Coronavirus Virtual Meeting Thursday- Please Join Us!

Hello friends,

The coronavirus health and economic crisis is evolving rapidly. As the situation unfolds, the number of cases and the number of closures will increase, and its impact will affect all of us. I have been coordinating with the Governor’s office, the Coastal Caucus, and state and local agencies. As your Representative, I am committed to providing you with the most coordinated, up-to-date information available.

Now I’m taking the unusual step of organizing a district-wide Telephone Forum to provide you with an update on state efforts to control the spread of coronavirus

At 7 pm, Thursday evening, most of you will receive a phone call from me. You’ll be invited to join a conversation with representatives from the state Executive branch, regional hospital management, and small business leaders. (You will also receive a reminder call Wednesday evening.)

This meeting is only for House District 10. You will be able to listen, to ask questions, and to provide feedback. If for any reason, you miss the call on Thursday at 7pm, just dial 877-229-8493 and enter the ID code 119138. Alternatively, you stream the call live by visiting https://video.teleforumonline.com/video/streaming.php?client=19139.

I sincerely hope you will join us for this important conversation.

Three actions were announced yesterday, which will begin today (March 17) and will be effective for at least 4 weeks to slow the spread of the virus.  

• Reduced threshold for large gatherings to 25 people, from previous limit of 250.  Workplaces, grocery stores, pharmacies and retail stores are exempted. However, the Governor recommends gatherings of no more than 10 people.
• Restaurants and bars are now restricted to delivery and carry out or curbside pickup only; no dine-in service for at least 4 weeks effective today.
• The Governor also announced a prohibition on visits to nursing homes and other group care facilities. Families can visit their loved ones who are near the end of life.

There is no vaccine and no treatment available. Our best and only response at this time is to slow the spread of the virus. If we do nothing, 75,000 Oregonians could contract COVID-19 by May. Hospitals have planned for a pandemic, but those plans depend on having enough hospital beds. If the system is swamped by a sudden spike, we may not be able to help or save everyone. Spreading the effect over more time will allow us to better manage it.

We have high concentrations of retirees here, high levels of smoking, and too many suffering from diabetes. That increases our level of risk. To quote Governor Brown, "Isolation from our friends and neighbors is the only way to flatten the curve ... "

I am hearing from many of you the great hardship this is posing for employment, business ownership, housing stability, and family life. I’m working with the State and Federal government on relief measures. Below, we have links to some existing resources.

We know that the coronavirus can spread unknowingly, even if you are only experiencing mild symptoms or are not experiencing symptoms at all. With this in mind, it is important that all Oregonians of all ages and health status commit to strict social distancing guidelines.

As your neighbor and fellow Oregonian, I know we will support each other through this unprecedented and uncertain time. It is imperative that we slow the spread of the virus to maintain hospital capacity and protect our healthcare and front line workers as well as our most vulnerable neighbors and family members.

Best Practices:

• Latest evidence shows that we are extremely contagious before we begin showing symptoms, and it is possible that many of us are carriers of the virus already. Whatever your age, medical status, or if you are feeling well, you need to stay home as much as possible and practice social distancing to protect yourself and your family. 
• Social distancing is more than just staying home from work and school, it means limiting your contact with others, including friends and neighbors. This means no playdates, no dinner parties, and only essential trips to grocery stores and pharmacies. 
• We need to be leveraging our creativity and technology in order to remain socially engaged and active while we practice social isolation. Share your activities on social media to give others ideas and to stay engaged in your community from a distance.  We are all in this together! 
• And a message especially for younger, healthier adults: Even if you're not too concerned for yourself, it's a matter of life and death for others.  New information shows that young healthy adults can carry and transmit the virus even if they don't have symptoms. 
• As always, wash your hands and clean shared surfaces and phones regularly!

Economic Impact, Jobs, and Business

• A new Economic Recovery Council met today, patterned after work done following other emergencies such as the Eagle Creek Fire and the shooting at Umpqua Community College. The Council will examine ways to mitigate the economic impacts of new social distancing measures and anything else that adversely affects Oregon's economy. 
• A Joint Legislative Committee on Coronavirus was appointed last week to consider statutory, policy, and budget changes.
• The Governor has declared a market disruption, at the request of the Attorney General, to prevent price-gouging during the public health crisis.

A message from Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum:

"Please be extra-alert and if you find anyone trying to take advantage of consumers with too-good-to-be-true offers, price gouging, or other predatory behaviors, please call my consumer complaint hotline at 877-877-9392."

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):

The federal government has set up a system for states to rely on the federal government for PPE, but does not appear to have a sufficient supply for the nation-wide demand.  We need to protect health care workers. The federal government has entered into an agreement with US manufacturers for masks, but Oregon is independently looking for manufacturers that may be able to re-purpose facilities to manufacture needed supplies.

Testing:

Oregon has tested over 700 people, and more are currently in the pipeline. The state has received limited testing supplies from the federal government, and has had to reserve them for those who are sick or high-risk. That means not everyone that wants a test will get one. Oregon's supply remains constrained due to federal decisions and supply chain constraints. The state will focus testing resources where most desperately needed.

Oregon's testing capacity is now approaching 1,000 a day, and will likely increase as private labs ramp up to supplement the state laboratory. 

Resources

Where Can I Get the Most Up-To-Date Information?

Critical webpages:

General: Governor Kate Brown

Health, Oregon: Oregon Health Authority

Health, United States: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Schools: Oregon Department of Education

Employment: Oregon Department of Employment

Business: Business Oregon

If You Feel Unwell:

If you develop serious symptoms, seek care through a primary care or urgent care clinic. Call first! Do not go to the hospital emergency room unless you need emergency care. Otherwise, you risk exposing workers there.

Things are changing rapidly, which makes many of us uneasy in the best of times. Please take a moment to feel the sun on your face and watch spring emerge. Look for ways to be kind and helpful to each other. We’re all in this together.

As always, don't hesitate to reach out to our office with any questions, concerns, or ways we can be of service to you.

Warm Regards,

Representative David Gomberg
House District 10

email: Rep.DavidGomberg@oregonlegislature.gov 

phone: 503-986-1410
address: 900 Court St NE, H-471, Salem, OR, 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/gomberg