Jan. 12, 2021
Vaccination of Oregon seniors, educators to begin Jan. 23, pending increased vaccine deliveries from federal government
Following today’s updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Governor Kate Brown announced that Oregon will be expanding COVID-19 vaccination to include all individuals age 65 and older. However, this change will not happen immediately.
The federal government announced it would be releasing its full reserve of vaccines available to states, rather than holding some doses in storage. Vaccination of Oregon seniors –– as well as child care providers and early learning and K-12 educators and staff –– is scheduled to start on Jan. 23, when additional vaccine shipments are expected to begin arriving from the federal government.
“If you are an Oregonian who is newly eligible for vaccination, I am asking for your patience,” Governor Brown said. “Please, do not call your doctor’s office or health care provider with questions about when you can be vaccinated. Today’s news arrived with no advance notice from the federal government. Oregon health care providers are working as fast as humanly possible to shift their vaccine distribution plans to meet this sudden change in national guidance.”
We will provide more details on Oregon's distribution plans for seniors and educators, as well as how Oregon will continue to reach those populations most vulnerable to COVID-19, in the coming days.
Correction: Yesterday, the email address for additional vaccine questions was misspelled. The correct address is COVID19.vaccine@dhsoha.state.or.us.
Dark winter days can make us feel down, unmotivated and sluggish. Those low, gray skies sap our energy and enthusiasm. In about one person in 20, these feelings can be symptoms of seasonal depression, called seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Many more people get the winter blues, a milder version of SAD.
This winter, with many of us feeling added stress and anxiety from the pandemic, brighter days might seem very far away. If managing your mental and emotional health this winter feels like more of a challenge, you are not alone. Find mental and emotional health supports on the Safe + Strong website.
You could also try these suggestions to manage SAD this winter:
- Set a daily routine and stick to it. Getting up and going to bed at consistent times helps regulate your sleep.
- Take a daily walk, preferably just after sunrise. Exercise and outdoor light can boost your spirits.
- Connect with other people, by phone, or on physically distanced walks.
- Talk to your healthcare provider about lightbox therapy and other treatments that could work for you.
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.
NOTE: Death details are being reviewed and will be posted in an updated press release, which will be posted here.
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 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.
Mental and emotional resources for difficult times:
- Mental and emotional health resources are available on OHA's Safe + Strong website.
- Or call the Safe + Strong Helpline at 800-923-4357 (800-923-HELP). The line offers free, 24-7 emotional support and resource referral to anyone who needs it — not only those experiencing a mental health crisis.
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