promoted to legal attaché in Cairo in 2007. As legat, he served as the principal FBI official for U.S. embassies in Egypt, Sudan, and Libya.

Mr. Ramsey was promoted in 2010 to supervisory senior resident agent of the New Hampshire offices, under the Boston Field Office. In that position, he also directed the New Hampshire Safe Streets Task Force and the New Hampshire Joint Terrorism Task Force. He was promoted in 2013 to assistant special agent in charge of the Boston’s Counterterrorism Branch, and led the Boston Marathon Bombing Task Force to its conclusion.

He was named legal attaché in Rome in 2017, covering Italy, The Holy See, and Malta. Mr. Ramsey was promoted to section chief in 2018, and named the director of the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell. The interagency HRFC leads the U.S. government’s efforts to recover U.S. national hostages held abroad.

Prior to joining the FBI, Mr. Ramsey was a special agent with the U.S. Customs Service. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Northeastern University in Boston and a master’s degree from Georgetown University in Washington.

###

PORTLAND, Ore. — COVID-19 has claimed three more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 1,803, Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

OHA reported 666 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 133,851.

Vaccinations in Oregon 

Today, OHA is reporting that 11,951 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry. Of this total, 8,409 vaccine doses were administered on Jan. 17. 

Oregon has now administered a cumulative total of 216,925 first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccines. All vaccinations occurred at Oregon hospitals, long-term care facilities, emergency medical service (EMS) agencies, urgent care facilities and Local Public Health Authorities (LPHAs). 

To date, 335,075 doses of vaccine have been delivered to sites across Oregon. 

These data are preliminary and subject to change. OHA's dashboards provide regularly updated vaccination data and Oregon’s dashboard has been updated today. 

COVID-19 hospitalizations 

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 342, which is 19 fewer than yesterday. There are 94 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is one fewer than yesterday. 

The total number of patients in hospital beds may fluctuate between report times. The numbers do not reflect admissions per day, nor the length of hospital stay. Staffing limitations are not captured in this data and may further limit bed capacity. 

More information about hospital capacity can be found here.

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Benton (10), Clackamas (57), Columbia (6), Coos (1), Crook (9), Deschutes (51), Douglas (11), Hood River (3), Jackson (40), Jefferson (2), Josephine (9), Lake (1), Lane (81), Lincoln (5), Linn (8), Malheur (4), Marion (79), Morrow (6), Multnomah (140), Polk (9), Umatilla (29), Wasco (10), Washington (87), Yamhill (8).

Oregon’s 1801st COVID-19 death is a 90-year-old woman in Lane County who tested positive Jan. 4 and died Jan. 8 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1802nd COVID-19 death is a 55-year-old man in Marion County who tested positive Dec. 27 and died Jan. 16 at Salem Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1803rd COVID-19 death is a 99-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive Jan. 3 and died Jan. 15 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Updated information is available for Oregon’s 1,800th death: Her place of death was confirmed as her residence.

County	Cases1	Total deaths2
Baker	568	5
Benton	1,705	14
Clackamas	11,698	138
Clatsop	686	5
Columbia	1,049	18
Coos	938	15
Crook	621	10
Curry	324	5
Deschutes	4,999	36
Douglas	1,687	43
Gilliam	51	1
Grant	213	1
Harney	175	4
Hood River	954	21
Jackson	6,930	85
Jefferson	1,705	25
Josephine	1,743	33
Klamath	2,428	38
Lake	230	5
Lane	8,353	109
Lincoln	996	17
Linn	3,116	46
Malheur	3,135	52
Marion	16,247	239
Morrow	938	10
Multnomah	28,467	459
Polk	2,455	40
Sherman	47	0
Tillamook	365	2
Umatilla	6,793	68
Union	1,114	16
Wallowa	96	3
Wasco	1,081	23
Washington	18,734	171
Wheeler	20	1
Yamhill	3,190	45
Total	133,851	1,803

1This includes cases confirmed by diagnostic testing and presumptive cases. Presumptive cases are those without a positive diagnostic test who present COVID-19-like symptoms and had close contact with a confirmed case. County of residence for cases may change as new information becomes available. If changes occur, we will update our counts accordingly.

2For additional details on individuals who have died from COVID-19 in Oregon, please refer to our press releases

ELRs Received 1/17

County	Negative ELRs	Positive ELRs	Total ELRs	Percent Positivity
Baker	41	2	43	4.7%
Benton	128	8	136	5.9%
Clackamas	1,212	70	1,282	5.5%
Clatsop	51	2	53	3.8%
Columbia	115	8	123	6.5%
Coos	67	1	68	1.5%
Crook	75	11	86	12.8%
Curry	5	0	5	0.0%
Deschutes	517	46	563	8.2%
Douglas	188	13	201	6.5%
Gilliam	2	0	2	0.0%
Grant	11	0	11	0.0%
Harney	6	0	6	0.0%
Hood River	108	6	114	5.3%
Jackson	614	22	636	3.5%
Jefferson	93	4	97	4.1%
Josephine	178	13	191	6.8%
Klamath	54	11	65	16.9%
Lake	14	2	16	12.5%
Lane	1,448	78	1,526	5.1%
Lincoln	112	3	115	2.6%
Linn	246	10	256	3.9%
Malheur	42	7	49	14.3%
Marion	962	96	1,058	9.1%
Morrow	13	4	17	23.5%
Multnomah	2,647	180	2,827	6.4%
Polk	157	7	164	4.3%
Sherman	3	0	3	0.0%
Tillamook	30	1	31	3.2%
Umatilla	197	33	230	14.3%
Union	22	0	22	0.0%
Wallowa	20	1	21	4.8%
Wasco	137	10	147	6.8%
Washington	1,737	109	1,846	5.9%
Wheeler	2	0	2	0.0%
Yamhill	424	17	441	3.9%
Statewide	11,678	775	12,453	6.2%

Total ELRs Received

County	Negative ELRs	Positive ELRs	Total ELRs	Percent Positivity
Baker	6,276	1,516	7,792	19.5%
Benton	83,038	2,594	85,632	3.0%
Clackamas	291,714	16,574	308,288	5.4%
Clatsop	22,809	1,146	23,955	4.8%
Columbia	27,472	1,342	28,814	4.7%
Coos	24,589	837	25,426	3.3%
Crook	10,175	852	11,027	7.7%
Curry	6,533	244	6,777	3.6%
Deschutes	109,713	6,785	116,498	5.8%
Douglas	42,166	1,448	43,614	3.3%
Gilliam	744	28	772	3.6%
Grant	2,917	168	3,085	5.4%
Harney	2,233	175	2,408	7.3%
Hood River	21,171	1,216	22,387	5.4%
Jackson	135,314	8,676	143,990	6.0%
Jefferson	12,525	1,488	14,013	10.6%
Josephine	35,517	1,663	37,180	4.5%
Klamath	31,782	2,498	34,280	7.3%
Lake	1,750	267	2,017	13.2%
Lane	265,307	8,620	273,927	3.1%
Lincoln	30,327	1,971	32,298	6.1%
Linn	85,121	5,774	90,895	6.4%
Malheur	15,299	4,413	19,712	22.4%
Marion	220,450	22,917	243,367	9.4%
Morrow	4,722	1,074	5,796	18.5%
Multnomah	666,812	39,947	706,759	5.7%
Polk	44,526	3,101	47,627	6.5%
Sherman	971	42	1,013	4.1%
Tillamook	9,599	325	9,924	3.3%
Umatilla	43,503	6,999	50,502	13.9%
Union	8,566	877	9,443	9.3%
Wallowa	1,699	59	1,758	3.4%
Wasco	21,638	1,153	22,791	5.1%
Washington	420,360	26,490	446,850	5.9%
Wheeler	282	18	300	6.0%
Yamhill	83,768	4,391	88,159	5.0%
Statewide	2,791,388	177,688	2,969,076	6.0%

Jan. 17, 2021

Contact: OHA External Relations, covid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us" target="_blank">orcovid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us

Oregon reports 799 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, one new death

PORTLAND, Ore. — COVID-19 has claimed one more life in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 1,800 the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 799 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today bringing the state total to 133,205.

Vaccinations in Oregon 

Today, OHA reported that 15,784 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry. Of this total, 12,781 vaccine doses were administered on Jan. 16.

Based on updated totals, OHA is meeting Gov. Kate Brown’s goal of ensuring 12,000 vaccinations a day. The Governor required the benchmark to be met by the end of the two-week period that began Jan. 4. Today we surpassed 200,000 doses of COVID vaccine administered to Oregonians.

Cumulative daily totals can take several days to finalize because providers have 72 hours to report doses administered and technical challenges have caused many providers to lag in their reporting. OHA has been providing technical support to vaccination sites to improve the timeliness of their data entry into the state’s ALERT Immunization Information System (IIS).

Oregon has now administered a cumulative total of 204,974 first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccines. All vaccinations were administered by Oregon hospitals, long-term care facilities, emergency medical service (EMS) agencies, urgent care facilities and Local Public Health Authorities (LPHAs).

To date, 335,075 doses of vaccine have been delivered to sites across Oregon.

These data are preliminary and subject to change. OHA's dashboards provide regularly updated vaccination data and Oregon’s dashboard has been updated today. 

COVID-19 hospitalizations 

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 361, which is four fewer than yesterday. There are 95 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is three more than yesterday. 

The total number of patients in hospital beds may fluctuate between report times. The numbers do not reflect admissions per day, nor the length of hospital stay. Staffing limitations are not captured in this data and may further limit bed capacity. 

More information about hospital capacity can be found here.

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (2), Benton (12), Clackamas (66), Clatsop (16), Columbia (10), Coos (5), Crook (6), Curry (6), Deschutes (46), Douglas (11), Gilliam (3), Harney (2), Hood River (3), Jackson (30), Jefferson (15), Josephine (30), Klamath (6), Lake (1), Lane (53), Lincoln (6), Linn (7), Malheur (7), Marion (86), Morrow (5), Multnomah (102), Polk (34), Tillamook (3), Umatilla (57), Union (10), Wasco (8), Washington (131), Yamhill (20).

Oregon’s 1,800th COVID-19 death is a 74-year-old woman in Jackson County who tested positive Dec. 6 and died Dec. 25. Location of death is being confirmed. She had underlying conditions.

County	Cases1	Total deaths2
Baker	568	5
Benton	1,695	14
Clackamas	11,642	138
Clatsop	686	5
Columbia	1,043	18
Coos	937	15
Crook	610	10
Curry	324	5
Deschutes	4,952	36
Douglas	1,677	43
Gilliam	51	1
Grant	213	1
Harney	175	4
Hood River	951	21
Jackson	6,892	85
Jefferson	1,702	25
Josephine	1,735	33
Klamath	2,428	38
Lake	230	5
Lane	8,272	108
Lincoln	991	17
Linn	3,108	46
Malheur	3,131	52
Marion	16,172	238
Morrow	933	10
Multnomah	28,337	458
Polk	2,446	40
Sherman	47	0
Tillamook	365	2
Umatilla	6,765	68
Union	1,114	16
Wallowa	96	3
Wasco	1,071	23
Washington	18,644	171
Wheeler	20	1
Yamhill	3,182	45
Total	133,205	1,800

1This includes cases confirmed by diagnostic testing and presumptive cases. Presumptive cases are those without a positive diagnostic test who present COVID-19-like symptoms and had close contact with a confirmed case. County of residence for cases may change as new information becomes available. If changes occur, we will update our counts accordingly.

2For additional details on individuals who have died from COVID-19 in Oregon, please refer to our press releases

ELRs Received 1/16

County	Negative ELRs	Positive ELRs	Total ELRs	Percent Positivity
Baker	57	6	63	9.5%
Benton	298	11	309	3.6%
Clackamas	1,178	65	1,243	5.2%
Clatsop	185	12	197	6.1%
Columbia	133	12	145	8.3%
Coos	194	6	200	3.0%
Crook	65	11	76	14.5%
Curry	114	2	116	1.7%
Deschutes	502	40	542	7.4%
Douglas	158	8	166	4.8%
Gilliam	20	1	21	4.8%
Grant	54	0	54	0.0%
Harney	3	2	5	40.0%
Hood River	119	7	126	5.6%
Jackson	853	35	888	3.9%
Jefferson	58	4	62	6.5%
Josephine	210	12	222	5.4%
Klamath	182	17	199	8.5%
Lake	32	5	37	13.5%
Lane	1,404	53	1,457	3.6%
Lincoln	81	1	82	1.2%
Linn	229	4	233	1.7%
Malheur	79	5	84	6.0%
Marion	1,104	105	1,209	8.7%
Morrow	21	0	21	0.0%
Multnomah	2,920	138	3,058	4.5%
Polk	182	18	200	9.0%
Sherman	4	0	4	0.0%
Tillamook	59	2	61	3.3%
Umatilla	196	42	238	17.6%
Union	11	0	11	0.0%
Wallowa	4	0	4	0.0%
Wasco	151	7	158	4.4%
Washington	1,857	157	2,014	7.8%
Wheeler	1	0	1	0.0%
Yamhill	514	14	528	2.7%
Statewide	13,232	802	14,034	5.7%

Total ELRs Received

County	Negative ELRs	Positive ELRs	Total ELRs	Percent Positivity
Baker	6,235	1,514	7,749	19.5%
Benton	82,910	2,586	85,496	3.0%
Clackamas	290,502	16,504	307,006	5.4%
Clatsop	22,758	1,144	23,902	4.8%
Columbia	27,357	1,334	28,691	4.6%
Coos	24,522	836	25,358	3.3%
Crook	10,100	841	10,941	7.7%
Curry	6,528	244	6,772	3.6%
Deschutes	109,196	6,739	115,935	5.8%
Douglas	41,978	1,435	43,413	3.3%
Gilliam	742	28	770	3.6%
Grant	2,906	168	3,074	5.5%
Harney	2,227	175	2,402	7.3%
Hood River	21,063	1,210	22,273	5.4%
Jackson	134,700	8,654	143,354	6.0%
Jefferson	12,432	1,484	13,916	10.7%
Josephine	35,339	1,650	36,989	4.5%
Klamath	31,728	2,487	34,215	7.3%
Lake	1,736	265	2,001	13.2%
Lane	263,859	8,542	272,401	3.1%
Lincoln	30,215	1,968	32,183	6.1%
Linn	84,875	5,764	90,639	6.4%
Malheur	15,257	4,406	19,663	22.4%
Marion	219,488	22,821	242,309	9.4%
Morrow	4,709	1,070	5,779	18.5%
Multnomah	664,165	39,767	703,932	5.6%
Polk	44,369	3,094	47,463	6.5%
Sherman	968	42	1,010	4.2%
Tillamook	9,569	324	9,893	3.3%
Umatilla	43,306	6,966	50,272	13.9%
Union	8,544	877	9,421	9.3%
Wallowa	1,679	58	1,737	3.3%
Wasco	21,501	1,143	22,644	5.0%
Washington	418,623	26,381	445,004	5.9%
Wheeler	280	18	298	6.0%
Yamhill	83,344	4,374	87,718	5.0%
Statewide	2,779,710	176,913	2,956,623	6.0%

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations

To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine situation in Oregon, visit our webpage, which has a breakdown of distribution and other useful information.

 

You are subscribed to Oregon Health Authority News Releases. View all OHA news releases. 

An Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) adult in custody (AIC) died the evening of January 16, 2021. He was incarcerated at Two Rivers Correctional Institution and passed away at a local hospital. He tested positive for COVID-19 and was between 75 and 85 years old. As with all in-custody deaths, the Oregon State Police have been notified, and the Medical Examiner will determine cause of death. Department-wide, this is the thirty-first AIC to die who tested positive for COVID-19.

For more information on COVID-19 cases inside Oregon’s prisons, please visit DOC’s COVID-19 website. The agency is responsible for the care and custody of 13,000 adults in custody who are incarcerated in 14 institutions across the state.

Anyone entering DOC property is required to wear a mask or face covering in any indoor work setting or other indoor premises regardless of distance from others unless they are in a private, individual office not shared by anyone else; or they are actively eating or drinking AND at least six (6) feet of distance can be maintained between other people. Masks are mandatory at all times in many work areas.

Institutions continue to clean and disinfect numerous times a day. DOC asks AICs to report symptoms of COVID to medical staff. Posters are in all DOC institutions encouraging individuals to maintain proper hygiene and to uphold appropriate social distancing to the extent possible. Health screening processes are in place before staff are allowed to enter facilities. This screening includes a temperature check and a screening questionnaire. Visiting remains closed until further notice.

DOC has begun administering COVID-19 vaccinations – eventually offering to all DOC staff, contractors, Oregon Corrections Enterprises employees, and adults in custody (AICs). Prioritization of vaccines will be determined by guidance from the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), and the Governor’s Office.

Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, DOC issued a press release when an AIC passed away. This notification would include the person’s name, county of conviction, sentence length, and date of death. However, no cause of death would be listed because the Medical Examiner makes that determination. In order to balance the desire for transparency with our legal obligation to protect personal health information, we have changed the AIC death notification process when someone dies who has tested positive for COVID-19. DOC is working with the Oregon Health Authority to publish COVID-19 related data and information on the OHA website.

####

An Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) adult in custody (AIC) died January 16, 2021. He was incarcerated at Two Rivers Correctional Institution and passed away at a local hospital. He tested positive for COVID-19 and was between 75 and 85 years old. As with all in-custody deaths, the Oregon State Police have been notified, and the Medical Examiner will determine cause of death. Department-wide, this is the thirtieth AIC to die who tested positive for COVID-19.

For more information on COVID-19 cases inside Oregon’s prisons, please visit DOC’s COVID-19 website. The agency is responsible for the care and custody of 13,000 adults in custody who are incarcerated in 14 institutions across the state.

Anyone entering DOC property is required to wear a mask or face covering in any indoor work setting or other indoor premises regardless of distance from others unless they are in a private, individual office not shared by anyone else; or they are actively eating or drinking AND at least six (6) feet of distance can be maintained between other people. Masks are mandatory at all times in many work areas.

Institutions continue to clean and disinfect numerous times a day. DOC asks AICs to report symptoms of COVID to medical staff. Posters are in all DOC institutions encouraging individuals to maintain proper hygiene and to uphold appropriate social distancing to the extent possible. Health screening processes are in place before staff are allowed to enter facilities. This screening includes a temperature check and a screening questionnaire. Visiting remains closed until further notice.

DOC has begun administering COVID-19 vaccinations – eventually offering to all DOC staff, contractors, Oregon Corrections Enterprises employees, and adults in custody (AICs). Prioritization of vaccines will be determined by guidance from the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), and the Governor’s Office.

Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, DOC issued a press release when an AIC passed away. This notification would include the person’s name, county of conviction, sentence length, and date of death. However, no cause of death would be listed because the Medical Examiner makes that determination. In order to balance the desire for transparency with our legal obligation to protect personal health information, we have changed the AIC death notification process when someone dies who has tested positive for COVID-19. DOC is working with the Oregon Health Authority to publish COVID-19 related data and information on the OHA website.

####

Jan. 16, 2021

Contact: OHA External Relations, covid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us" target="_blank">orcovid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us

Updated: OHA is meeting the Governor’s vaccination benchmark and ELR tables corrected

Oregon reports 1,173 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 41 new deaths

Portland, Ore. — There are 41 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 1,799, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 1,173 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 132,412.

Vaccinations in Oregon

Today, OHA reported that 16,117 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry. Of this total, 11,332 vaccine doses were administered on Jan. 15.

Based on updated totals, OHA is meeting Gov. Kate Brown’s goal of ensuring 12,000 vaccinations a day. The Governor required the benchmark to be met by the end of the two-week period that began Jan. 4.

Cumulative daily totals can take several days to finalize because providers have 72 hours to report doses administered and technical challenges have caused many providers to lag in their reporting. OHA has been providing technical support to vaccination sites to improve the timeliness of their data entry into the state’s ALERT Immunization Information System (IIS).

Oregon has now administered a cumulative total of 189,190 first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccines. All vaccinations were administered by Oregon hospitals, long-term care facilities, emergency medical service (EMS) agencies, urgent care facilities and Local Public Health Authorities (LPHAs).

To date, 335,075 doses of vaccine have been delivered to sites across Oregon.

These data are preliminary and subject to change. OHA's dashboards provide regularly updated vaccination data.

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 365, which is 22 fewer than yesterday. There are 92 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is five fewer than yesterday.

The total number of patients in hospital beds may fluctuate between report times. The numbers do not reflect admissions per day, nor the length of hospital stay. Staffing limitations are not captured in this data and may further limit bed capacity.

More information about hospital capacity can be found here.

Cases and deaths

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (15), Benton (27), Clackamas (75), Clatsop (8), Columbia (18), Coos (7), Crook (20), Curry (1), Deschutes (62), Douglas (16), Gilliam (1), Harney (5), Hood River (14), Jackson (56), Jefferson (12), Josephine (18), Klamath (56), Lake (1), Lane (95), Lincoln (12), Linn (37), Malheur (8), Marion (117), Morrow (6), Multnomah (216), Polk (23), Tillamook (5), Umatilla (70), Union (9), Wallowa (2), Wasco (12), Washington (125), Wheeler (1) and Yamhill (23).

Oregon’s 1,759 COVID-19 death is a 32-year-old man in Marion County who died Dec. 30 at his residence. The death certificate listed COVID-19 disease or SARS-CoV-2 as a cause of death or significant condition contributing to death. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,760 COVID-19 death is a 47-year-old man in Washington County who tested positive on Dec. 9 and died on Jan. 8 at Oregon Health and Sciences University. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,761 COVID-19 death is an 88-year-old man in Deschutes County who tested positive on Jan. 10 and died on Jan. 13 at St. Charles Medical Center - Bend. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,762 COVID-19 death is an 86-year-old man in Deschutes County who tested positive on Jan. 3 and died on Jan. 15 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,763 COVID-19 death is a 91-year-old woman in Marion County who tested positive on Dec. 16 and died on Jan. 8 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,764 COVID-19 death is an 89-year-old man in Washington County who tested positive on Dec. 31 and died on Jan. 11 at Tuality Community Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,765 COVID-19 death is a 44-year-old man in Josephine County who tested positive on Dec. 22 and died on Jan. 2 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,766 COVID-19 death is a 95-year-old woman in Washington County who tested positive on Jan. 4 and died on Jan. 9 at Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,767 COVID-19 death is an 89-year-old woman in Clackamas County who tested positive on Dec. 21 and died Jan. 8 at her residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,768 COVID-19 death is a 58-year-old woman in Jackson County who tested positive on Dec. 20 and died on Jan. 14 at Asante Three Rivers Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,769 COVID-19 death is a 69-year-old man in Malheur County who tested positive on Jan. 11 and died on Jan. 14 at St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,770 COVID-19 death is an 80-year-old man in Clackamas County who tested positive on Dec. 22 and died on Jan. 5 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,771 COVID-19 death is a 79-year-old man in Marion County who tested positive on Dec. 1 and died on Jan. 1 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,772 COVID-19 death is a 100-year-old woman in Josephine County who tested positive on Jan. 2 and died on Jan. 12 at her residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,773 COVID-19 death is a 92-year-old man in Polk County who tested positive on Dec. 1 and died on Dec. 17 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,774 COVID-19 death is an 89-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Dec. 15 and died on Dec. 20 at his residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,775 COVID-19 death is a 71-year-old man in Lane County who tested positive on Jan. 6 and died on Jan. 8 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,776 COVID-19 death is an 80-year-old man in Clatsop County who tested positive on Nov. 16 and died on Jan. 3 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,777 COVID-19 death is a 77-year-old woman in Benton County who tested positive on Dec. 10 and died on Dec. 31 at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,778 COVID-19 death is an 80-year-old woman in Klamath County who tested positive on Jan. 11 and died on Jan. 14 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,779 COVID-19 death is a 51-year-old man in Clackamas County who tested positive on Nov. 19 and died on Jan. 7 at Oregon Health and Sciences University. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1780th COVID-19 death is an 86-year-old woman in Washington County who tested positive on Nov. 24 and died on Jan. 7 at her residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,781 COVID-19 death is an 88-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on Dec. 10 and died on Dec. 27 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,782 COVID-19 death is a 61-year-old woman in Linn County who tested positive on Dec. 9 and died on Jan. 10 at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,783 COVID-19 death is an 84-year-old woman in Crook County who tested positive on Dec. 8 and died on Dec. 20 at St. Charles Medical Center - Bend. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,784 COVID-19 death is a 92-year-old man in Marion County who tested positive on Dec. 7 and died on Dec. 20 at his residence He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,785 COVID-19 death is a 56-year-old man in Umatilla County who tested positive on Dec. 16 and died on Dec. 30 at St. Anthony Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,786 COVID-19 death is a 58-year-old woman in Deschutes County who tested positive on Dec. 21 and died on Dec. 31 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,787 COVID-19 death is a 94-year-old woman in Polk County who tested positive on Dec. 21 and died on Jan. 14 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,788 COVID-19 death is a 71-year-old woman in Washington County who tested positive on Dec. 25 and died on Jan. 12 at Kaiser Westside Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,789 COVID-19 death is an 86-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Dec. 28 and died on Jan. 11 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,790 COVID-19 death is a 76-year-old woman in Linn County who tested positive on Dec. 28 and died on Jan. 9 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,791 COVID-19 death is an 80-year-old woman in Klamath County who tested positive on Dec. 29 and died on Jan. 13 at Sky Lakes Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,792 COVID-19 death is an 83-year-old man in Klamath County who tested positive on Dec. 27 and died on Jan. 13 at Sky Lakes Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,793 COVID-19 death is a 78-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Dec. 14 and died on Jan. 7 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,794 COVID-19 death is a 69-year-old man in Linn County who tested positive on Dec. 23 and died on Jan. 10 at Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,795 COVID-19 death is a 78-year-old woman in Coos County who tested positive on Jan. 5 and died on Jan. 15 at Bay Area Hospital. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,796 COVID-19 death is a 75-year-old man in Linn County who tested positive on Jan. 5 and died on Jan. 8. Location of death and presence of underlying conditions are being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,797 COVID-19 death is an 86-year-old woman in Klamath County who tested positive on Jan. 4 and died on Jan. 14 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,798 COVID-19 death is a 72-year-old man in Jackson County who died on Jan.  7 at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center. The death certificate listed COVID-19 disease or SARS-CoV-2 as a cause of death or a significant condition contributing to death. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,799 COVID-19 death is a 71-year-old man in Marion County who died on Jan. 7 at his residence. The death certificate listed COVID-19 disease or SARS-CoV-2 as a cause of death or a significant condition contributing to death. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

County	Cases1	Total deaths2
Baker	566	5
Benton	1,684	14
Clackamas	11,577	138
Clatsop	669	5
Columbia	1,033	18
Coos	933	15
Crook	604	10
Curry	318	5
Deschutes	4,907	36
Douglas	1,666	43
Gilliam	48	1
Grant	213	1
Harney	173	4
Hood River	948	21
Jackson	6,862	84
Jefferson	1,687	25
Josephine	1,706	33
Klamath	2,422	38
Lake	229	5
Lane	8,219	108
Lincoln	985	17
Linn	3,102	46
Malheur	3,124	52
Marion	16,085	238
Morrow	927	10
Multnomah	28,237	458
Polk	2,413	40
Sherman	47	0
Tillamook	362	2
Umatilla	6,709	68
Union	1,104	16
Wallowa	96	3
Wasco	1,063	23
Washington	18,512	171
Wheeler	20	1
Yamhill	3,162	45
Total	132,412	1,799

1This includes cases confirmed by diagnostic testing and presumptive cases. Presumptive cases are those without a positive diagnostic test who present COVID-19-like symptoms and had close contact with a confirmed case. County of residence for cases may change as new information becomes available. If changes occur, we will update our counts accordingly.

2For additional details on individuals who have died from COVID-19 in Oregon, please refer to our press releases.

ELRs Received 1/8 - Corrected

County	Negative ELRs	Positive ELRs	Total ELRs	Percent Positivity
Baker	25	4	29	13.8%
Benton	1,117	33	1,150	2.9%
Clackamas	1,710	60	1,770	3.4%
Clatsop	132	10	142	7.0%
Columbia	146	16	162	9.9%
Coos	134	8	142	5.6%
Crook	83	24	107	22.4%
Curry	57	9	66	13.6%
Deschutes	1,137	63	1,200	5.3%
Douglas	387	7	394	1.8%
Gilliam	1	0	1	0.0%
Grant	4	0	4	0.0%
Harney	6	3	9	33.3%
Hood River	143	5	148	3.4%
Jackson	1,026	67	1,093	6.1%
Jefferson	115	12	127	9.4%
Josephine	436	28	464	6.0%
Klamath	164	20	184	10.9%
Lake	8	1	9	11.1%
Lane	3,423	100	3,523	2.8%
Lincoln	147	15	162	9.3%
Linn	1,212	50	1,262	4.0%
Malheur	92	7	99	7.1%
Marion	1,268	115	1,383	8.3%
Morrow	19	6	25	24.0%
Multnomah	4,428	203	4,631	4.4%
Polk	443	23	466	4.9%
Tillamook	4	0	4	0.0%
Umatilla	59	0	59	0.0%
Union	352	57	409	13.9%
Wallowa	52	4	56	7.1%
Wasco	6	0	6	0.0%
Washington	210	6	216	2.8%
Wheeler	2,414	128	2,542	5.0%
Yamhill	958	21	979	2.1%
Statewide	21,918	1,105	23,023	4.8%

 

Total ELRs Received - Corrected

County	Negative ELRs	Positive ELRs	Total ELRs	Percent Positivity
Baker	6,178	1,508	7,686	19.6%
Benton	82,612	2,575	85,187	3.0%
Clackamas	289,324	16,439	305,763	5.4%
Clatsop	22,573	1,132	23,705	4.8%
Columbia	27,224	1,322	28,546	4.6%
Coos	24,328	830	25,158	3.3%
Crook	10,035	830	10,865	7.6%
Curry	6,414	242	6,656	3.6%
Deschutes	108,694	6,699	115,393	5.8%
Douglas	41,820	1,427	43,247	3.3%
Gilliam	722	27	749	3.6%
Grant	2,852	168	3,020	5.6%
Harney	2,224	173	2,397	7.2%
Hood River	20,944	1,203	22,147	5.4%
Jackson	133,847	8,619	142,466	6.0%
Jefferson	12,374	1,480	13,854	10.7%
Josephine	35,129	1,638	36,767	4.5%
Klamath	31,546	2,470	34,016	7.3%
Lake	1,704	260	1,964	13.2%
Lane	262,455	8,489	270,944	3.1%
Lincoln	30,134	1,967	32,101	6.1%
Linn	84,646	5,760	90,406	6.4%
Malheur	15,178	4,401	19,579	22.5%
Marion	218,384	22,716	241,100	9.4%
Morrow	4,688	1,070	5,758	18.6%
Multnomah	661,245	39,629	700,874	5.7%
Polk	44,187	3,076	47,263	6.5%
Sherman	964	42	1,006	4.2%
Tillamook	9,510	322	9,832	3.3%
Umatilla	43,110	6,924	50,034	13.8%
Union	8,533	877	9,410	9.3%
Wallowa	1,675	58	1,733	3.3%
Wasco	21,350	1,136	22,486	5.1%
Washington	416,766	26,224	442,990	5.9%
Wheeler	279	18	297	6.1%
Yamhill	82,830	4,360	87,190	5.0%
Statewide	2,766,478	176,111	2,942,589	6.0%

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations

To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine situation in Oregon, visit our webpage, which has a breakdown of distribution and other useful information

An Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) adult in custody (AIC) died January 16, 2021. He was incarcerated at Deer Ridge Correctional Institution and passed away at a local hospital. He tested positive for COVID-19 and was between 55 and 65 years old. As with all in-custody deaths, the Oregon State Police have been notified, and the Medical Examiner will determine cause of death. Department-wide, this is the twenty-ninth AIC to die who tested positive for COVID-19.

For more information on COVID-19 cases inside Oregon’s prisons, please visit DOC’s COVID-19 website. The agency is responsible for the care and custody of 13,000 adults in custody who are incarcerated in 14 institutions across the state.

Anyone entering DOC property is required to wear a mask or face covering in any indoor work setting or other indoor premises regardless of distance from others unless they are in a private, individual office not shared by anyone else; or they are actively eating or drinking AND at least six (6) feet of distance can be maintained between other people. Masks are mandatory at all times in many work areas.

Institutions continue to clean and disinfect numerous times a day. DOC asks AICs to report symptoms of COVID to medical staff. Posters are in all DOC institutions encouraging individuals to maintain proper hygiene and to uphold appropriate social distancing to the extent possible. Health screening processes are in place before staff are allowed to enter facilities. This screening includes a temperature check and a screening questionnaire. Visiting remains closed until further notice.

DOC has begun administering COVID-19 vaccinations – eventually offering to all DOC staff, contractors, Oregon Corrections Enterprises employees, and adults in custody (AICs). Prioritization of vaccines is determined by guidance from the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), and the Governor’s Office.

Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, DOC issued a press release when an AIC passed away. This notification would include the person’s name, county of conviction, sentence length, and date of death. However, no cause of death would be listed because the Medical Examiner makes that determination. In order to balance the desire for transparency with our legal obligation to protect personal health information, we have changed the AIC death notification process when someone dies who has tested positive for COVID-19. DOC is working with the Oregon Health Authority to publish COVID-19 related data and information on the OHA website.

####

Jan. 16, 2021

Contact: OHA External Relations, covid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us" target="_blank">orcovid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us

Oregon reports 1,173 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 41 new deaths

PORTLAND, Ore. — There are 41 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 1,799, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 1,173 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 132,412.

Vaccinations in Oregon

Today, OHA reported that 16,117 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry. Of this total, 11,332 vaccine doses were administered on Jan. 15.

Based on updated totals, OHA is close to meeting Gov. Kate Brown’s goal of ensuring 12,000 vaccinations a day. The Governor required the benchmark to be met by the end of the two-week period that began Jan. 4.

Cumulative daily totals can take several days to finalize because providers have 72 hours to report doses administered and technical challenges have caused many providers to lag in their reporting. OHA has been providing technical support to vaccination sites to improve the timeliness of their data entry into the state’s ALERT Immunization Information System (IIS).

Oregon has now administered a cumulative total of 189,190 first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccines. All vaccinations were administered by Oregon hospitals, long-term care facilities, emergency medical service (EMS) agencies, urgent care facilities and Local Public Health Authorities (LPHAs).

To date, 335,075 doses of vaccine have been delivered to sites across Oregon.

These data are preliminary and subject to change. OHA's dashboards provide regularly updated vaccination data.

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 365, which is 22 fewer than yesterday. There are 92 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is five fewer than yesterday.

The total number of patients in hospital beds may fluctuate between report times. The numbers do not reflect admissions per day, nor the length of hospital stay. Staffing limitations are not captured in this data and may further limit bed capacity.

More information about hospital capacity can be found here.

Cases and deaths

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (15), Benton (27), Clackamas (75), Clatsop (8), Columbia (18), Coos (7), Crook (20), Curry (1), Deschutes (62), Douglas (16), Gilliam (1), Harney (5), Hood River (14), Jackson (56), Jefferson (12), Josephine (18), Klamath (56), Lake (1), Lane (95), Lincoln (12), Linn (37), Malheur (8), Marion (117), Morrow (6), Multnomah (216), Polk (23), Tillamook (5), Umatilla (70), Union (9), Wallowa (2), Wasco (12), Washington (125), Wheeler (1) and Yamhill (23).

Oregon’s 1,759 COVID-19 death is a 32-year-old man in Marion County who died Dec. 30 at his residence. The death certificate listed COVID-19 disease or SARS-CoV-2 as a cause of death or significant condition contributing to death. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,760 COVID-19 death is a 47-year-old man in Washington County who tested positive on Dec. 9 and died on Jan. 8 at Oregon Health and Sciences University. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,761 COVID-19 death is an 88-year-old man in Deschutes County who tested positive on Jan. 10 and died on Jan. 13 at St. Charles Medical Center - Bend. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,762 COVID-19 death is an 86-year-old man in Deschutes County who tested positive on Jan. 3 and died on Jan. 15 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,763 COVID-19 death is a 91-year-old woman in Marion County who tested positive on Dec. 16 and died on Jan. 8 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,764 COVID-19 death is an 89-year-old man in Washington County who tested positive on Dec. 31 and died on Jan. 11 at Tuality Community Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,765 COVID-19 death is a 44-year-old man in Josephine County who tested positive on Dec. 22 and died on Jan. 2 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,766 COVID-19 death is a 95-year-old woman in Washington County who tested positive on Jan. 4 and died on Jan. 9 at Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,767 COVID-19 death is an 89-year-old woman in Clackamas County who tested positive on Dec. 21 and died Jan. 8 at her residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,768 COVID-19 death is a 58-year-old woman in Jackson County who tested positive on Dec. 20 and died on Jan. 14 at Asante Three Rivers Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,769 COVID-19 death is a 69-year-old man in Malheur County who tested positive on Jan. 11 and died on Jan. 14 at St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,770 COVID-19 death is an 80-year-old man in Clackamas County who tested positive on Dec. 22 and died on Jan. 5 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,771 COVID-19 death is a 79-year-old man in Marion County who tested positive on Dec. 1 and died on Jan. 1 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,772 COVID-19 death is a 100-year-old woman in Josephine County who tested positive on Jan. 2 and died on Jan. 12 at her residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,773 COVID-19 death is a 92-year-old man in Polk County who tested positive on Dec. 1 and died on Dec. 17 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,774 COVID-19 death is an 89-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Dec. 15 and died on Dec. 20 at his residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,775 COVID-19 death is a 71-year-old man in Lane County who tested positive on Jan. 6 and died on Jan. 8 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,776 COVID-19 death is an 80-year-old man in Clatsop County who tested positive on Nov. 16 and died on Jan. 3 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,777 COVID-19 death is a 77-year-old woman in Benton County who tested positive on Dec. 10 and died on Dec. 31 at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,778 COVID-19 death is an 80-year-old woman in Klamath County who tested positive on Jan. 11 and died on Jan. 14 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,779 COVID-19 death is a 51-year-old man in Clackamas County who tested positive on Nov. 19 and died on Jan. 7 at Oregon Health and Sciences University. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1780th COVID-19 death is an 86-year-old woman in Washington County who tested positive on Nov. 24 and died on Jan. 7 at her residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,781 COVID-19 death is an 88-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on Dec. 10 and died on Dec. 27 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,782 COVID-19 death is a 61-year-old woman in Linn County who tested positive on Dec. 9 and died on Jan. 10 at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,783 COVID-19 death is an 84-year-old woman in Crook County who tested positive on Dec. 8 and died on Dec. 20 at St. Charles Medical Center - Bend. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,784 COVID-19 death is a 92-year-old man in Marion County who tested positive on Dec. 7 and died on Dec. 20 at his residence He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,785 COVID-19 death is a 56-year-old man in Umatilla County who tested positive on Dec. 16 and died on Dec. 30 at St. Anthony Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,786 COVID-19 death is a 58-year-old woman in Deschutes County who tested positive on Dec. 21 and died on Dec. 31 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,787 COVID-19 death is a 94-year-old woman in Polk County who tested positive on Dec. 21 and died on Jan. 14 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,788 COVID-19 death is a 71-year-old woman in Washington County who tested positive on Dec. 25 and died on Jan. 12 at Kaiser Westside Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,789 COVID-19 death is an 86-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Dec. 28 and died on Jan. 11 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,790 COVID-19 death is a 76-year-old woman in Linn County who tested positive on Dec. 28 and died on Jan. 9 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,791 COVID-19 death is an 80-year-old woman in Klamath County who tested positive on Dec. 29 and died on Jan. 13 at Sky Lakes Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,792 COVID-19 death is an 83-year-old man in Klamath County who tested positive on Dec. 27 and died on Jan. 13 at Sky Lakes Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,793 COVID-19 death is a 78-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Dec. 14 and died on Jan. 7 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,794 COVID-19 death is a 69-year-old man in Linn County who tested positive on Dec. 23 and died on Jan. 10 at Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,795 COVID-19 death is a 78-year-old woman in Coos County who tested positive on Jan. 5 and died on Jan. 15 at Bay Area Hospital. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,796 COVID-19 death is a 75-year-old man in Linn County who tested positive on Jan. 5 and died on Jan. 8. Location of death and presence of underlying conditions are being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,797 COVID-19 death is an 86-year-old woman in Klamath County who tested positive on Jan. 4 and died on Jan. 14 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,798 COVID-19 death is a 72-year-old man in Jackson County who died on Jan.  7 at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center. The death certificate listed COVID-19 disease or SARS-CoV-2 as a cause of death or a significant condition contributing to death. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,799 COVID-19 death is a 71-year-old man in Marion County who died on Jan. 7 at his residence. The death certificate listed COVID-19 disease or SARS-CoV-2 as a cause of death or a significant condition contributing to death. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

 

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations

To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine situation in Oregon, visit our webpage, which has a breakdown of distribution and other useful information.

You are subscribed to Oregon Health Authority News Releases. View all OHA news releases. 

An Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) adult in custody, Daniel R. Clinebell, died the evening of January 15, 2021. Clinebell was incarcerated at Snake River Correctional Institution (SRCI) in Ontario and passed away while on hospice care. As with all in-custody deaths, the Oregon State Police have been notified.

Clinebell entered DOC custody on February 15, 2007, from Marion County with an earliest release date of December 7, 2055. Clinebell was 66 years old.

DOC takes all in-custody deaths seriously. The agency is responsible for the care and custody of approximately 13,000 individuals who are incarcerated in 14 institutions across the state. While crime information is public record, DOC elects to disclose only upon request out of respect for any family or victims.

 

SRCI is a multi-custody prison in Ontario that houses approximately 3,000 adults in custody. SRCI has multiple special housing units including disciplinary segregation, intensive management, infirmary (with hospice) with 24-hour nursing care, and an administrative segregation unit. SRCI participates in prison industries with Oregon Corrections Enterprises including a contact center, laundry, and sign shop. SRCI specializes in incentive housing, specialized housing, individuals with mental health/medical vulnerabilities, education and trades programs, cognitive and parenting programs, and institution work programs. SRCI opened in 1991 and is the largest correctional institution in the state.

####

 

Jan. 15, 2021

Contact: OHA External Relations, covid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us" target="_blank">orcovid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us

Testing reveals first case of U.K. variant of COVID-19 in Oregon

PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon Health Authority has been notified today that a person in Oregon, identified as a Multnomah County resident, has tested positive with the variant COVID-19 virus strain originally detected in the United Kingdom.

This is the first identification in Oregon of the United Kingdom variant strain, also called strain B.1.1.7 or SARS-CoV-2 VOC 202012/01. The individual has no known travel history. Health officials are still investigating the possible sources of infection. The strain has been detected in several states, including California.

“The detection of the first case of this variant strain is a concern, and we have been monitoring movement of this strain,” said Dean Sidelinger, M.D., health officer and state epidemiologist at OHA. “As we learn more about this case and the individual who tested positive for this strain, OHA continues to promote effective public health measures, including wearing masks, maintaining six feet of physical distance, staying home, washing your hands, and avoiding gatherings and travel.”

Information about the characteristics of COVID-19 variants is rapidly emerging, for the U.K. strain and another variant first found in South Africa.

Viruses constantly mutate, and new variants of a virus are expected to occur over time. Multiple variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 have been documented in the United States and globally during this pandemic. Most variants do not change how the virus behaves, and many disappear. 

Scientists are working to learn more about how easily they might spread, and currently there is no evidence that these variants cause more severe illness or increased risk of death, or affect vaccine effectiveness, according to the Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Multnomah County public health staff is working tonight and through the weekend to go back over details with this individual related to their isolation plan, contacts and any possible exposures.

“Confirming this strain locally is distressing,” said Multnomah County Health Officer Dr. Jennifer Vines. “Until we have enough vaccine, we must continue using face masks, distancing, and limiting our social interactions.”

The CDC provides case data information in the United States.

Oregonians can continue to work together to prevent more lives being lost to the virus by doing the following:

• Maintain six feet of physical distance;
• Wear a face covering when outside the house;
• Practice good hand hygiene;
• Avoid any gatherings with people you don’t live with;
• If you start to have symptoms — even mild ones — consult with a medical provider quickly to get instructions on how to care for yourself and your household members and also whether to get tested;
• And finally, if you get a call from public health, answer it, and take their advice on how to protect yourself and those around you.

Jan. 15, 2021

Contact: OHA External Relations, covid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us" target="_blank">orcovid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us

Updated: Oregon reports 1,037 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 21 new deaths

PORTLAND, Ore. — There are 21 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 1,758, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 1,037 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 131,258.

Vaccinations in Oregon

Today, OHA reported that 26,936 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry. Of this total, 10,618 vaccine doses were administered on Jan. 14 and 16,318 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on Jan. 14.

Based on updated totals, OHA is meeting Gov. Kate Brown’s goal of ensuring 12,000 vaccinations a day. The Governor required the benchmark to be met by the end of the two-week period that began Jan. 4.

Cumulative daily totals can take several days to finalize because providers have 72 hours to report doses administered and technical challenges have caused many providers to lag in their reporting. OHA has been providing technical support to vaccination sites to improve the timeliness of their data entry into the state’s ALERT Immunization Information System (IIS).

Oregon has now administered a cumulative total of 173,073 first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccines. All vaccinations were administered by Oregon hospitals, long-term care facilities, emergency medical service (EMS) agencies, urgent care facilities and Local Public Health Authorities (LPHAs).

To date, 326,300 doses of vaccine have been delivered to sites across Oregon.

These data are preliminary and subject to change. OHA's dashboards provide regularly updated vaccination data.

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 387, which is 28 fewer than yesterday. There are 97 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is four fewer than yesterday.

The total number of patients in hospital beds may fluctuate between report times. The numbers do not reflect admissions per day, nor the length of hospital stay. Staffing limitations are not captured in this data and may further limit bed capacity.

More information about hospital capacity can be found here.

Cases and deaths

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (2), Benton (21), Clackamas (54), Clatsop (4), Columbia (11), Coos (3), Crook (4), Curry (1), Deschutes (43), Douglas (21), Grant (31), Harney (1), Hood River (4), Jackson (52), Jefferson (14), Josephine (48), Klamath (14), Lake (1), Lane (86), Lincoln (5), Linn (16), Malheur (5), Marion (95), Morrow (5), Multnomah (155), Polk (23), Umatilla (111), Union (7), Wallowa (2), Wasco (14), Washington (141) and Yamhill (43).

Oregon’s 1,738th COVID-19 death is an 85-year-old man in Clackamas County who tested positive on Dec. 31 and died on Jan. 8 at his residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,739th COVID-19 death is an 83-year-old man in Deschutes County who tested positive on Jan. 4 and died on Jan. 13 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,740th COVID-19 death is a 94-year-old woman in Josephine County who tested positive on Dec. 28 and died on Jan. 11 at her residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,741st COVID-19 death is a 68-year-old man in Klamath County who tested positive on Dec. 20 and died on Jan. 7 at Sky Lakes Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,742nd COVID-19 death is a 74-year-old man in Klamath County who tested positive on Dec. 26 and died on Jan. 10 at Sky Lakes Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,743rd COVID-19 death is an 87-year-old woman in Klamath County who tested positive on Dec. 28 and died on Jan. 10 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,744th COVID-19 death is a 77-year-old man in Klamath County who tested positive on Dec. 28 and died on Jan. 11 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,745th COVID-19 death is a 78-year-old man in Morrow County who tested positive on Nov. 13 and died on Nov. 17 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,746th COVID-19 death is an 84-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on Aug. 28 and died on Oct. 29 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,747th COVID-19 death is a 52-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on Oct. 14 and died on Nov. 10 at Adventist Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,748th COVID-19 death is an 83-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 9 and died on Nov. 12 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,749th COVID-19 death is a 74-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on Dec. 17 and died on Jan. 11 at Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,750th COVID-19 death is a 96-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on Dec. 25 and died on Jan. 12 at her residence. She had no underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,751st COVID-19 death is an 85-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on Dec. 24 and died on Jan. 9 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,752nd COVID-19 death is a 72-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Jan. 4 and died on Jan. 12 at Providence Portland Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,753rd COVID-19 death is a 71-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Jan. 8 and died on Jan. 12 at Kaiser Permanente Sunnyside Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,754th COVID-19 death is a 78-year-old woman in Umatilla County who tested positive on Dec. 17 and died on Jan. 11 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,755th COVID-19 death is an 84-year-old woman in Umatilla County who tested positive on Dec. 21 and died on Dec. 20 at her residence. She had underlying conditions. 

Oregon’s 1,756th COVID-19 death is a 76-year-old man in Yamhill County who tested positive on Jan. 5 and died on Jan. 10 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,757th COVID-19 death is a 79-year-old woman in Curry County who tested positive on Dec. 9 and died on Dec. 18 at her residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,758th COVID-19 death is a 78-year-old man in Harney County who tested positive on Jan. 8 and died on Jan. 8 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations

To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine situation in Oregon, visit our webpage, which has a breakdown of distribution and other useful information.

(Salem, Ore.) - The Oregon Department of Human Services’ Office of Developmental Disabilities Services and Office of Aging and People with Disabilities are seeking public comment regarding the 1915 (k) state plan amendment.

The 1915 (k) State Plan amendment is requesting to:

• Add an acute care hospital as an approved setting in the 1915 (k) State Plan.
• Remove the prohibition of using physical therapists and occupational therapists.
• Allow long-term care community nursing services in settings in which nursing services are currently restricted by rule, contract, or K Plan language.
• Allow two Medicaid home-delivered meals per day.
• Increase local approval limit for electronic devices from $500 to $1,200.
• Update Group Care Homes for Children (GCH) rate methodology.

 

The proposed 1915 (k) amendment is online at https://www.oregon.gov/dhs/SENIORS-DISABILITIES/DD/Compass/20-xxx-K-plan-draft.pdf.

Print versions of the waiver amendments are posted in local offices:

• Community Developmental Disabilities Programs (http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/SENIORS-DISABILITIES/DD/Pages/county-programs.aspx)
• Developmental Disabilities Support Services Brokerages (https://www.oregon.gov/DHS/SENIORS-DISABILITIES/DD/Pages/Support-Services-Brokerages.aspx).
• Aging and People with Disabilities/Area Agencies on Aging offices (https://www.oregon.gov/dhs/Offices/Pages/Seniors-Disabilities.aspx)
• Print versions may also be obtained from Joli Schroader, ODDS Medicaid Waiver/State Plan Analyst, 503-507-2083, .schroader@dhsoha.state.or.us">joli.r.schroader@dhsoha.state.or.us or from Beth Jackson, APD Medicaid State Plan and Waiver Policy Analyst, eth.Jackson3@dhsoha.state.or.us">Beth.Jackson3@dhsoha.state.or.us

Members of the public are invited to provide any comments, suggestions or questions related to individuals receiving services through the Office of Developmental Disabilities Services to Joli Schroader; Department of Human Services, 500 Summer St. NE, Salem, OR 97301-1079 or .schroader@dhsoha.state.or.us">joli.r.schroader@dhsoha.state.or.us. 

 

Comments, suggestions or questions related to individuals receiving services through the Office of Aging and People with Disabilities should contact Beth Jackson; Department of Human Services, 500 Summer St. NE, Salem, OR 97301-1079 or  eth.Jackson3@dhsoha.state.or.us">Beth.Jackson3@dhsoha.state.or.us

The deadline for comments is Feb. 17, 2021. Mail responses must be received by this date in order to be considered.

Jan. 15, 2021

Contact: OHA External Relations, covid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us" target="_blank">orcovid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us

Oregon reports 1,037 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 21 new deaths

PORTLAND, Ore. — There are 21 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 1,758, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 1,037 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 131,258.

Vaccinations in Oregon

Today, the Oregon Health Authority reported that 26,936 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry. Of this total, 10,618 vaccine doses were administered on Jan. 14 and 16,318 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on Jan. 14.

Based on updated totals, the Oregon Health Authority is meeting Gov. Kate Brown’s goal of ensuring 12,000 vaccinations a day. The Governor required the benchmark to be met by the end of the two-week period that began Jan. 4.

Cumulative daily totals can take several days to finalize because providers have 72 hours to report doses administered and technical challenges have caused many providers to lag in their reporting. The Oregon Health Authority has been providing technical support to vaccination sites to improve the timeliness of their data entry into the state’s ALERT Immunization Information System (IIS).

Oregon has now administered a cumulative total of 173,073 first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccines. All vaccinations were administered by Oregon hospitals, long-term care facilities, emergency medical service (EMS) agencies, urgent care facilities and Local Public Health Authorities (LPHAs).

To date, 326,300 doses of vaccine have been delivered to sites across Oregon.

These data are preliminary and subject to change. OHA's dashboards provide regularly updated vaccination data.

Cases and deaths

NOTE: Death details are being reviewed and will be posted in an updated version of this press release.

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (2), Benton (21), Clackamas (54), Clatsop (4), Columbia (11), Coos (3), Crook (4), Curry (1), Deschutes (43), Douglas (21), Grant (31), Harney (1), Hood River (4), Jackson (52), Jefferson (14), Josephine (48), Klamath (14), Lake (1), Lane (86), Lincoln (5), Linn (16), Malheur (5), Marion (95), Morrow (5), Multnomah (155), Polk (23), Umatilla (111), Union (7), Wallowa (2), Wasco (14), Washington (141) and Yamhill (43).

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations

To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine situation in Oregon, visit our webpage, which has a breakdown of distribution and other useful information.

Following Governor Brown’s decision to postpone the expansion of the group eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine to include educators and those aged 65 and over, OAHHS President and CEO Becky Hultberg issued the following statement:

“When the federal government announced this week that the full reserve of vaccine would be released to states and that Oregon would be offering doses to educators and those aged 65+, we were supportive but skeptical that the supply would meet this massive increase in the number of Oregonians who would become eligible.

Now we all have learned that there will be no increase in the number of vaccine doses delivered to Oregon. We support Governor Brown’s decision to delay the expansion until we can be sure that the doses are in hand to meet this demand.

It is unfortunate that the news on Monday set unrealistic expectations about the available supply of vaccine.

Until more vaccine is delivered, Oregon’s hospitals will continue their work to administer the vaccine to as many members of the Phase 1a group as possible. Many of our hospitals have scheduled large scale vaccination events to continue their progress with the Phase 1a cohort.

From the beginning, the COVID-19 vaccine rollout has been unpredictable. At the 11th hour, hospitals shouldered a huge part of the burden for distribution of the doses, with little outside support. The fact that the playing field keeps changing makes this work even more difficult in the midst of a pandemic, as our overburdened staffs take care of a surge of patients. 

When the COVID-19 vaccines became available, the state of Oregon directed hospitals to administer the first doses to their frontline caregivers and others with patient contact. Many of our hospitals have finished this step. Then in early January hospitals were asked to expand their reach to vaccinate the rest of Phase 1a, and our facilities have leaned into this work.

We are grateful to all of the Oregonians who have worked so hard to help bring us through the pandemic, especially our frontline health care workers. This is a team effort, and Oregon’s hospitals will continue to do whatever it takes to help us beat COVID-19.”

                                                                                                   ###

About OAHHS: Founded in 1934, OAHHS is a statewide, nonprofit trade association that works closely with local and national government leaders, business and citizen coalitions, and other professional health care organizations to enhance and promote community health and to continue improving Oregon’s innovative health care delivery system.

Jan. 15, 2021 - Salem, Ore. – When most people stop on the way to work, they pick up coffee, tea or a soda. Diana C. of Salem decided to pick up something a little more substantial, a $50,000 Powerball prize. 

“I normally don’t buy tickets,” Dianna said when she claimed her prize, “but I saw that the jackpots were so big, I decided to get $10 of Powerball.” 

Thursday morning, back at work at the Marion County Juvenile Department, she noticed the ticket in her purse and decided to check the numbers. 

“I saw I hit the Powerball, so I knew I won some money,” she said. “When I looked at the other numbers, I almost fainted. I’m not going to lie.” 

She couldn’t contain her excitement and decided to share the news with some co-workers, and then called to make her appointment to claim that prize at the Oregon Lottery that same day. She had hit four out of five numbers and the Powerball on her quick pick ticket.  

“I am going to play some more, the big prize is still out there,” she said. “I am going to use this to pay off some bills and it’s nice to have that peace of mind.” 

Saturday’s Powerball drawing is an estimated $640 million, which would be a $478.7 million cash value. If won, it will be the fifth largest jackpot in Powerball game history and the ninth largest jackpot in U.S. lottery history. This is the highest the Powerball jackpot has been since March 2019, and it’s causing an increase in sales in lottery tickets all around Oregon. 

Diana purchased her winning ticket at the US Market on Cherry Avenue in Keizer. Sam Singh, owner of the store, said that as the jackpots for both Powerball and Mega Millions have been growing, he has seen more and more customers add lottery tickets to their purchases. 

“It’s always this way when the jackpots get this big,” he said. “Having a winner like this will help sales, because they think it could happen to them.” 

Before Diana’s $50,000 win, Singh said the biggest winning ticket he had sold was in the $30,000 to $40,000 range. 

“This is very exciting and I feel great,” he said. “We hope to sell more, and even the big one. My advice to players is to buy more tickets. As much as you play, it increases your chances to win.” 

 

Since the Oregon Lottery began selling tickets on April 25, 1985, it has earned more than $12 billion for economic development, public education, Outdoor School, state parks, Veteran Services and watershed enhancements. For more information on the Oregon Lottery visit www.oregonlottery.org 

 

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Salem, Oregon – Relief grants ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 will be awarded to 646 diverse artists across Oregon through an Artist Relief Program created by the Oregon Arts Commission in partnership with Oregon Community Foundation and the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation. The awards expend the $1.25 million available for the program.

“Artists are the creative core of our communities and help define who we are. They inspire us to innovate, to learn and grow,” said Brian Rogers, executive director of the Oregon Arts Commission. “We are thankful to be able to provide support as our artists continue to suffer great losses due to the pandemic.

“While the requests far exceeded available funds,” Rogers added, “we hope the awards will help artists sustain their practice until better times arrive. We are extremely grateful to our partners at Oregon Community Foundation and the Miller Foundation for making this program possible.”

A total of 1,158 eligible applications reporting more than $18 million in revenue loss were received. Twenty-nine panelists from around the state served on five discipline-based panels that reviewed and evaluated applications based on published review criteria: professional artistic practice; impact of cancellations and loss of revenue on artistic practice; and need and access to other resources. A geographic distribution model ensured artists were funded in every region of the state. An average of 65% of applications were funded from each of the state’s 12 regions.

“The James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation has been supporting Oregon artists for two decades through funding the visual, literary and performing arts organizations that employ Oregon’s creative workers,” said Martha Richards, executive director of the Miller Foundation. “In light of the impacts of both the pandemic and 2020 wildfires, we felt it critical to offer our support directly to artists for the first time. Together with our partners in the Artist Relief Program, we hope these grants help our state’s artists through this crisis. Now more than ever, we recognize artists’ vital role in our communities and consider their creativity and contributions as vital to our state’s recovery.”

“The relief applications submitted by working artists across Oregon demonstrated both the deep need and courageous resilience in our arts communities,” added Jerry Tischleder, Oregon Community Foundation’s program officer for arts and culture. “It’s crushing to recognize all that has been lost and I’m humbled that OCF could play a role in mending a portion of the damages. I applaud the review panels across the state who dug in to direct how funds would be allocated – it was hard work that couldn’t have been done without broad community input.”

The awarded artists represent a wide array of artistic disciplines including: Literature (creative non-fiction, fiction, play writing and poetry); dance (including choreography); music (composition and music performance); theatre and performance art; folk and traditional arts; visual arts (crafts, drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, mixed media and new media); design arts; and media arts.

See a full list of artist awards by county: https://bit.ly/3nNdfD1

                   

The Oregon Arts Commission provides leadership, funding and arts programs through its grants, special initiatives and services. Nine commissioners, appointed by the Governor, determine arts needs and establish policies for public support of the arts. The Arts Commission became part of Business Oregon (formerly Oregon Economic and Community Development Department) in 1993, in recognition of the expanding role the arts play in the broader social, economic and educational arenas of Oregon communities. In 2003, the Oregon legislature moved the operations of the Oregon Cultural Trust to the Arts Commission, streamlining operations and making use of the Commission’s expertise in grantmaking, arts and cultural information and community cultural development. 

The Arts Commission is supported with general funds appropriated by the Oregon legislature and with federal funds from the National Endowment for the Arts as well as funds from the Oregon Cultural Trust. More information about the Oregon Arts Commission is available online at: www.oregonartscommission.org.

 

Jan. 15, 2021

(Salem) – Oregon’s workers’ compensation rates remain among the lowest in the nation as shown by the 2020 edition of the Oregon workers’ compensation rate ranking study. This reflects the state’s success in making workplaces safer and keeping costs under control.

The biennial study, released today by the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS), ranks all 50 states and Washington, D.C., based on premium rates that were in effect Jan. 1, 2020.

Oregon had the seventh least expensive rates in 2020, a slight drop from its ranking in a tie for the sixth least expensive state in 2018, the last time the study was done. Oregon workers’ compensation rates are declining further – an average of 5.6 percent – in 2021, marking eight straight years of declining premiums. In fact, average rates have fallen 48 percent during the 2013 to 2021 time period. Workers’ compensation pays injured workers for lost wages and medical care for job-related injuries.

“Oregon continues to demonstrate that it’s possible to maintain low employer costs while providing strong benefits,” Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said. “We must remain committed to working together to balance worker health, safety, and benefits with employer rates, and to help workers who are injured heal and return to work quickly.”

The study shows New Jersey had the most expensive rates, followed by New York. Meanwhile, the least expensive rates are those of North Dakota. In the west, California’s rates were the fourth most expensive, while Washington’s rates were the 22nd most expensive and Idaho was the 19th most expensive.

Oregon researchers also compared each state’s rates to the national median (that of the 26th ranked state) rate of $1.44 per $100 of payroll. Oregon’s rate of $1.00 is 69 percent of the median.

In order to have a valid comparison between states that have various mixes of industries, the study calculates rates for each state using the same mix of the 50 industries with the highest workers’ compensation claims costs in Oregon.

A summary of the study was posted today; the full report will be published later this year.

Oregon has conducted these studies in even-numbered years since 1986, when Oregon’s rates were among the highest in the nation. The department reports the results to the Oregon Legislature as a performance measure. Oregon’s relatively low rate today underscores the state’s workers’ compensation system reforms and its focus on workplace safety and health. 

Oregon has long taken a comprehensive approach to making workplaces safer, keeping business costs low, and providing strong worker benefits. This approach includes enforcing requirements that employers carry insurance for their workers, keeping medical costs under control, and helping injured workers return to work sooner and minimize the effect on their wages.

“Through collaboration and hard work, Oregon continues to prove we know how to keep workplaces safe and costs down,” said Andrew Stolfi, DCBS director. “DCBS will keep doing its best to hold costs down for businesses and ensure workers are kept safe and receive the benefits they are due.”

Here are some key links for the study and workers’ compensation costs:
• To read a summary of the study, go to https://www.oregon.gov/dcbs/reports/Documents/general/prem-sum/20-2082.pdf.
• Prior years’ summaries and full reports with details of study methods can be found at https://www.oregon.gov/dcbs/reports/protection/Pages/general-wc-system.aspx  
• Information on workers’ compensation costs in Oregon, including a map with these state rate rankings, is at https://www.oregon.gov/dcbs/cost/Pages/index.aspx

Learn about Oregon’s return-to-work programs, workers’ compensation insurance requirements, and more at https://wcd.oregon.gov/Pages/index.aspx

Request a no-cost workplace safety or health consultation, and learn about workplace safety and health requirements and resources at https://osha.oregon.gov/Pages/index.aspx

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The Department of Consumer and Business Services is Oregon’s largest business regulatory and consumer protection agency. Visit www.dcbs.oregon.gov.

Agency builds on efforts to protect sagebrush communities in region using fuel breaks to combat wildfires

BOISE, Idaho – Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released the record of decision for the Fuels Reduction and Rangeland Restoration Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement in the Great Basin. This record of decision provides for treatment of undesired vegetation communities within a 38.5-million-acre potential area that includes portions of California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington.

“Finalizing this effort today is the culmination of the President and the Secretary’s historic efforts to meaningfully address wildfire risks across the West,” said Casey Hammond, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management. “From creating new administrative tools to completing environmental analyses allowing for strategic rangeland treatments, the Department has actively led the way in reducing fuel loads and the threat of catastrophic wildfires.”

The Fuels Reduction and Rangeland Restoration Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement analyzes the environmental effects of fuels reduction projects, invasive species treatments, and vegetation restoration work within important sagebrush communities. Local BLM District and Field Offices will plan and implement fuels reduction and rangeland restoration projects using manual, chemical and mechanical treatments, including prescribed fire, seeding and targeted grazing.

This record of decision builds on a complementary planning effort – the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Fuel Breaks in the Great Basin – that the BLM completed in April 2020. That document provides for the construction and maintenance of a system of up to 11,000 miles of strategically placed fuel breaks to control wildfires. To date, the BLM has completed over 1,000 miles of fuels breaks as part of this historic effort.

These efforts are part of a larger national wildfire reduction strategy guided by President Trump’s Executive Order 13855 – Promoting Active Management of America’s Forests, Rangelands, and Other Federal Lands to Improve Conditions and Reduce Wildfire Risk, as well as Secretary’s Order 3372 – Reducing Wildfire Risks on Department of the Interior Land through Active Management. Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Bernhardt, the BLM significantly reduced hazardous fuel loads in fire-prone areas by treating more than 782,000 acres using a variety of active management vegetation treatments including mechanical, biological, and chemical tools as well as prescribed fire. The Department of the Interior has treated 5.4 million acres of land since 2017 and a ten-year best, 1.5 million acres in Fiscal Year 2020.

Over the last four years, the BLM has accomplished significant fuels management goals. In fiscal year 2017, the BLM fuels program accomplished more than 650,000 acres of fuels treatments; 480,000 of those treatment acres focused on the protection, conservation and restoration of sagebrush ecosystems. In fiscal year 2018, the BLM accomplished 667,000 acres of fuels treatment (53 percent) of the total 1,266,000 acres accomplished by all DOI Bureaus. In fiscal year 2019, the BLM accomplished more than 846,000 acres of fuels treatment (62 percent) of the total 1.3 million acres accomplished by all Department of the Interior bureaus.

Intact sagebrush communities are disappearing within the Great Basin due to the encroachment of pinyon-juniper and increased size and severity of wildfires which typically lead to the spread of invasive annual grasses. Approximately 45 percent of the historic range of sagebrush has been lost. Fuels reduction and rangeland restoration treatments can reduce fire severity, increase sagebrush communities’ resistance to invasive annual grasses and improve their ability to recover after wildfires. The BLM has extensively documented the effectiveness of reducing fuels and performing restoration treatments in the programmatic environmental impact statement.

This record of decision and programmatic environmental impact statement do not authorize specific projects. Local BLM District and Field Offices within the Great Basin will use the programmatic environmental impact statement to comply with National Environmental Policy Act requirements when planning and analyzing specific local fuels reduction and rangeland restoration projects to allow for more rapid implementation.

The BLM made the final programmatic environmental impact statement for Fuels Reduction and Rangeland Restoration in the Great Basin available for public review on Nov. 27, 2020.

An electronic copy of the record of decision, the final programmatic environmental impact statement for Fuels Reduction and Rangeland Restoration in the Great Basin and associated documents are available on the BLM Land Use Planning and NEPA register at https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/122968/570

-BLM-

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in the 11 Western states and Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In fiscal year 2018, the diverse activities authorized on BLM-managed lands generated $105 billion in economic output across the country. This economic activity supported 471,000 jobs and contributed substantial revenue to the U.S. Treasury and state governments, mostly through royalties on minerals.

PORTLAND, Ore.—Billy. J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, released the following statement on recent political violence:

"Like most Americans, I watched in disgust and anger as radical insurrectionists stormed the U.S. Capitol in a shocking display of political violence. There is no question these violent acts were domestic terrorism aimed at disrupting Congress’ Constitutional duty to certify the electoral victory of President-elect Joe Biden. The Justice Department and U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the country are working tirelessly to investigate and prosecute all forms of domestic terrorism including this attack on our government, and those responsible will be brought to justice.

As we approach next week’s inauguration, the threat of similar political violence around the country and here in Oregon remains. Our office is working closely with the FBI, Federal Protective Service, Oregon State Police, Portland Police Bureau, and other local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and disrupt anyone intent on engaging in violence here in Oregon.

We need the public’s help to keep our communities safe and protect all Oregonians’ First Amendment rights. We urge you to submit any information you have about real or potential threats of violence at any upcoming demonstrations or events throughout the state. Tips can be submitted directly to the FBI by calling (503) 224-4181 or by visiting tips.fbi.gov.”

# # #

An Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) adult in custody (AIC) died January 14, 2021. He was incarcerated at Two Rivers Correctional Institution and passed away at a local hospital. He tested positive for COVID-19 and was between 65 and 75 years old. As with all in-custody deaths, the Oregon State Police have been notified, and the Medical Examiner will determine cause of death. Department-wide, this is the twenty-eighth AIC to die who tested positive for COVID-19.

For more information on COVID-19 cases inside Oregon’s prisons, please visit DOC’s COVID-19 website. The agency is responsible for the care and custody of 13,000 adults in custody who are incarcerated in 14 institutions across the state.

Anyone entering DOC property is required to wear a mask or face covering in any indoor work setting or other indoor premises regardless of distance from others unless they are in a private, individual office not shared by anyone else; or they are actively eating or drinking AND at least six (6) feet of distance can be maintained between other people. Masks are mandatory at all times in many work areas.

Institutions continue to clean and disinfect numerous times a day. DOC asks AICs to report symptoms of COVID to medical staff. Posters are in all DOC institutions encouraging individuals to maintain proper hygiene and to uphold appropriate social distancing to the extent possible. Health screening processes are in place before staff are allowed to enter facilities. This screening includes a temperature check and a screening questionnaire. Visiting remains closed until further notice.

DOC has begun administering COVID-19 vaccinations – eventually offering to all DOC staff, contractors, Oregon Corrections Enterprises employees, and adults in custody (AICs). Prioritization of vaccines will be determined by guidance from the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), and the Governor’s Office.

Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, DOC issued a press release when an AIC passed away. This notification would include the person’s name, county of conviction, sentence length, and date of death. However, no cause of death would be listed because the Medical Examiner makes that determination. In order to balance the desire for transparency with our legal obligation to protect personal health information, we have changed the AIC death notification process when someone dies who has tested positive for COVID-19. DOC is working with the Oregon Health Authority to publish COVID-19 related data and information on the OHA website.

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PUBLIC MEETING NOTICE: 

ROSEBURG, Ore. - The Douglas County Dog Advisory Control Board will hold a meeting on Tuesday, January 19, 2021, at 6:00 p.m. at the Douglas County Sheriff's Office (Justice Building - Room 210), located at 1036 SE Douglas Avenue, Roseburg, Oregon 97470.

The agenda meeting agenda can be located at: www.dcso.com/dogboard

Douglas County attempts to provide public accessibility to its services, programs and activities. Please contact the Sheriff's Office located in Room 210 of the Justice Building at the Douglas County Courthouse, 1036 SE Douglas Ave. Roseburg, OR 97470 541- 440-4449, at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled meeting time if you need an accommodation. TDD users please call Oregon Telecommunications Relay Service at 1-800-735-2900.

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What: A regular public meeting of the Oregon State Hospital Advisory Board.

When: Jan. 21, 1-4 p.m.

Where: The meeting will be held via free conference line at 971-277-2343, access code 51340644#.

Agenda: After the public comment period, topics will include updates on the charter for meaningful involvement; diversity; supervisor phone trees; the hospital’s COVID-19 response; court findings; and membership.

Details: The Oregon State Hospital Advisory Board advises the superintendent, Oregon Health Authority director, and legislators on issues related to the safety, security and care of patients. Members include consumers, providers, advocates, legislators, community members, consumer families and OSH union members.

For more information, see the board’s website at http://www.oregon.gov/oha/osh/Pages/advisory-board.aspx.

# # #

Everyone has a right to know about and use Oregon Health Authority (OHA) programs and services. OHA provides free help. Some examples of the free help OHA can provide:

• Sign language and spoken language interpreters.
• Written materials in other languages.
• Braille.
• Large print.
• Audio and other formats.

If you need help or have questions, please contact Jacee Vangestel at 503-945-2852, 711 TTY or jacee.m.vangestel@state.or.us at least 48 hours before the meeting.

PORTLAND, Ore. — There are 29 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 1,737, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 1,152 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 130,246.

Vaccinations in Oregon

Today, the Health Authority reported that 16,355 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry. Of this total, 10,172 vaccine doses were administered on Jan. 13 and 6,183 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on Jan. 13.

Based on updated totals, the Oregon Health Authority announced that vaccination sites across the state met Gov. Kate Brown’s goal of ensuring 12,000 vaccinations a day at the end of last week. Vaccine providers in Oregon administered 12,039 total doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines on Jan. 8, 2021. The Governor required the benchmark to be met by the end of the two-week period that began Jan. 4.

Cumulative daily totals can take several days to finalize because providers have 72-hours to report doses administered and technical challenges have caused many providers to lag in their reporting. The Health Authority has been providing technical support to vaccination sites to improve the timeliness of their data entry into the state’s ALERT Immunization Information System (IIS).

“While we hit the Governor’s goal of hitting 12,000 vaccines administered in a day last week,” said OHA Director Patrick Allen, “we want to sustain and expand our daily totals. The state can’t achieve our goal to deliver vaccinations quickly, efficiently and equitably, all on our own. I’m grateful for the hard work that staff in hospitals, local health clinics and other sites have put into ramping up vaccinations for Oregonians. Vaccines are the safest and most effective way we can end this pandemic.”

Oregon has now administered a cumulative total of 146,137 first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccines. All vaccinations were administered by Oregon hospitals, long-term care facilities, emergency medical service (EMS) agencies, urgent care facilities and Local Public Health Authorities (LPHAs).

To date, 321,425 doses of vaccine have been delivered to sites across Oregon.

These data are preliminary and subject to change. OHA's dashboards provide regularly updated vaccination data.

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 415, which is 19 fewer than yesterday. There are 101 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is two fewer than yesterday.

The total number of patients in hospital beds may fluctuate between report times. The numbers do not reflect admissions per day, nor the length of hospital stay. Staffing limitations are not captured in this data and may further limit bed capacity.

More information about hospital capacity can be found here.

Cases and deaths

NOTE: Death details are being reviewed and will be posted in an updated version of this press release.

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (7), Benton (23), Clackamas (70), Clatsop (11), Columbia (15), Coos (11), Crook (12), Curry (1), Deschutes (82), Douglas (16), Harney (6), Hood River (9), Jackson (75), Jefferson (12), Josephine (18), Klamath (17), Lake (3), Lane (94), Lincoln (2), Linn (23), Malheur (14), Marion (137), Morrow (9), Multnomah (185), Polk (13), Umatilla (60), Union (19), Wasco (14), Washington (162), Wheeler (2) and Yamhill (30). 

SALEM – Crews around the state are beginning to clear roads and private properties of trees damaged in September’s wildfires.

The tree clearing is part of the Oregon Wildfire Recovery Debris Management Task Force’s effort to provide cleanup for homes and businesses in the eight affected counties – Clackamas, Douglas, Jackson, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn and Marion. The work paves the way for rebuilding efforts, community recovery and helps revitalize Oregon’s economy.

Before crews begin clearing hazard trees from private property, they will clear remaining logs and debris from roadsides. Drivers in fire-affected areas should keep an eye out for crews and be prepared to stop.

State contractors are marking trees for removal with blue dot and a barcode tracking tag. Many other entities, including utilities and private companies, continue with their own tree removal operations and have their own markings.

On private property, dead or dying trees will be removed if they pose a threat to the safety of cleanup crew or public right of ways. Ash and structural debris removal will soon follow, including concrete and other household and construction materials, from private homes and businesses. A list of what is included in cleanup is available.

Hazard trees and ash and debris cleanup are the focus of Step 2 of the cleanup, and includes homes, mobile home parks, second homes, businesses and other structures. Step 1 involved removal of hazardous household waste and was completed in December.

Home and business owners must sign an All Wildfire Debris Right of Entry Form with their county to allow cleanup crews onto their property. Visit https://wildfire.oregon.gov/ or call 503-934-1700 to submit your form and for more information. Even those who did not join in Step 1 of the cleanup may still opt into the program.

Participating property owners also need to complete a questionnaire about their property, to help with planning and ensure an efficient, safe removal of debris.

The contractors

As the task force’s contract manager, the Oregon Department of Transportation is awarding three types of contracts for Step 2: hazard tree removal, debris and ash removal, and monitoring.

Given the large geographic area and volume of work, ODOT awarded the hazard tree, and ash and debris removal contracts over multiple operational areas and not as a single statewide contract.

A separate company is monitoring the cleanup work, environmental testing, and document completion of Step 2 property by property. The Federal Emergency Management Agency requires an independent company to perform monitoring work. This firm will monitor contractors removing hazard trees, ash, and debris to ensure cleanup and safety protocols and proper accounting. FEMA requires monitoring to control costs, reduce waste, and help eliminate fraud.

ODOT has awarded the following contracts:

Monitoring (1)

CDR Maguire Emergency Management

• Based in Florida 
• Contract: $75.5 million
• Awarded Nov. 19, 2020

Hazard Tree Removal (3)

Ceres Disaster Recovery – Disaster Recovery – Ceres Environmental

• Based in Florida
• Contracts awarded Nov. 25, 2020
  Archie Creek Fire, OR 138, $25.78 million
  Thielson Fire, OR 138, $2.07 million
  Two Four Two Fire, U.S. 97, $1.91 million

ECC – https://www.ecc.net/ecc/

• Based in California
• Contracts awarded: Nov. 30, 2020
  Beachie Creek / Lionshead Fire, OR 22, $17.18 million
  Riverside Fire, OR 224, $71.63 million

Suulutaaq Inc. – suulutaq.com

• Based in Alaska, with an operations office in Eugene
• Contract awarded Nov. 30, 2020
  Holiday Farm Fire, OR 126, $22.94 million

A video describing the OR 126 Holiday Farm Fire hazard tree removal work is available.

Ash and debris removal contracts have been awarded and that work also begins later this month.

Oregon’s 2020 Labor Day fires constitute the largest and most expensive disaster in our state’s history, burning over 1 million acres and destroying over 5,000 structures.

Initial estimates put the debris cleanup from the September 2020 Oregon wildfires at over $600 million, including $326 million for ash and debris removal and $295 million to remove hazard trees.

More information

Wildfire cleanup webpage: https://wildfire.oregon.gov/cleanup 
Wildfire debris cleanup hotline: 503-934-1700 or e@odot.state.or.us">odot.wildfire@odot.state.or.us
Highway travel conditions: TripCheck.com 

Oregon’s Debris Management Task Force, which includes the Oregon Office of Emergency Management, Oregon Department of Transportation, and Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, is coordinating federal, state, and local government agencies to clean up debris from the 2020 Oregon wildfires.

You can get this document in other languages, large print, braille or a format you prefer. Contact David Cardona, OEM Language Access Coordinator at 971-719-1183 or email dona@state.or.us">david.cardona@state.or.us. We accept all relay calls or you can dial 711.

 

Portland, Ore. – The Bonneville Power Administration and its partners report that in 2020, for the 23rd consecutive season, the Northern Pikeminnow Sport Reward Program met its annual goal to remove 10% to 20% of pikeminnow, 9 inches or longer, in the Columbia and Snake rivers that prey on juvenile salmon and steelhead.

• Fish removed                              103,114
• Registered anglers                     2,450
• Average angler catch                 6.5 fish/day
• Total paid to anglers                 $839,461
• Top angler
  • Fish removed                     5,579
  • Total earnings                  $48,501

The program, funded by BPA and administered by Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission and the states of Oregon and Washington, has run for 30 years, typically from May 1 through Sept. 30. In response to the COVID-19 outbreak last spring, governors in Washington and Oregon closed or limited fishing in some areas and curtailed access to some boat ramps. Those facilities were reopened later in May and the sport reward program began 11 days later than usual. To help make up for the delayed start, the season was extended to Oct. 11, 2020. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic presented some unique challenges for implementing a sport-reward fishery that relies on recreational angler participation,” said Eric Winther, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Columbia River Predator Control Program project leader. “We realized in the spring that circumstances would require some flexibility in how we operated the registration stations and that many of our return anglers might have to rethink their own recreation plans. All things considered, despite the late start to the season, anglers were able to spend a full five-month season on the rivers and remove thousands of pikeminnow for the program.”

When the season opened May 11, registered anglers again had the opportunity to make $5 to $8 for each northern pikeminnow at least 9 inches long, and specially tagged northern pikeminnow were worth $500. Program managers temporarily increased the reward to a flat $10 per fish late in the season to spur angler participation – which was a bit lower than normal due to the pandemic – and to take advantage of favorable river conditions during the season’s 11-day extension in October. However, the program will resume its pre-pandemic bounties when the northern pikeminnow season kicks off again in spring of 2021.

The goal of the sport reward fishing program is to reduce the number of larger northern pikeminnow in the Columbia and Snake rivers. Since 1990, anglers paid through the program have removed more than 5.2 million predatory pikeminnow.

“Northern pikeminnow is a native species that eats millions of juvenile salmon and steelhead each year in the Columbia and Snake river systems,” says Eric McOmie, BPA program manager. “When we remove the larger northern pikeminnow, more young salmon and steelhead have a better chance of making it to the ocean and eventually returning to the basin as adults.”

Biologists estimate that the program has reduced predation on young salmon and steelhead by up to 40% from pre-program levels.

The 2021 season is expected to operate from May 1 through Sept. 30, 2021. For more information about the program, call 800-858-9015 or visit www.pikeminnow.org.

About BPA

The Bonneville Power Administration, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is a nonprofit federal power marketer that sells wholesale, carbon-free hydropower from 31 federal dams in the Columbia River Basin. It also markets the output of the region’s only nuclear plant. BPA delivers this power to more than 140 Northwest electric utilities, serving millions of consumers and businesses in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, western Montana and parts of California, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming. BPA also owns and operates more than 15,000 circuit miles of high-voltage power lines and 261 substations, and provides transmission service to more than 300 customers. In all, BPA provides nearly a third of the power generated in the Northwest. To mitigate the impacts of the federal dams, BPA implements a fish and wildlife program that includes working with its partners to make the federal dams safer for fish passage. It also pursues cost-effective energy savings and operational solutions that help maintain safe, affordable, reliable electric power for the Northwest. www.bpa.gov  

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Jan. 14, 2021

Media contact: Jonathan Modie, 971-246-9139 PHD.Communications@state.or.us

Conference of Local Health Officials meets January 21 via Zoom

What: The monthly public meeting of the Conference of Local Health Officials (CLHO). 

Agenda:  Communicable disease investigation prioritization; Vaccine Advisory Committee update; COVID-19 Funding; COVID-19 response.

Agenda is subject to change and is posted with meeting materials on the CLHO website at http://www.oregonclho.org/ prior to meeting.

There is no public comment period during this meeting.

When: Thursday, January 21, 9:30-11:00 a.m.

Where: Via Zoom meeting.  All attendees MUST register at

https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/vJIscO2orjosHBpyhZBk_uqQhBEu4yIU5j0

Background: The Conference of Local Health Officials provides recommendations to the Oregon Health Authority on the foundational capabilities and programs and any other public health program or activity under ORS 431.147. (ORS 431.340)

Program contact: Danna Drum, 503-957-8869, um@state.or.us">danna.k.drum@state.or.us

# # #

Everyone has a right to know about and use Oregon Health Authority (OHA) programs and services. OHA provides free help. Some examples of the free help OHA can provide are:

• Sign language and spoken language interpreters
• Written materials in other languages
• Braille
• Large print
• Audio and other formats

If you need help or have questions, please contact Danna Drum at 503-957-8869, 711 TTY or um@state.or.us">danna.k.drum@state.or.us at least 48 hours before the meeting.

Jan.14, 2021

Contact: Jonathan Modie, 971-246-9139, PHD.Communications@state.or.us

Public Health Advisory Board meets on Jan. 21

What: The Public Health Advisory Board will hold a meeting.

Agenda: Approve November meeting minutes; discuss nominations for chair position; review 2021 subcommittee objectives; hear update on COVID-19 response.

When: Thursday, Jan. 21, 2-3:30 p.m. The meeting is open to the public. A public comment period will be held at the end of the meeting.

Where: Zoom conference call: (669) 254-5252; meeting ID: 160 932 6045.

Oregon’s Public Health Advisory Board provides guidance for Oregon’s governmental public health system and oversees the implementation of public health modernization and Oregon’s State Health Improvement Plan.

# # #

Everyone has a right to know about and use Oregon Health Authority (OHA) programs and services. OHA provides free help. Some examples of the free help OHA can provide are:

• Sign language and spoken language interpreters.
• Written materials in other languages.
• Braille.
• Large print.
• Audio and other formats.

If you need help or have questions, please contact Cara Biddlecom: at 971-673-2284, 711 TTY, or a.m.biddlecom@state.or.us">cara.m.biddlecom@state.or.us, at least 48 hours before the meeting.

Jan. 14, 2021

Contact: Philip Schmidt, 503-360-7435, philip.schmidt@dhsoha.state.or.us  (media inquiries)

Brian Toups, 503-385-6542, rian.m.toups@dhsoha.state.or.us">brian.m.toups@dhsoha.state.or.us (meeting information or accommodation)

All Payer All Claims Technical Advisory Group to meet January 20

What: The regular public meeting of the Oregon Health Authority’s All Payer All Claims Technical Advisory Group.

When: January 20, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Where: The All Payer All Claims Technical Advisory Group Jan. 20 meeting will be by webinar and conference line only.

The public may join remotely through a webinar and conference line:

• https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2239280069326082306
• Conference line: 1-877-810-9415, Public Listen-Only Code: 1773452#

Agenda: General updates: APAC Vendor Transition; Consolidated Appropriation Act, 2021 AKA COVID-19 Relief bill; Oregon 2021 legislative session; APAC 2021 goals; Public Comment; adjourn

For more information, please visit the committee's website at https://www.oregon.gov/oha/HPA/ANALYTICS/Pages/All-Payer-All-Claims-TAG.aspx.  

# # #

Everyone has a right to know about and use Oregon Health Authority (OHA) programs and services. OHA provides free help. Some examples of the free help OHA can provide are:

• Sign language and spoken language interpreters.
• Written materials in other languages.
• Large print.
• Audio and other formats.

If you need help or have questions, please contact Brian Toups at, 503-385-6542, 711 TTY, rian.m.toups@dhsoha.state.or.us">brian.m.toups@dhsoha.state.or.us at least 48 hours before the meeting.

The FBI’s Portland Field Office, working with the Oregon State Police, the Salem Police Department, the Portland Police Bureau, and all of our other local, state, and federal partners, is preparing for any potential violent activity related to the recent unrest in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere.

Given the unrest at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, we are maintaining a heightened posture to monitor for any emerging threats to our region. We are focused on identifying, investigating, and disrupting individuals who were involved in the siege of the U.S. Capitol and/or those who may continue to incite violence and engage in criminal activity here locally. 

To that end, the FBI in Oregon is running a command post to gather intelligence and coordinate with our law enforcement partners on potential threats. We also have special agents, bomb technicians, the FBI Evidence Response Team, tactical teams, intelligence teams, and others to support investigations and counter any potential threat of violence to the state capitol, federal buildings, and our shared community. 

We need the public’s help to protect our state and the rights of peaceful protesters. We are urging people in Oregon to call us at (503) 224-4181 or go to tips.fbi.gov to submit information regarding any potential violence at any upcoming protest or event. You can also call 1 (800) CALL-FBI. If you know of an immediate emergency, call 911. 

We cannot be successful without the help of the American people as work to fulfill our mission: protect the American people and uphold the U.S. Constitution. 

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For Immediate Release                                        

January 14, 2021

Contact:    Mona Riesterer
                 (503) 378-2431

Notice of Regular Meeting

The Telecommunication Policy Committee of the Board on Public Safety Standards and Training will hold a regular meeting on February 3, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. in the Governor Victor G. Atiyeh Boardroom at the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training located at 4190 Aumsville Hwy SE, Salem, Oregon. For further information, please contact Mona Riesterer at (503) 378-2431.

The Telecommunication Policy meeting will be live streamed on the DPSST Facebook page @ https://www.facebook.com/DPSSTOregon

Agenda Items:

1.  Introductions

2.  Approve Minutes of November 4, 2020

3.  Administrative Closures

      Linsay Hale

4.  Proposed Rule Changes for OAR 259-008-0015, 259-008-0290, 259-008-0300 and 259-008-0310; Moral Fitness Standards Relating to Discrimination – Review of Comments

      Presented by Jennifer Howald

5.   Staff Update

6.   Next Telecommunications Policy Committee Meeting May 5, 2021 @ 9:00 a.m.

                                                        Administrative Announcement

This is a public meeting, subject to the public meeting law and it will be recorded. Deliberation of issues will only be conducted by Telecommunication Policy members unless permitted by the Chair. Individuals who engage in disruptive behavior that impedes official business will be asked to stop being disruptive or leave the meeting. Additional measures may be taken to have disruptive individuals removed if their continued presence poses a safety risk to the other persons in the room or makes it impossible to continue the meeting.

(Salem) – Jan. 1 marked the beginning of the 2021 Medicare Advantage open enrollment period for Medicare beneficiaries with an existing Medicare Advantage plan. Beneficiaries who take advantage of this open enrollment period will have coverage that starts the first day of the month after the enrollment action.

Before March 31, beneficiaries who already have a Medicare Advantage plan can:

• Change to a different Medicare Advantage plan, either with or without drug coverage.
• Enroll in a stand-alone Part D (prescription drug) plan, which returns the beneficiary to Original Medicare.

“This is a helpful time period for beneficiaries that are not satisfied with the new Medicare Advantage plan they chose for 2021 or for beneficiaries currently enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, but who missed the annual Dec. 7 deadline to compare and change plans,” said Lisa Emerson, program analyst for the Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance (SHIBA) program.

Beneficiaries can make only one change during this enrollment period and cannot change from one stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan to another stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan.

Other enrollment opportunities if someone missed the Dec. 7 deadline:

• Oregonians have one five-star plan through Kaiser Permanente that will accept enrollments at any time throughout the year.
• Anyone affected by COVID-19 or Oregon’s wildfires may still have time to enroll in a plan under a four-month special enrollment period, which begins the date affected. There are other guidelines to qualify.
• Anyone affected by nonrenewing plans (e.g., Moda Med-Advantage) still has time to choose a plan.

Oregon’s SHIBA program is available to help beneficiaries understand their options. To find free, local Medicare counseling help, go to dcbspage.org/SHIBALOCAL or call 800-722-4134 (toll-free) to speak to a state-certified Medicare counselor.

SHIBA counselors can help Oregonians navigate the Medicare.gov Plan Finder tool to enter prescriptions and compare the cost and benefits of individual drug plans, provide enrollment guidance, and answer any other questions related to Medicare benefits. All of these services are available remotely statewide to ensure the safety of both clients and counselors.

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Oregon’s Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance (SHIBA) program is part of the Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS), Oregon’s largest business regulatory and consumer protection agency. Visit dcbs.oregon.gov. Follow DCBS on Twitter: twitter.com/OregonDCBS. Receive consumer help and information on insurance, mortgages, investments, workplace safety, and more.

Oregon reports 1,346 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 41 new deaths

January 13, 2021

PORTLAND, Ore. — There are 41 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 1,708, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 1,346 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 129,109.

Note: A human error resulted in the loss of a small number of reports submitted through the online portal from 6:45 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 13.

OHA does not know what types of reports were lost (lab reports, REALD reports or MIS-C reports). Based on recent reporting volume, we estimate that these results were likely negative or pending lab results and that no more than 20 would have been received during the time of the error. We are reaching out to all parties who recently submitted reports through the online portal to request that anyone who submitted from 6:45 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 13 to resubmit those results.

OHA will continue to review and assess the process.

Vaccinations in Oregon

Today, 14,722 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry. Of this total, 9,071 vaccine doses were administered on Jan. 12 and 5,651 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on Jan. 12.

Oregon has now administered a cumulative total of 129,782 first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccines. All vaccinations were administered by Oregon hospitals, long-term care facilities, emergency medical service (EMS) agencies, urgent care facilities and Local Public Health Authorities (LPHAs).

To date, 321,225 doses of vaccine have been delivered to sites across Oregon.

These data are preliminary and subject to change. OHA's dashboards provide regularly updated vaccination data.

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 434, which is 31 more than yesterday. There are 103 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is 10 more than yesterday.

The total number of patients in hospital beds may fluctuate between report times. The numbers do not reflect admissions per day, nor the length of hospital stay. Staffing limitations are not captured in this data and may further limit bed capacity.

More information about hospital capacity can be found here.

Weekly COVID-19 cases increase, deaths surge

OHA’s COVID-19 Weekly Report was released today and showed sharp increases in daily cases and positive tests.

OHA reported 8,150 new daily cases during the week of Monday, Jan. 4 through Sunday, Jan. 10, a 3% increase over the previous week.

There were 357 persons hospitalized for COVID-19.

COVID-19 related deaths surged to 177, up from 73 the previous week.

There were 113,648 tests for COVID-19 for the week of Jan. 3 through Jan. 9. The percentage of positive tests increased to 8.2%.

People age 20 to 49 have accounted for 55% of COVID-19 cases, while people 70 and older have accounted for 77% of deaths associated with the virus.

Today’s COVID-19 outbreak report shows 202 active COVID-19 outbreaks in senior living communities and congregate living settings, with three or more confirmed cases or one or more COVID-19 related deaths.

Cases and deaths

The new cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (16), Benton (29), Clackamas (105), Clatsop (10), Columbia (13), Coos (9), Crook (19), Deschutes (89), Douglas (25), Gilliam (1), Grant (8), Harney (2), Hood river (6), Jackson (58), Jefferson (23), Josephine (64), Klamath (32), Lake (2), Lane (98), Lincoln (3), Linn (50), Malheur (24), Marion (97), Morrow (9), Multnomah (307), Polk (28), Tillamook (11), Umatilla (52), Union (7), Wasco (13), Washington (110) and Yamhill (26).

“Every death from COVID-19 is a loss for friends and families,” said Dr. Bukhosi Dube, senior health advisor with the Oregon Health Authority’s Public Health Division. “Today's reported death of a 19-year-old, who had underlying conditions shows, again, that because a person may be younger than the most at-risk groups, they may still suffer life-threatening consequences from the virus.”

While older people are at higher risk of having more severe outcomes, including hospitalizations and death, COVID-19 has led to hospitalizations of persons under the age of 40. State data show that about 5% of patients who have been hospitalized for their illness were between the ages of 10 to 39 years old. In Oregon, this is the fourth COVID-19 related death in individuals younger than 30 since the beginning of the pandemic.

As of Jan. 13, 103 persons between the ages of 10 and 19 have been hospitalized with COVID-19 in Oregon.

Oregon’s 1,668th COVID-19 death is an 81-year-old woman in Clackamas County who tested positive on Dec. 8 and died on Dec. 25 at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,669th COVID-19 death is a 79-year-old man in Clackamas County who tested positive on Jan. 9 and died on Jan. 10 at Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,670th COVID-19 death is a 98-year-old man in Clackamas County who tested positive on Dec. 2 and died on Dec. 8 at Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,671st COVID-19 death is a 78-year-old man in Columbia County who tested positive on Nov. 12 and died on Dec. 12 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,672nd COVID-19 death is a 77-year-old woman in Crook County who became symptomatic on Jan. 1 and died on Jan. 8 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,673rd COVID-19 death is an 89-year-old man in Curry County who died on Dec. 20 at Curry General Hospital. The death certificate listed COVID-19 disease or SARS-CoV-2 as a cause of death or a significant condition contributing to death. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,674th COVID-19 death is an 84-year-old woman in Douglas County who tested positive on Nov. 21 and died on Jan. 4 at her residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,675th COVID-19 death is an 80-year-old man in Jackson County who tested positive on Dec. 10 and died on Jan. 11 at Providence Medford Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,676th COVID-19 death is a 69-year-old woman in Jefferson County who tested positive on Dec. 28 and died on Jan. 10 at St. Charles Medical Center—Bend. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,677th COVID-19 death is a 66-year-old woman in Lane County who tested positive on Dec. 10 and died on Dec. 19 at McKenzie Willamette Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,678th COVID-19 death is a 94-year-old man in Lane County who tested positive on Jan. 2 and died on Jan. 10 at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart—Riverbend. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,679th COVID-19 death is an 89-year-old woman in Marion County who tested positive on Nov. 16 and died on Dec. 3 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,680th COVID-19 death is a 19-year-old man in Marion County who tested positive on Nov. 19 and died on Dec. 6 at Oregon Health Science University. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,681st COVID-19 death is a 79-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 25 and died on Jan. 2 at her residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,682nd COVID-19 death is a 78-year-old woman in Benton County who tested positive on Dec. 14 and died on Jan. 1 at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,683rd COVID-19 death is a 75-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 16 and died on Nov.  30 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,684th COVID-19 death is a 64-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Oct. 23 and died on Nov. 22 at Portland VA Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,685th COVID-19 death is an 88-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 23 and died on Dec. 5 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,686th COVID-19 death is a 76-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 24 and died on Dec. 7 at her residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,687th COVID-19 death is a 94-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 27 and died on Dec. 11 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,688th COVID-19 death is a 70-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on Dec. 2 and died on Dec. 15 at her residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,689th COVID-19 death is a 50-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Dec. 6 and died on Dec. 15 at Providence Portland Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,690th COVID-19 death is a 70-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Dec. 10 and died on Dec. 20 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,691st COVID-19 death is a 69-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Dec. 11 and died on Dec. 20 at Providence Portland Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,692nd COVID-19 death is an 86-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Dec. 16 and died on Dec. 19 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,693rd COVID-19 death is an 82-year-old man in Multnomah County who died on Dec. 26 at Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center. The death certificate listed COVID-19 disease or SARS-CoV-2 as a cause of death or a significant condition contributing to death. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,694th COVID-19 death is a 77-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 28 and died on Dec. 19 at his residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,695th COVID-19 death is a 70-year-old man in Polk County who tested positive on Dec. 11 and died on Jan. 1 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,696th COVID-19 death is a 75-year-old woman in Polk County who tested positive on Dec. 23 and died on Jan. 4 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,697th COVID-19 death is a 58-year-old woman in Polk County who tested positive on Dec. 28 and died on Jan. 9 at Salem Hospital. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,698th COVID-19 death is a 69-year-old man in Umatilla County who tested positive on Dec. 27 and died on Jan. 1 at Good Shepherd Community Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,699th COVID-19 death is an 89-year-old man in Umatilla County who tested positive on Dec. 28 and died on Jan. 6 at Kadlec Regional Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,700th COVID-19 death is a 72-year-old man in Umatilla County who tested positive on Dec. 30 and died on Jan. 10 at Kadlec Regional Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,701st COVID-19 death is an 87-year-old man in Washington County who tested positive on Dec. 3 and died on Dec. 11 at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,702nd COVID-19 death is an 82-year-old man in Washington County who tested positive on Dec. 12 and died on Jan. 2 at Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,703rd COVID-19 death is a 95-year-old man in Washington County who tested positive on Dec. 9 and died on Dec. 22 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,704th COVID-19 death is a 93-year-old man in Washington County who tested positive on Dec. 24 and died on Jan. 7 at Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,705th COVID-19 death is an 82-year-old man in Washington County who tested positive on Dec. 30 and died on Jan. 4 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,706th COVID-19 death is a 92-year-old woman in Yamhill County who tested positive on Dec. 4 and died on Dec. 17 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,707th COVID-19 death is a 75-year-old woman in Yamhill County who tested positive on Jan. 4 and died on Jan. 8 at Willamette Valley Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,708th COVID-19 death is a 27-year-old man in Washington County who tested positive on Nov. 18 and died on Nov. 27 at Oregon Health Science University. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations

To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine situation in Oregon, visit our webpage, which has a breakdown of distribution and other useful information.

On Wednesday, January 13, 2021, at approximately 10:45 A.M., Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a vehicle incident on Hwy 26 near milepost 32.

Preliminary investigation revealed that Portland General Electric (PGE) employees were repairing damaged power lines on the north side of Hwy 26.  A PGE truck, operated by Joshua Rinard (41) of Sandy, was being repositioned when it backed into, Brenda Stader (50) of Portland, who was working as a flagger to assist with traffic control. 

PGE was utilizing flaggers contracted through Northwest Traffic Control.

Stader sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased.

OSP was assisted by the Sandy Fire Department and ODOT

The Oregon Office of Emergency Management has posted the Oregon Wildfire Recovery Update for Jan.13, 2021, to the Oregon Wildfire Resources page. See today's Wildfire Recovery update here. 

Photo Captions:

Lane County, Ore. - September 19, 2020 - Wildfire destruction on Mt. Hagen. Photo by Jeremy Porter/FEMA.
File: 2020-19-09_OR_4562_Detroit_Mt_Hagen_DeMob_01.jpg

Blue River, Ore. - September 30, 2020 - The process to remove damaged trees has begun. The Holiday Farm Fire destroyed businesses, homes and vehicles in Blue River, Oregon. Photo by David Yost/FEMA.
File: 2020-30-09_4562_ORFires_BlueRiver_1971.jpg

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Hotline: 503-813-6018

 

Pacific Power restores electric service to more than 25,000 customers overnight in wake of windstorm

 

PORTLAND. Ore. (Jan. 13, 2021) — A fast-moving blast of wind and intense rain hit the Northwest Jan. 12-13 causing power outages from Crescent City, Calif. to the upper reaches of the Yakima Valley in central Washington. Working overnight, Pacific Power crews and contractors totaling about 200 individuals restored 25,000 of the 28,000 customers who were out at the peak of the storm.

 

As of 4 p.m. today, 3,000 customers are in the process of being restored. A majority of these customers are expected to have service restored by 8 p.m. The communities with the largest  remaining outages include:

 

• Willamette Valley (Albany, Corvallis, Lebanon, Stayton), 1,700
• Crescent City, Calif., 750
• Yakima Valley, 150
• Coos County, 100

 

“Our crews are continuing restoration work with the goal of getting all service restored by this evening,” said Allen Berreth, vice president of operations. “We appreciate the patience that customers have shown during this outage and we want to remind everyone to stay clear of any down lines you may see. Assume they are live and dangerous and give us a call to report them.”

 

Pacific Power encourages customers to report outages by calling 1-877-508-5088 or text OUT to 722797. Text STAT to 722797 to check the status of your outage.

 

Customers and media representatives can also track outages of any size online. Updates will be made as new information becomes available or at least hourly at pacificpower.net/outage.

To ease the inconvenience of power outages and assist crews in restoring power, Pacific Power suggests the following tips and safety precautions:

• Stay away from all downed power lines and utility lines. Even if the lines are not sparking, they could be energized and extremely dangerous. Call 911 and report the outage to Pacific Power at 1-877-508-5088.
• Don’t drive over downed power lines.
• Maintain safe distances from workers. Repair work is being done under our COVID-19 safety protocols. Waves and acknowledgement are welcome, but please allow crews to do their work at an appropriate distance both for operational and COVID-19 safety.
• Turn on your porch light. After crews complete repairs, they patrol the area of the power failure to see if any lights are still out
• Check on your neighbors, especially those who may need special assistance. Also, check with others who have electricity, to see if you can visit.
• If you have power at this time, keep mobile devices charged so that may be used in an emergency. Before anything happens, download the Pacific Power app to your smart device so you can have information readily available.
• Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. Most food requiring refrigeration can be kept safely in a closed refrigerator for several hours. An unopened refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours. A full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours.
• Remember your pets! Pets who spend a lot of time outdoors need more food in the winter because keeping warm depletes energy.
• If you are using alternate heat or cooking sources, remember to allow plenty of ventilation. Never burn charcoal for heating or cooking indoors.
• If you are using a generator, make sure to follow all manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure the generator is outside and not near any household air intakes. Do not connect the generator directly to your breaker box as this can create a dangerous situation for crews working on the powerlines. Instead, plug essential appliances directly into the generator.

 

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Jan. 13, 2021

Contact: Jonathan Modie, 971-246-9139, PHD.Communications@state.or.us

Nurse Staffing Advisory Board holds virtual quarterly meeting Jan. 27

What: The Nurse Staffing Advisory Board is holding its quarterly meeting.

Agenda:

• Review minutes from October and December NSAB meetings
• Membership updates
• Status updates
• Committee updates
• Open action items
• Program improvement
• Emerging issues in nurse staffing
• Public comment

The agenda will be available on www.healthoregon.org/nursestaffing.

When: Jan. 27, 1-5 p.m.

Where:

ZoomGov meeting; dial: 669-254-5252

Meeting ID: 160 109 9025

Passcode: 528324

The Nurse Staffing Advisory Board advises the Oregon Health Authority on the administration of Oregon’s nurse staffing laws; identifies trends, opportunities and concerns related to nurse staffing; makes recommendations to the Oregon Health Authority based on those trends, opportunities and concerns; and reviews the enforcement powers and processes under Oregon’s nurse staffing laws.

Program contact: Kimberly Voelker erly.n.voelker@dhsoha.state.or.us">kimberly.n.voelker@dhsoha.state.or.us

Everyone has a right to know about and use the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) programs and services. OHA provides free help. Some examples of the free help OHA can provide are:

• Sign language and spoken language interpreters
• Written material in other languages
• Braille
• Large print
• Audio and other formats

If you need help or have questions, please contact Kimberly Voelker, MPH at 971-803-0914, 711 TTY or erly.n.voelker@dhsoha.state.or.us">kimberly.n.voelker@dhsoha.state.or.us at least 48 hours before the meeting.

PORTLAND, Ore. — There are 41 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 1,708, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 1,346 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 129,109.

Note: A human error resulted in the loss of a small number of reports submitted through the online portal from 6:45am to 8:30am on Jan.13.

OHA does not know what types of reports were lost (lab reports, REALD reports, or MIS-C reports). Based on recent reporting volume, we estimate that these results were likely negative or pending lab results and that no more than 20 would have been received during the time of the error. We are reaching to all parties who recently submitted reports through the online portal to request that anyone who submitted from 6:45am to 8:30am on Jan. 13.to resubmit those results.

OHA will continue to review and assess the process.

Vaccinations in Oregon

Today, 14,722 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry. Of this total, 9,071 vaccine doses were administered on Jan. 12 and 5,651 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on Jan. 12.

Oregon has now administered a cumulative total of 129,782 first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccines. All vaccinations were administered by Oregon hospitals, long-term care facilities, emergency medical service (EMS) agencies, urgent care facilities and Local Public Health Authorities (LPHAs).

To date, 321,225 doses of vaccine have been delivered to sites across Oregon.

These data are preliminary and subject to change.

OHA's dashboards provide regularly updated vaccination data.

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 434, which is 31 more than yesterday. There are 103 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is 10 more than yesterday.

The total number of patients in hospital beds may fluctuate between report times. The numbers do not reflect admissions per day, nor the length of hospital stay. Staffing limitations are not captured in this data and may further limit bed capacity.

More information about hospital capacity can be found here.

Cases and deaths

NOTE: Death details are being reviewed and will be posted in an updated version of this press release.

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (16), Benton (29), Clackamas (105), Clatsop (10), Columbia (13), Coos (9), Crook (19), Deschutes (89), Douglas (25), Gilliam (1), Grant (8), Harney (2), Hood river (6), Jackson (58), Jefferson (23), Josephine (64), Klamath (32), Lake (2), Lane (98), Lincoln (3), Linn (50), Malheur (24), Marion (97), Morrow (9), Multnomah (307), Polk (28), Tillamook (11), Umatilla (52), Union (7), Wasco (13), Washington (110) and Yamhill (26).

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HOSPITALS WILL EMBRACE CHALLENGE TO VACCINATE SENIORS, EDUCATORS WHEN MORE DOSES ARRIVE

                           Plenty of work will be needed to get ready for more vaccine sent by the federal government

Lake Oswego, Ore. – January 13, 2021 – Hospitals will start preparations for a big increase in the number of Oregonians who can soon receive the COVID-19 vaccine after the Centers for Disease Control unexpectedly expanded the eligibility guidelines and Governor Brown followed suit.

Starting January 23, educators and everyone 65 and older will be included. The federal government will release its full stock of vaccine doses to the states. That supply, however, will likely not  be enough to handle the larger number of eligible recipients.

Hospital leaders applauded the move while signaling that there is much logistical work ahead to vaccinate the new larger cohort. “Oregon’s hospitals have been enthusiastic partners in bringing the COVID-19 vaccine to our residents, and we are happy that more vaccine is being sent to Oregon,” said Becky Hultberg, OAHHS President & CEO. “Just as our hospital teams have done whatever it takes to care for Oregonians suffering from this virus, we will bring that same drive and determination to the expanded vaccine effort.”

Details on the larger scale distribution effort are yet to be worked out. Portland area hospitals have recently begun partnerships with metro area public health departments to identify and vaccinate providers not affiliated with large health systems. That work will soon be expanded to include teachers and senior citizens.

Governor Brown will provide more details on the distribution plans on January 15. “If you are an Oregonian who is newly eligible for vaccination, I am asking for your patience,” she said. Read Governor Brown’s statement here.

Until the new program begins on January 23 Oregon will continue to follow the initial OHA Phase 1a guidelines.

                                                                                             ###

About OAHHS: Founded in 1934, OAHHS is a statewide, nonprofit trade association that works closely with local and national government leaders, business and citizen coalitions, and other professional health care organizations to enhance and promote community health and to continue improving Oregon’s innovative health care delivery system.

Oregon State Police Superintendent Terri Davie requested and was granted the activation of members of the Oregon National Guard to assist with potential upcoming civil unrest/protests by Governor Kate Brown.

“The Oregon State Police will continue to take a neutral role in ensuring Oregonians exercise their First Amendment rights,” said Oregon State Police Superintendent Davie. “For the past seven months, your Troopers have responded throughout Oregon to various protests, unlawful assemblies and riots.  Our goals have always been to protect people, protect people’s rights and to protect property. The recent events at our Nation's Capitol building and at our own statehouse illustrate the need for law enforcement to be prepared and appropriately staffed for any large gatherings,” Davie added.

The Oregon Army National Guard will be deployed as necessary and their deployment locations will not be made public. OSP and the ONG routinely work and train together in response to Oregon’s challenges, including civil unrest, human remain recovery in the recent wildfire response and safeguarding our communities in times of crisis.

“With the Oregon National Guard supplementing OSP ranks, we will be ready to ensure peaceful events and handle emergency situations,” said Oregon State Police Captain Timothy Fox.

Oregon State Police will continue to work with our local, state and federal partners in planning for potential events at the Oregon State Capitol or any other jurisdiction in Oregon. OSP will continue to leverage their strong partnerships with local and federal law enforcement, in efforts to provide safety to legislators and employees conducting the people’s business in the Capitol.

The Oregon State Police does not discuss the specifics of potential threats or tactical plans made unless it is determined there is a public safety need.

 

SALEM, Ore. – Oregon National Guardsmen joined Salem Health at the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem, Oregon on Jan. 12, to assist them with their efforts to distribute the COVID-19 vaccination to Oregonians. More than 40 medical personnel initially activated to directly support Salem Health operations.

Just over a week ago, Salem Health set up their distribution plan and began administering vaccinations to the public. Since Jan. 7, over 8,500 vaccinations have been administered; with the help of the National Guard yesterday, the site reached over 10,000 vaccinations.

Upon realizing the site would be unable to vaccinate enough people under the current system, Salem Health Hospitals and Clinics, President and CEO, Cheryl Nester Wolfe, initiated the plan to establish a separate vaccination distribution site. Her forward thinking led to the first COVID-19 vaccination distribution site of its kind in the state of Oregon.

“We are the only mass vaccination clinic set up,” stated Wolfe. “We have somewhere around 50,000 people to vaccinate in Marion County alone.”

The Oregon State Fairgrounds was designated as the logical choice by Wolfe and her team due to current busing route access, the centralized location for Marion County and Salem residents, as well as the large building and available parking. The established infrastructure of the State Fairgrounds as an alternative hospital location was originally established in March of 2020 at the beginning of the Coronavirus outbreak.

Once aware of Salem Health’s plan to set up a vaccination distribution site at the State Fairgrounds, Amie Wittenberg, Director of the Emergency Department, Trauma and Psychiatric Services at Salem Hospital and the Operations Section Chief for the vaccination response, arrived with her team to ensure all necessary safety precautions and health protocols were followed.  

“Once we heard the site location was confirmed, we came down to the building to see what tools we had,” stated Wittenberg. “We started dreaming up our plan starting with the essentials: screening to ensure COVID safety measures were in place, a registration area, a vaccination prep station, a vaccination station, and finally, a process to identify post vaccination monitoring.”

The Salem Health staff working to vaccinate Oregonians at the State Fairgrounds continues to manage their hospital jobs as well as the vaccination site. The impact and workload on the hospital dating back to last March and the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic has been significant.

“We are planning on being here up to six months,” stated Wittenberg. “Everyone’s dug in to volunteer and work extra to serve, but we need to preserve our employees and ensure we have the ability to facilitate at the hospital and clinic level.” 

On Jan. 8, Oregon Governor Kate Brown announced the activation of the Oregon National Guard to assist with the distribution of the COVID-19 Vaccination. The news of Guard activation to assist with vaccinations was a relief for Salem Health.

“We need Guardsmen to help with giving vaccinations, we need help with security and parking, we need everything,” stated Nester Wolfe. “When I heard the Governor announce the Guard was coming to help, it was just a blessing.”

Oregon Guardsmen arrived at the State Fairgrounds on the morning of Jan. 12, and began their onboarding process to integrate with Salem Health as soon as possible. By noon, Citizen-Soldiers and Airmen were preparing and giving vaccinations, processing individuals on the electronic medical record system, monitoring the post vaccination area, monitoring controlled entry and exit points, and assisting with vehicle and foot traffic control.

“When we heard there was a potential to partner with the Guard and to actually work together… it’s a once in a life time opportunity,” expressed Wittenberg. “Since February, we have worked and served at all different levels. It’s been a lot. To have the Guard’s partnership, you can’t put a price on it.”

Since March 2020, Oregon National Guardsmen have been activated to support the state’s COVID-19 Pandemic response, distribute PPE throughout the state, assisted with the largest wildfire season on record, and to protect lives and property during civil disturbances.

Oregon Air National Guard Public Affairs Officers:  Major Heather Bashor, 503-779-9889, .bashor.1@us.af.mil">heather.bashor.1@us.af.mil

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Photos: 

210112-Z-YJ247-001: Oregon National Guard Members arrived at the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem, Ore., Jan. 12, 2021 and begin to in-process, train, and assist Salem Health with their vaccination efforts. By noon, Guardsmen were prepping and giving vaccinations as well as assisting with monitoring, prescreening, and registration. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Major Heather Bashor, Oregon Military Department Public Affairs)

210112-Z-YJ247-002: Oregon National Guard Service Members arrive early at the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem, Ore., Jan. 12, 2021, to in-process train, and begin assisting Salem Health with their COVID-19 Vaccination efforts. Cheryl R. Nester Wolfe, President and CEO of Salem Health Hospitals and Clinics welcomed the Guardsmen  to the site and thanked them for their service. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Major Heather Bashor, Oregon Military Department Public Affairs)

210112-Z-YJ247-003: Oregon National Guardsmen arrived at the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem, Ore., Jan. 12, 2021, to in-process train, and begin assisting Salem Health with their COVID-19 Vaccination efforts before assisting Salem Health. Airmen and Soldiers went through an onboarding process to prepare them to integrate easily with their staff. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Major Heather Bashor, Oregon Military Department Public Affairs)

210113-Z-YJ247-001: Oregon National Guard Spc. Toby SeWell assigned to the Oregon Army National Guard Medical Command, administers the COVID-19 vaccination to a Salem resident at the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem, Ore., Jan. 13, 2021. The Oregon National Guard was activated by Oregon Gov. Kate Brown on Jan. 8, to assist with the State's vaccination efforts. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Major Heather Bashor, Oregon Military Department Public Affairs)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/oregonmildep/albums/72157717741831206

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Oregon’s Iverson elected chair of national Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee

January 13, 2021: Oregon Farm Bureau (OFB) is proud to announce that Jon Iverson, a family farmer from Woodburn, has been elected chair of American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) National Young Farmers & Ranchers (YF&R) Committee.

Iverson, a third-generation farmer and member of Clackamas County Farm Bureau, was elected to the yearlong post by his fellow members on the national YF&R committee. YF&R is a program within Farm Bureau providing networking and leadership development opportunities for next-generation leaders of this esteemed grassroots advocacy organization.

“It was an honor gain the respect of the AFBF YF&R Committee and have their vote of confidence. It means a lot coming from the exceptional people I’m serving with,” said Iverson, who officially begins his term on Jan. 13, 2021.

“We are incredibly proud to have Oregon’s own Jon Iverson elected as chair of the AFBF YF&R Committee,” said OFB Executive Vice President Dave Dillon. “Jon has done outstanding work on Oregon’s YF&R Committee and at the County Farm Bureau level, and it has been truly inspirational watching him evolve into the extraordinary leader he is today. We’re sure he will do an excellent job serving as chair of the AFBF YF&R Committee.”

In 2020, Iverson was appointed to the AFBF YF&R Committee by AFBF President Zippy Duvall after being nominated by OFB. As chair of the committee, Iverson will have a seat on the AFBF Board of Directors, will help guide the national committee in its activities for the year, and will serve as a national spokesperson for the YF&R program.

In Oregon, Iverson served on the state YF&R Committee from 2008 through 2020, including two terms as vice chair. He also has served as president of Clackamas County Farm Bureau.

Iverson is the third generation on Iverson Family Farms in Woodburn. The diversified farm grows tulips, grass seed, vetch seed, squash, hazelnuts, hemp for oil, and wine and table grapes. Barb Iverson, Iverson’s aunt, serves as president of Oregon Farm Bureau.

Iverson’s goals as AFBF YF&R Committee Chair

In his one-year term, Iverson has four primary goals: membership engagement, mental health awareness, fostering international connections, and giving a strong voice to YF&R.

“YF&R is an important driver of membership within Farm Bureau, bringing in and developing new volunteer leaders,” said Iverson. “With the pandemic, we’re having to rethink how we engage these new members and get them excited to be involved, without the opportunity to meet in person or attend conferences.”

Last summer, the AFBF YF&R committee launched Ag Connect. Ag Connect is an hourlong Zoom meeting held on the third Monday of every month, and it features a guest speaker focusing on a predetermined topic, such as improving member engagement or a farm tour, followed by discussion and networking time.

“Ag Connect is fantastic, and I hope to get more YF&R members to participate. It’s a great way to not only learn about important ag-related issues, but also to meet other farmers and ranchers from different parts of the country,” said Iverson.

Information about Ag Connect sessions is available on the AFBF YF&R and OFB YF&R Facebook pages.

Part of Iverson’s membership initiative is to encourage more participation by young Farm Bureau members who may not be farming or ranching full time, but who are still passionate about agriculture.

“There are a lot of young farmers who want to get back on the farm, but haven’t had the opportunity to yet, and there are others who work in ag-related industries or who are really passionate about agriculture. I want those people to know they’re welcome in Farm Bureau,” said Iverson. “As population of farmers and ranchers shrinks every year, the more allies we have, the stronger our industry will be.”

Mental health awareness for farmers and ranchers is another priority for Iverson.

“Because of the pandemic and other significant stressors weighing on those who work in agriculture, some farmers and ranchers have really struggled,” said Iverson. “Suicide rates in farming are high, and it’s something we need to address. We need to let farmers and ranchers who’re struggling know that there’s hope and there’s help.”

The American Farm Bureau offers many resources on the Farm State of Mind website, including warning signs, conversation starters, and a training to learn how to help those who may be struggling.

“Mental health awareness will be a topic in an upcoming Ag Connect session, and it’s something I want to keep promoting at the national level,” said Iverson.

Building connections between farmers and ranchers, no matter where they live, is also a goal for Iverson.

Now that so many Farm Bureau members are familiar with using Zoom and other virtual meeting platforms, Iverson hopes to use that tool to build stronger relationships between farmers and ranchers not only in the United States, but abroad.

“One of the things I’m really passionate about is giving farmers an international perspective,” said Iverson. “I’d like to connect with other young farmer organizations from around the world and give American young farmers and ranchers a chance to interact with peers from other countries.”

While many of the challenges working in agriculture are shared across the globe, the way farmers and ranchers tackle those challenges may differ — and there’s much to be learned by sharing information, said Iverson.

“We have a good relationship with the young farmers organization in Canada. They’re going to host our Ag Connect meeting in January,” he said.

Giving a strong voice to YF&R on the AFBF Board of Directors is Iverson’s fourth goal.

“There’s a lot of experience and wisdom on the AFBF Board and the decisions they make will affect younger Farm Bureau members their whole career,” said Iverson. “I want to make sure there’s that young voice on the board and that the beliefs and roles of young farmers and ranchers are heard and acknowledged.”

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Editors: “Farm Bureau” is a registered trademark; please capitalize in all cases.

Oregon Farm Bureau (OFB) is a grassroots, nonpartisan, nonprofit, general farm organization representing the interests of farming and ranching families in the public and policymaking arenas. First established in Oregon at the county level in 1919 and the state level in 1932, Farm Bureau is organized in all 36 counties.

http://www.oregonfb.org 

(Salem) – Oregon OSHA has launched a free Spanish-language online video training course to help employers and workers address fall hazards and increase safety in the roofing industry.

The course, “Fall Protection for Roofing,” is part of the division’s ongoing work to expand its Spanish-language computer-based training to broaden the audience for its educational offerings.

“This course provides a solid foundation and plenty of tools for strengthening fall protection in roofing,” said Roy Kroker, consultation and public education manager for Oregon OSHA. “But it is more than that. It also helps employers and workers address such fall hazards by removing language barriers.”

The course includes insights from industry leaders and covers a comprehensive set of topics. Those topics include hazard identification, fall protection equipment and systems, safe access, and training.

The need to address fall hazards cannot be overstated. Each year in the U.S., more than 310 construction workers are killed and more than 10,350 are seriously injured by falls from heights, according to federal data. About 81 percent of deaths from roofs occur in the construction industry.

The Spanish-language “Fall Protection for Roofing” course includes the opportunity to receive a certificate of completion. Visit more Spanish-language courses. Learn about the PESO program. Learn about Oregon OSHA’s education and training services.

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Oregon OSHA, a division of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, enforces the state’s workplace safety and health rules and works to improve workplace safety and health for all Oregon workers. For more information, visit osha.oregon.gov.

The Department of Consumer and Business Services is Oregon’s largest business regulatory and consumer protection agency. For more information, go to www.dcbs.oregon.gov.

 

 

Jan. 13, 2021 - Salem, Ore. – Laurie Longhorn, manager of the Short Stop #1 in Hermiston thinks she will see even more customers come in tonight after her store sold a $100,000 winning Powerball ticket last week. 

“The higher the jackpot gets, the more people come in,” Longhorn said. “With this news we might see even more people.” 

Bradley Plate of Hermiston purchased his winning ticket at the Short Stop #1 in Hermiston. Plate’s Powerball ticket for the Saturday, Jan. 9 Powerball drawing matched four of the white ball numbers, leaving one white ball number and the power ball number unmatched. By matching those four numbers, and wisely adding the Power Play multiplier option, Plate’s $50,000 prize was doubled to $100,000, thanks to the Power Play multiplier of 2 that was drawn for that drawing. The jackpot was $470 million for the Jan. 9 drawing.  

The Powerball jackpot, currently at $550 million for the Wednesday, Jan. 13 drawing, is the ninth largest jackpot in the game’s history. According to Longhorn, that type of jackpot, and Thursday night’s $750 million Mega Millions jackpot are bringing some joy to retailers facing difficult times this year. 

Longhorn said her store sold a larger Keno jackpot a few years ago, but to her knowledge, this is the largest prize they have sold. 

“This really is awesome news, it would be amazing if we sold the jackpot ticket tonight,” Longhorn said. “We have lots more people coming in and getting tickets. Customers always tell us if they win the big one they will come back and give some to us.” 

Since the Oregon Lottery began selling tickets on April 25, 1985, it has earned more than $12 billion for economic development, public education, Outdoor School, state parks, Veteran Services and watershed enhancements. For more information on the Oregon Lottery visit www.oregonlottery.org 

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The U.S. Treasury has begun issuing its second round of stimulus payments. People who don't receive a direct deposit by early January should look for either a check from IRS or Economic Impact Payment (EIP) debit card in the mail. People will not necessarily be paid the same way they received their first stimulus payment.

 

 How to identify the card: The envelope will have a return address of Money Network Cardholder Services, PO Box 247022, Omaha, NE 68124. This is not a scam. This is this card:

(See attached.) 

 

 

Most individuals will receive $600 and $1,200 for married couples filing a joint return and $600 for each qualifying child. New: Couples filing jointly with just one member of the couple with a work-eligible Social Security Number will now be eligible for payments for the taxpayers and their qualifying children.

People do not need to take any action right now to receive their stimulus payment. Eligible individuals who do not receive their payment or who did not receive their first stimulus payment can claim it (under the Recovery Rebate Credit) when they file their 2020 tax return this year. People who do not normally file tax returns should also file a 2020 tax return if they do not receive their stimulus payment.

More information about the distribution of stimulus payments is in the IRS press release and in new FAQs.

There is also information about how to use the card from the National Consumer Law Center: NCLC's fact sheet.

For free or reduced cost tax filing help: https://cashoregon.org/ or call 211.

Jan. 12, 2021

Updated to include death details.

Contact: OHA External Relations, covid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us" target="_blank">orcovid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us

Oregon reports 1,203 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 54 new deaths

PORTLAND, Ore. — There are 54 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state's death toll to 1,667, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today. The high number of deaths serves as a reminder that the pandemic continues to pose a threat to our friends, neighbors, co-workers and communities.

The rising case count that surged in November and December is one factor attributed to today's record-tying high death count. The counting of deaths from death certificates may take time to process because they are determined by physicians and then sent to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for further review before the cause of death is ultimately determined. Once this information is confirmed, the information is reported back with a final cause of death to states. This lagging indicator is now being captured today.

The OHA reported 1,203 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 127,780.

Vaccinations in Oregon

Today, 10,465 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry. Of this total, 6,668 vaccine doses were administered on Jan. 11 and 3,797 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on Jan. 11.

Oregon has now administered a cumulative total of 115,060 first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccines. All vaccinations were administered by Oregon hospitals, long-term care facilities, emergency medical service (EMS) agencies, urgent care facilities and Local Public Health Authorities (LPHAs).

These data are preliminary and subject to change.

OHA's dashboards provide regularly updated vaccination data.

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 403, which is six fewer than yesterday. There are 93 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is nine more than yesterday.

The total number of patients in hospital beds may fluctuate between report times. The numbers do not reflect admissions per day, nor the length of hospital stay. Staffing limitations are not captured in this data and may further limit bed capacity.

More information about hospital capacity can be found here.

Cases and deaths

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (8), Benton (16), Clackamas (98), Clatsop (11), Columbia (1), Coos (9), Crook (19), Curry (8), Deschutes (56), Douglas (21), Gilliam (1), Harney (3), Hood River (11), Jackson (61), Jefferson (19), Josephine (39), Klamath (46), Lake (3), Lane (89), Lincoln (6), Linn (24), Malheur (32), Marion (97), Morrow (4), Multnomah (265), Polk (10), Tillamook (2), Umatilla (53), Union (5), Wasco, (10), Washington (155) and Yamhill (21).

Oregon’s 1,614th COVID-19 death is a 75-year-old man in Deschutes County who tested positive on Dec. 2 and died on Dec. 28 at St. Charles Medical Center—Bend. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,615th COVID-19 death is an 84-year-old man in Deschutes County who tested positive on Jan. 1 and died on Jan. 8 at St. Charles Medical Center—Bend. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,616th COVID-19 death is a 99-year-old woman in Deschutes County who tested positive on Jan. 4 and died on Jan. 9 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,617th COVID-19 death is an 89-year-old man in Deschutes County who tested positive on Nov. 24 and died on Dec. 30 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,618th COVID-19 death is a 59-year-old man in Jefferson County who tested positive on Dec. 23 and died on Dec. 18 at his residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,619th COVID-19 death is an 80-year-old woman in Jefferson County who tested positive on Dec. 30 and died on Jan. 2 at St. Charles Medical Center—Bend. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,620th COVID-19 death is an 88-year-old woman in Klamath County who tested positive on Dec. 22 and died on Jan. 4 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,621st COVID-19 death is a 69-year-old woman in Klamath County who tested positive on Dec. 17 and died on Dec. 26 at Sky Lakes Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,622nd COVID-19 death is a 79-year-old woman in Jackson County who tested positive on Dec. 18 and died on Dec. 26 at her residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,623rd COVID-19 death is an 83-year-old woman in Klamath County who tested positive on Dec. 28 and died on Jan. 9 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,624th COVID-19 death is a 91-year-old woman in Klamath County who tested positive on Dec. 28 and died on Jan. 6 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,625th COVID-19 death is a 73-year-old woman in Lake County who tested positive on Nov. 16 and died on Dec. 22 at Lake District Hospital. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,626th COVID-19 death is an 89-year-old man in Lane County who tested positive on Dec. 11 and died on Jan. 5 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,627th COVID-19 death is a 96-year-old man in Lane County who tested positive on Dec. 18 and died on Jan. 5 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,628th COVID-19 death is a 96-year-old woman in Lane County who tested positive on Dec. 26 and died on Jan. 5 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,629th COVID-19 death is a 94-year-old woman in Linn County who tested positive on Dec. 7 and died on Dec. 28 at her residence. Presence of underlying conditions are being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,630th COVID-19 death is an 84-year-old man in Linn County who died on Dec. 29 at his residence. The death certificate listed COVID-19 disease or SARS-CoV-2 as a cause of death or a significant condition contributing to death. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,631st COVID-19 death is an 86-year-old woman in Marion County who tested positive on Nov. 30 and died on Dec. 23 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,632nd COVID-19 death is a 94-year-old woman in Marion County who tested positive on Dec. 4 and died on Dec. 23 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,633rd COVID-19 death is a 79-year-old man in Marion County who tested positive on Dec. 11 and died on Dec. 24 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,634th COVID-19 death is an 87-year-old man in Marion County who tested positive on Nov. 30 and died on Dec. 23 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,635th COVID-19 death is a 101-year-old woman in Marion County who tested positive on Dec. 14 and died on Dec. 29 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,636th COVID-19 death is a 71-year-old man in Marion County who tested positive on Dec. 21 and died on Jan. 4 at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,637th COVID-19 death is an 85-year-old woman in Marion County who tested positive on Dec. 22 and died on Jan. 1 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,638th COVID-19 death is a 94-year-old woman in Marion County who tested positive on Jan. 2 and died on Jan. 2 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,639th COVID-19 death is a 59-year-old man in Marion County who tested positive on Dec. 18 and died on Dec. 27 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,640th COVID-19 death is a 73-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on Dec. 9 and died on Jan. 1 at Adventist Hospital. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,641st COVID-19 death is a 65-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Dec. 22 and died on Dec. 22 at Adventist Hospital. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,642nd COVID-19 death is a 77-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on Dec. 18 and died on Jan. 2 at her residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,643rd COVID-19 death is a 90-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Dec. 8 and died on Dec. 25 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,644th COVID-19 death is a 95-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Dec. 22 and died on Dec. 22 at Adventist Hospital. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,645th COVID-19 death is an 80-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Dec. 9 and died on Jan. 4 at Oregon Health Science University. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,646th COVID-19 death is a 77-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on Dec. 6 and died on Dec. 25 at Providence Portland Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,647th COVID-19 death is a 33-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on Dec. 1 and died on Dec. 30 at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,648th COVID-19 death is a 78-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 23 and died on Jan. 3 at her residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,649th COVID-19 death is a 55-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 13 and died on Dec. 30 at Hillsboro Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,650th COVID-19 death is a 95-year-old man in Polk County who tested positive on Dec. 29 and died on Jan. 5 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,651st COVID-19 death is a 63-year-old woman in Umatilla County who died on Dec. 27 at her residence. The death certificate listed COVID-19 disease or SARS-CoV-2 as a cause of death or a significant condition contributing to death. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,652nd COVID-19 death is a 97-year-old woman in Wasco County who died on Dec. 30 at her residence. The death certificate listed COVID-19 disease or SARS-CoV-2 as a cause of death or a significant condition contributing to death. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,653rd COVID-19 death is an 88-year-old woman in Washington County who tested positive on Dec. 23 and died on Jan. 5 at her residence. Presence of underlying conditions are being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,654th COVID-19 death is a 96-year-old woman in Washington County who tested positive on Dec. 10 and died on Jan. 2 at her residence. She had no underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,655th COVID-19 death is an 88-year-old woman in Yamhill County who tested positive on Nov. 16 and died on Dec. 29 at her residence. Presence of underlying conditions are being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,656th COVID-19 death is an 87-year-old man in Yamhill County who tested positive on Dec. 18 and died on Jan. 4 at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,657th COVID-19 death is a 63-year-old woman in Yamhill County who tested positive on Dec. 20 and died on Dec. 23 at Willamette Valley Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions are being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,658th COVID-19 death is a 30-year-old woman in Josephine County who tested positive on Nov. 17 and died on Nov. 27 at Rogue Valley Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,659th COVID-19 death is a 72-year-old man in Clackamas County who tested positive on Nov. 14 and died on Jan. 2 at his residence. Presence of underlying conditions are being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,660th COVID-19 death is a 91-year-old woman in Coos County who tested positive on Jan. 4 and died on Jan. 9 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 1,661st COVID-19 death is an 85-year-old man in Columbia County who tested positive on Dec. 18 and died on Dec. 29 at Legacy Meridian Park. Presence of underlying conditions are being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,662nd COVID-19 death is an 85-year-old man in Clatsop County who tested positive on Dec. 3 and died on Dec. 31 at Legacy Meridian Park. Presence of underlying conditions are being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,663rd COVID-19 death is an 86-year-old man in Clackamas County who tested positive on Dec. 28 and died on Dec. 29 at Legacy Mt. Hood Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions are being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,664th COVID-19 death is a 49-year-old woman in Clackamas County who tested positive on Dec. 13 and died on Jan. 4 at Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions are being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,665th COVID-19 death is a 65-year-old man in Clackamas County who tested positive on Dec. 26 and died on Dec. 30 at Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions are being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,666th COVID-19 death is an 88-year-old man in Clackamas County who tested positive on Dec. 12 and died on Dec. 30 at Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions are being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,667th COVID-19 death is a 100-year-old man in Clackamas County who tested positive on Dec. 9 and died on Dec. 30 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations

To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine situation in Oregon, visit our webpage, which has a breakdown of distribution and other useful information, including this graphic on vaccine sequencing.