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March 30, 2020
Dear Neighbors and Friends:
I hope that you and your loved ones are doing well, staying healthy, and looking out for your neighbors and friends.
Now that we’re a week into the Stay Home, Save Lives order, we’re starting to see public awareness messages start to roll out. I’ll be sharing the new graphics and videos with you over the next few days. These first two focus (as they should) on those who are out there doing the hard work of keeping us safe, fed, and healthy. First, a video message.
And then, two visuals—the first one here (a statewide message), the second at the end of this newsletter (a message closer to home).
Stay safe.
TODAY’S CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
- OHA has reported that 58 additional Oregonians have tested positive for COVID-19, putting the total at 606.
- Today’s reported testing numbers reflect an increase of 1,457 test results from yesterday, bringing the total test results so far to 12,883.
- The number of Oregonians who have been hospitalized with symptoms is now at 140, an increase of 11 from yesterday.
- We are now getting daily reports on the number of Oregonians with symptoms who are currently in hospital. That number for today is 132, a decrease of 10 from yesterday.
- You’ll notice a discrepancy between the numbers reported in the previous two bullets. How could the number of those currently in hospital for the virus be higher than the cumulative number of those with the virus who have been and are in hospital? The reason is that the numbers are coming from different sources. The first number is the consequence of research done by the OHA and includes only those who have tested positive for COVID-19. The second number is coming from the hospitals themselves and consists of those who display corona-like symptoms but includes people whose tests have not yet come back.
- COVID-19 patients currently on a ventilator: 39, an increase of 2 from yesterday.
- I’m sorry to report that three more Oregonians died from the disease yesterday, bringing the total number of deaths in Oregon to 16.
- We are now getting reports on hospital bed and ventilator availability on a daily basis:
- 291 ICU beds are available statewide (an increase of 6 from yesterday).
- 2,059 non-ICU beds are available statewide (an increase of 49 from yesterday).
- 765 ventilators are available statewide (a reduction of 2).
- And here are the latest national numbers, as of today:
- Oregon has now received over 1 million donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) items from across the state, which is great. Thank you, Oregonians.
- Legislators will be fully briefed on the status of PPE tomorrow. The briefing will include information about equipment and supplies coming from the federal government and equipment and supplies on order from private companies inside and outside the U.S. I’ll report in tomorrow’s newsletter.
- The OHA reported today that they will begin contacting everyone who tested positive for the virus, both those who were in the hospital and those who were not, to find out what the trajectory of their illness has been and how they are doing now. I’ll let you know when that information is shared.
- Legislators were just notified that the disease model for Oregon has just been updated. I’ll have details to share with you tomorrow, but the big picture suggests that what we’re doing now with respect to limiting work and social interactions appears to be working, but also suggests that if we were to relax these restrictions at this point the numbers would rise immediately. OHA Director Pat Allen stated that the agency won’t be in a position to consider a timeline for relaxing the restrictions for at least two weeks.
Saturday's Constituent Coffee: Digital, with Special Guests
I have missed precious few first-Saturday-of-the-month constituent coffees in my time in the legislature. While the current guidelines mean that we can't gather in person, we will still be able to meet. I'm partnering with my House colleagues Barbara Smith Warner and Alissa Keny-Guyer for a digital constituent coffee via Zoom. More details to come this week on how to pre-register and submit questions in advance, and how Zoom works for the unfamiliar. For now, please mark your calendars and plan to join for my first online constituent meeting (I'm afraid you'll be responsible for brewing your own coffee this time around).
Zoom Constituent Coffee
Saturday, April 4th from 9am to 10:30am
New Guidance from Oregon OSHA on Workplace Safety
I’ve mentioned in the past that the place to direct concerns that social-distancing requirements are not being observed in a workplace is Oregon OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration). It’s just been reported that 1,100 people did just that last week. In response, Oregon OSHA will be starting to do surprise inspections this week. Violators will be cited and potentially issued penalties.
The department has set up a coronavirus website, with an extensive Q&A, as well as the reporting form.
More Details on FFCRA
Lest we forget, just two weeks ago Congress passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which focused on paid sick leave and protected family leave. When I reported on it, I indicated that we’d have more details in the coming weeks. For those of you who have questions about what kinds of workers are covered and the details of that coverage, the U.S. Department of Labor has just come out with a Q&A that should address many of your questions.
If you still have questions, please send them our way.
SNAP Online
For many of you out there, the best and safest way for you to do your essential grocery shopping is via home delivery. But what if you use the SNAP (aka federal food stamps) program to assist you in making your purchases (as more and more people will be as a result of loss of income)? The CARES federal legislation that passed on Friday will make it possible for states to create programs to allow SNAP to be used for online purchases.
Fortunately for us, Oregon was already on track to do just that. It was one of a few states that were part of a pilot program to allow online payments to be made via SNAP, and the program was scheduled to be rolled out this month anyway for residents of Portland and Grants Pass. Now it can be immediately extended statewide.
Here is an advisory from the Department of Human Services, including information about how to apply (also can be done online).
Apparently, the number of Oregonians seeking SNAP benefits has already quadrupled in the last week or so. For more background, here’s an Oregonian article covering food security challenges in general.
One of the downsides to the new federal legislation is that it still requires individuals to pay the cost of delivery. That may be a challenge for some. A coalition of organizations working on food security has therefore recently asked the Legislature for funding to close that federal loophole and subsidize these costs. Here is their full request.
Also on the Food Front: Hollywood Farmers Market Reopens
Those of you trying to figure out the best way to do your essential food shopping shouldn’t ignore your local farmers markets. I’m blessed with having the Hollywood Farmers Market nearby. It’s a great place to buy fresh and healthy produce and other goods out in the open air. I just received the following message from one of my constituents:
My daughter has joined many long-time vendors, farmers and food artisans alike, in serving food from her stand in the Hollywood Farmers Market. This coming Saturday the Market is slated to be open from 9 am to 1 pm and weekly thereafter.
The market provides vital jobs and incomes for many vendors, along with tasty & healthy provisions for all of us cooking at home. All the Farmers Markets are accommodating social distancing, and each serves hundreds of customers in spaces less congested than the grocery stores most all of us shop.
Please stand behind the Markets' efforts, both through this troubled period and into the distant future.
Jade District Grant Winners Announced
I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that the City of Portland had created a special grant program for small businesses in the Jade District and Old Town Chinatown, to help them while waiting for federal small business assistance to come. It had very tight deadlines because of emergency needs. (Many Asian-owned businesses saw their business revenues decline weeks before it hit the general population).
Well, those deadlines were met, the successful applicants have been identified, and the dollars will be sent out within a week. That’s great news.
For details, here is the announcement (include the names of those selected) from APANO, the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon.
AND FINALLY,
Here again are some resources that you will find useful:
If the above links are not providing you with answers to your questions or directing you to the help that you need, please consider me and my office to be a resource. We’ll do our best to assist you or steer you in the right direction.
Best,
 Senator Michael Dembrow
District 23
email: Sen.MichaelDembrow@oregonlegislature.gov
web: www.senatordembrow.com
phone: 503-986-1723
mail: 900 Court St NE, S-407, Salem, OR, 97301
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