|
Friends and Neighbors,
Some of you may be concerned about attending tonight's planned Town Hall. I want you to know that your safety and well being is my utmost concern. I completely understand if you are not able to make it to this evening's event. The End of Session Town Hall is scheduled to occur this evening with Representatives McLain and Neron at 6:00 pm at the Hillsboro Civic Center. Please feel free to email or call my office if you would like notes on what was discussed.
Below is some information I wanted to share regarding updates and current recommendations from the Governor's office on COVID-19.
Emergency Declaration
On Sunday, March 8, Governor Brown issued an emergency declaration due to the COVID-19 outbreak. This declaration allows the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to activate reserves of emergency volunteer health care professionals, bringing online auxiliary medical professionals to work with local health authorities to identify and contain new cases of COVID-19 in Oregon. It also grants broad authority to the State Public Health Director, OHA, and the Office of Emergency Management, which will allow the agencies to take immediate action and devote all available state resources towards containing the coronavirus in Oregon.
Schools
The public health benefit of school closures is likely low compared to the negative impacts on communities and populations facing the greatest health and social inequities. So far, COVID-19 appears to be a milder illness in children and young people than it is in the elderly and those with underlying health risks. With those factors in mind, OHA recommends against closing schools and campuses where COVID-19 is not present. In the event that a COVID-19 case is detected among students or staff, OHA recommends that schools, colleges and universities consider all alternatives before closing a facility, and should make decisions in concert with public health authorities, based on real-time information about COVID-19 and its transmission and using public health best practices.
There are actions schools can take before a school closure including: screening for cough illness among students, staff and visitors; increasing the frequency of hand washing for children, youth and adults; cleaning high-touch, high-traffic areas within schools more frequently; and staggering recess and lunch periods to reduce the number of students coming into close contact with each other. OHA will continue to reassess these recommendations for school leaders as the outbreak continues.
Personal Prevention
You can reduce your risk of getting COVID-19. Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue and then throw the tissue in the trash. Wash your hands often with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands. Clean and disinfect surfaces people often touch. Consult travel advisories if you plan to travel outside of the US. Take care of your health overall; to help your body stay resilient, you can stay current on your vaccinations, including flu vaccine, eat well, and exercise.
If you feel sick with flu-like symptoms, call your health care provider. Calling before you visit will avoid exposing additional people at the doctor’s office or clinic. Your health care provider will give you instructions and determine whether you need a test. If you do need testing for COVID-19, health insurers in Oregon have agreed not to charge co-payments, co-insurance, or deductibles for the test; to confirm, contact your health insurer.
For More Information
OHA’s COVID-19 webpage – www.healthoregon.org/coronavirus – has factsheets and answers to frequently asked questions in multiple languages. It covers prevention, what to do if you feel sick, travel, employers, pets, and more. From there, you can also sign up for email updates. In addition, you can follow OHA on Facebook and Twitter.
If you are concerned in any way about attending this evening's event, please don't hesitate to stay home as there are plenty of opportunities to receive updates. I appreciate you staying engaged on the issues.
Onward and Upward,
 Capitol Phone: 503-986-1430
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-487, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.JaneenSollman@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/sollman
| 
