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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
It is hard to believe that it is already September with many students heading back to school today and families planning for the long Labor Day weekend. I wish everyone a healthy, happy, and safe Labor Day. I am proud that Oregon was the first state to pass a law honoring Labor Day back in 1887, and that we are a state that values the contributions of our workers. It's a great time to celebrate labor leaders like Dolores Huerta, Cesar Chavez, and Eugene V. Debbs, and to be thankful for all the advances in workers rights that the Labor movement has brought about. This year I encourage everyone to take time to thank and celebrate our essential and frontline workers who have shown up every day during COVID to keep our hospitals, schools, and grocery stores running. We are grateful for their service and commitment to the community.
Thank you to everyone that came to my Latinx Town Hall last night! I had almost 40 people join me to discuss important issues like schools reopening, COVID protections, immigration reform, and workers rights. I would like to say a special thank you to the city councilors from Hillsboro, Cornelius, and Forest Grove who came last night to listen and contribute, and to partners like Adelante Mujeres, Bienestar, Centro Cultural, and the Hillsboro Chamber for ensuring a great turnout. I look forward to another Town Hall soon!
REDISTRICTING
In response to growing hospitalization rates across the state due to the Delta variant, the upcoming public hearings of the House and Senate Redistricting Committees will be moved to a virtual format.
The new schedule for the September Redistricting Public Hearings can be found below. Meetings will be held virtually and organized to hear from residents of each current congressional district. Oregonians can participate by signing up for video or phone testimony, uploading written testimony, or by submitting a map for consideration by September 7.
If you live in Washington County, you are in Congressional District 1. If you live outside of Washington County, find your congressional district here (enter your address in the top-right corner and click the “Congress” tab): https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/FindYourLegislator/leg-districts.html.
For more information on redistricting or how to participate, visit www.oregonlegislature.gov/redistricting.
COVID-19 UPDATES
We continue to see high numbers of positive cases, hospitalizations, and deaths here in Oregon. As we gather more data, one thing that becomes clear is that this is now a pandemic among the unvaccinated and that the best way you can prevent infection and serious illness is through getting vaccinated. New information released from Oregon Health and Sciences University (OHSU) also shows that the Delta variant is changing how we think about COVID and age; being young does not make you immune from getting COVID, getting sick, and even dying.
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Our hospitals continue to be overwhelmed because of COVID patients as well. The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 1,162, which is 42 more than yesterday. There are 322 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is six more than yesterday. The stark reality is that that there are only 43 available adult ICU beds out of 674 total (6% availability) and 298 available adult non-ICU beds out of 4,288 (7% availability) in the state right now..
The Oregon Health Authority is reporting 2,414 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 276,286. We have seen 148 new cases in Washington County just since yesterday, and there were 43 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 3,198.
VACCINE INFORMATION
REMINDER ON BOOSTERS:
The CDC has new guidance out on when and if you need a booster shot. The CDC recommends that people with moderately to severely compromised immune systems receive an additional dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine at least 28 days after a second dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine or the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. The CDC also recommends that ANYONE who took either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, get a booster shot 8 months after their second dose. The booster shots will be free and available anywhere that you can get an initial shot. For information on where to get a vaccine in Washington County, please continue reading below.
Washington Co. Vaccine Information:
Every Oregonian age 12 and up is eligible for a vaccine. Twelve to 14 year-olds must be accompanied by either a parent, guardian or someone designated by the parent. If someone other than a parent or guardian accompanies the 12 to 14-year-old, they will need to provide proof of parental/guardian consent.
Proof of consent is either:
- A signed consent form (available in English and Spanish on the All4OR.org site)
- A written or typed note that includes the parent/guardians name, relationship to the young adult, their date of birth, a statement saying they consent to young adult being vaccinated and the parent/guardian signature.
Fifteen-year-olds do not need to be accompanied, and do not require parental consent in the state of Oregon.
NEW! Washington County's Mobile Vaccination Van: Our van is traveling the county to make it easier for people to get the vaccine close to where they live or shop. Find the schedule here.
Beaverton Resource Center: Most Fridays from July 16 through September 24. See the flier for exact dates and times. Pfizer for ages 12 and older. Located at 13565 SW Walker Road.
Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Centers: All vaccination events are open to the community, do not require an appointment, and do not require you to be a Virginia Garcia patient. You do not have to have insurance in order to receive a vaccine. If you have insurance, please bring your card with you. Remember, vaccines are free!
Local pharmacies: As of April 27, 2021, pharmacies are required to offer second/boost doses to people who received their first dose somewhere else.
How much does the vaccine cost? Vaccines are provided free of charge to the recipient. If you have health insurance, you may be asked to provide that information so the vaccinator can bill your insurance an administration fee.
BACK TO SCHOOL INFORMATION
As kids head back to school over the next two weeks, I want to wish all students and parents a happy and healthy school year. I also want to take a moment to express how grateful I am to our teachers and support staff who have been on the frontlines this past year, and I want to say a special "thank you" to them for ensuring that we are now back to in-person learning. Thank you for getting vaccinated, for masking up, and for your commitment to our kids. We appreciate you!
The Emergency Broadband Benefit
The Emergency Broadband Benefit is a temporary FCC program to help households struggling to afford internet service during the pandemic. The FCC is mobilizing people and organizations to help raise awareness about the Emergency Broadband Benefit. The materials below are available for public use. You can download and customize the materials to meet your needs, including by adding your logo to co-brand.
Eligible households can enroll through an approved provider or by visiting:
GetEmergencyBroadband.org.
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Schools can register now to test students and staff for COVID-19
Students returning to Oregon’s classrooms this fall may have ready access to COVID-19 testing, but schools wishing to participate must register for the programs now for the 2021-22 school year. This applies even if they participated last school year.
Robust testing programs offered through the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), in partnership with the Oregon Department of Education (ODE), are among numerous interventions aimed at mitigating the spread of COVID-19 in schools, including universal use of face coverings, physical distancing and ventilation.
Opt-in programs include:
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Diagnostic testing: For students or staff with symptoms of COVID-19 or an exposure to COVID-19, the program uses Abbott BinaxNOW rapid testing kits. This essential access to free testing can help diagnose COVID-19 infection early and, when recommended by the local public health authority, may shorten the duration of quarantine for exposed students.
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Weekly screening testing for unvaccinated K-12 staff: Staff may opt in to this program. These tests are self-collected at home and sent to a regional laboratory for processing. Testing is confidential and enrollment forms can be found here.
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Weekly screening testing of unvaccinated students[i]: Schools must opt in to the program. Then, households may opt in through their schools for testing performed in collaboration with a regional laboratory partner. Program details vary by region and school.
The testing program is a component of the revised “Ready Schools Safe Learners Resiliency Framework for the 2021-22 School Year”, which was released in June 2021.
Regular and reliable screening testing can identify COVID-19 infections early and help slow transmission in K-12 settings.
The free diagnostic testing program for students and staff launched in January 2021, and more than 90% of Oregon’s K-12 schools registered last school year. Schools must re-register to continue participating during the 2021-22 school year. The program is for students and staff who develop symptoms at school or are exposed to the virus in a school setting.
The at-home, mail-in K-12 staff screening testing program was launched in April 2021. However, the K-12 student screening testing program is launching this fall in collaboration with regional laboratories across Oregon. Both K-12 screening testing programs will be offered weekly and will target unvaccinated individuals, although vaccination status will not be verified.
For more details on testing and testing options for students, teachers and staff, please visit here. You may also go to the Oregon's COVID-19 Testing in K-12 schools web page.
Identifying the signs of stress in children
This summer has not been what we expected. The sudden burst of freedom earlier in the summer followed by the reinstatement of masking mandates later in the summer has been confusing.
Changes like these can be stressful. If we feel stress as parents, it’s likely our children feel it as well.
Children often react to stressful events differently than adults. How the child in your life reacts will vary by age, their previous experiences and how they typically cope with stress. The graphic below shares signs of stress that you can watch for in preschool- and elementary-age children and how to help them.
Teens who want to talk to someone can check out the Oregon YouthLine by:
Teens are available to help daily from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Pacific Time, and adults are available by phone all other times.
You can find resources and learn more about how to support children of all ages by visiting CDC’s Helping Children Cope website or the national Child Traumatic Stress Network’s (NCTSN) Parent/Caregiver Guide to Helping Families Cope.
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Kids back in school? Make an appointment for routine vaccinations
Most kids in Oregon are either back in school already or will be soon. This is a great time to make sure your child is up-to-date on their routine immunizations.
In Oregon, children are required to receive certain childhood vaccines in order to attend school. Talk with your child’s health care provider about what vaccines your child needs to stay healthy this school year. Many health care providers can also give your child a flu shot to protect them during the flu season. With COVID-19 spreading in our communities, it’s even more important to protect our children from the flu and other preventable diseases.
As a parent or guardian, another way you can help protect your children is to get the COVID-19 vaccine. You may be able to schedule your own vaccination at the same time as your child’s immunization visit. Children 12 or older can also get their COVID-19 vaccines at the same time as other vaccines. If you have questions about COVID-19 vaccination for your children or yourself, your health care provider can answer them.
The Vaccines for Children (VFC) program offers free vaccines to families who cannot afford to pay for their children’s vaccines. Call 211 to find out more about VFC.
You can learn more about routine vaccination by visiting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Growing Up with Vaccines interactive guide, which provides information on the vaccines recommended during pregnancy, throughout childhood, and into adulthood.
Find out more about COVID-19 vaccination on OHA’s COVID-19 Vaccine webpage.
If your children need health insurance, they may be eligible for the Oregon Health Plan (OHP). It is open to all children and teens younger than 19, regardless of immigration status, who meet income and other criteria. Trained community partners across the state can help you fill out an application. Visit http://www.OHP.Oregon.gov to find community partners in your area.
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WILDFIRE UPDATES AND RESOURCES
This week's fire briefing by the Oregon Department of Forestry and the State Fire Marshall brings mixed news. We continue to experience large fire activity and are still at Level 5 (the highest preparedness level). There are still 18 large fires in the Northwest and we had 59 new starts this week. However, all new starts have been limited in scope and weather conditions have been and will continue to be very favorable. It's hard to imagine that it was a year ago that we were dealing with extreme smoke conditions and evacuations from multiple fires. While we continue to recover from the Labor Day fires, we must also be vigilant about staying prepared and doing our part to prevent future spread.
Wildfire Recovery Resources
OEM has put together this list of contacts to help speed up the process of replacing these documents:
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Green cards: Phone (800)-375-5283; Website: www.uscis.gov
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Medicare cards: Phone: (800)-772-1213; (TTY) (800)-325-0778 Website: www.medicare.gov
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Military records Phone: 866-272-6272 Website: www.archives.gov/contact/
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Passport Phone: 877-487-2778; (TTY) 888-874-7793 Website: travel.state.gov
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Social Security card Phone: 800-772-1213; (TTY) 800-325-0778 Website: www.ssa.gov
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U.S. Savings Bonds Phone: 844-284-2676 Website: www.treasurydirect.gov
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U.S. tax returns Phone: 800-829-1040 Website: www.irs.gov
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Birth, death, marriage, domestic partnership, divorce certificates Phone: 888-896-4988 Website: www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/Birthdeathcertificates
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Driver’s license, auto titles and registration, ID cards Phone: 503-945-5000 Website: www.oregon.gov/odot
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SNAP (Oregon Trail Card) Website: www.oregon.gov/DHS/Assistance/Food-Benefits
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State taxes (Oregon Dept. of Revenue) Phone: 503-378-4988 or 800-356-4222 TTY: All relay calls are accepted. Website: www.oregon.gov/dor
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Real estate and property - Contact your county government.
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Credit cards - Contact your credit card company directly.
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Credit reports from Equifax, Experian, TransUnion Phone: 877-322-8228 Website: www.annualcreditreport.com
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Insurance documents - Check with your insurance agent.
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Medical records - Call your doctor or your medical insurance company; medical and prescription records are tracked electronically.
The Governor’s office has put together a Wildfire Resources page that you can access from the Governor’s home page. It has links to many of the most important updates about the status of fires and resources for evacuees. This website will be updated regularly.
Legal Resources: Oregon State Bar’s Lawyer Referral Program, Oregon lawyers, through the Oregon State Bar, are partnering with FEMA and the American Red Cross to provide legal assistance on FEMA claims, contract claims, insurance claims, landlord-tenant matters and more.
The Department of Forestry’s Wildfire Response and Recovery Overview has ongoing updates about firefighting efforts, damage reports, and more.
FEMA Updates: FEMA has provided several different Fact Sheets and resources for accessing benefits, determining eligibility and avoiding scams.
RENTAL ASSISTANCE
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Employers and Employees
The following list of resources is from Oregon’s Secretary of State’s Office. The fastest way to get in touch with the SOS team is by emailing business.sos@oregon.gov, using the “Need Help?” button found on most state agency websites or visiting www.oregon.gov/smallbusiness.
Education Links
Local Government
Utilities Assistance
Food and Housing Assistance
Yours truly,
 Representative Susan McLain
House District 29
email: Rep.SusanMcLain@oregonlegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1429
address: 900 Court St NE, H-376, Salem, OR 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/mclain
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