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March 31, 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.
Along with today’s COVID numbers and other emerging updates, today’s newsletter is going to focus on two things: the latest information about the status of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in Oregon and newly-released information about how schools and colleges are operating now that Spring Break is technically over (think about that . . .) and planning for the possibility that they may not reopen this year.
Regarding the PPE challenge, I can’t overstate just how important it is that we get more supplies into the state ASAP. As I’ve mentioned, the current modeling is showing that as long as people really do abide by the Stay Home, Save Lives order, we should have the necessary hospital beds to deal with the crisis. But there is a wild card out there, and that’s potentially insufficient PPE. Lack of PPE will cause the virus to spread more rapidly than anticipated and will hit our medical and community care providers particularly hard, driving the numbers up even faster. That’s why it’s a top priority for the Emergency Coordination Center.
If you’re wondering how we as a nation got into this predicament, by the way, today’s edition of The Daily, the excellent podcast from the New York Times, gives an excellent background to our current plight with health policy writer Sarah Kliff. You can listen to it and/or read the transcript here.
TODAY’S CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
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OHA has reported that 84 additional Oregonians have tested positive for COVID-19, putting the total at 690.
- Today’s reported testing numbers reflect an increase of 943 test results from yesterday, bringing the total test results so far to 13,826. Though the overall numbers are increasing, our ratio of positive results remains around 5%.
- We unfortunately continue to receive complaints about how long the commercial labs are taking to return results. They’re clearly overwhelmed. On the positive side, hospitals are increasingly able to do testing for patients and staff directly in their labs and are much quicker. And looking ahead—new, very rapid while-you-wait tests have just been approved for Abbott Labs, and we may start seeing them in Oregon in the next week or two.
- If you have had a test and it’s been a week or more since you’ve received your results, check back with the physician or clinic that ordered the test.
- The number of Oregonians who have been hospitalized with symptoms is now at 154, an increase of 14 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 213, an increase of 81 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 two more Oregonians died from the disease yesterday, bringing the total number of deaths in Oregon to 18.
- We are now getting reports on hospital bed and ventilator availability on a daily basis:
- 280 ICU beds are available statewide (a decrease of 11 from yesterday).
- 2,113non-ICU beds are available statewide (an increase of 54 from yesterday).
- 749 ventilators are available statewide (a reduction of 16).
- And here are the latest national numbers, as of yesterday:
- While many people are stepping up to volunteer, the Emergency Coordination Center is reporting a strong need for more. For example, they report that volunteer shortages are affecting existing emergency food supplies and delivery mechanisms including the Oregon Food Bank and Meals on Wheels. To sign up to volunteer, go here.
A Briefing on PPE
Legislators received a briefing today from Berri Leslie, the Governor’s Deputy Chief of Staff, about the state’s efforts to secure the Personal Protective Equipment that we need. These efforts are being replicated all across the nation, as each state is unfortunately having to compete with every other state for scarce resources. The federal government is slowly beginning to take action to secure more PPE (see more on this below), but for now it’s not clear what we can expect from the federal FEMA stockpile.
The challenges for PPE are both on the supply side (how to replenish diminishing state and hospital stores) and on the demand side (how to make sure that needed PPE is getting distributed where it’s most needed). Thanks to the generosity of many (including private medical clinics, high tech, and other users of PPE), more than a million pieces of PPE are on their way to the state stockpile in Wilsonville. Thanks to the centralized procurement website, procurement officers from the Department of Administrative Services have been working with a number of potential vendors of PPE supplies. Not surprisingly, not all of those vendors have passed the smell test. Some are claiming that they can quickly shift their typical product lines to produce PPE, and perhaps they can. DAS needs to evaluate their proposals and capacity carefully.
One likely vendor will be our own Oregon Corrections Industries, workers who are serving time in our state penitentiaries. They are experienced in producing clothing already, and are likely to be contracted to produce masks and gowns for the state.
The Emergency Coordination Center is working with the OHA to get us clear numbers on our overall projected need by the end of the week. They are working to sync up our current “burn rate” with what the new models are telling us we will need over the coming weeks. That will tell us how much will need to be procured from FEMA and from commercial and prison sources.
Something to remember is that PPE is not just needed by hospitals and clinics. We need to be protecting those who are providing home care to seniors and people with disabilities, as well as care to people in group settings (nursing homes, group homes, jails, and prisons), along with first responders. They are already providing intimate care to people at risk of the virus or who are already showing symptoms. They too need to be high on the priority list. And it is looking increasingly likely that grocery workers, bus drivers, and others who are doing essential work that puts them in contact with the public may also need masks and other protective devices.
As soon as we receive the updated PPE modeling information, I’ll share it with you.
One potentially exciting piece of news is that the federal government has begun to send transport jets to China (where most PPE is now produced) to airlift materiel back to this country (traditionally, they would have come by ship). The first federal airlift to the New York tri-state area landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport with supplies mostly designated for the New York area, which is currently being ravaged by the disease.
The plane delivered 12 million gloves, 130,000 N95 masks, 1.7 million surgical masks, 50,000 gowns, 130,00 hand sanitizer units and 36,000 thermometers, according to news reports. Approximately 20 airlifts are reportedly planned through early April. It’s not yet clear just how those supplies will be distributed around the country.
From the Dept of Ed: “Distance Learning for All”
Late last night the Department of Education sent out its latest guidance on how school districts will be expected to help families with their children’s learning during the next month or more. In a letter to superintendents and principals, Director Colt Gill warned that “there is a very real potential that our students, like in many other states, may not return to school this academic year.” Given this reality, school districts must do more than just help parents find ways to keep their children busy. They must find ways to keep them learning, through a combination of online resources, computer/tablet loans, and printed materials. Director Gill pointed out some of the challenges that we face: students whose homes lack high-speed internet, whose regions lack high-speed broadband, students who lack secure housing, families with multiple children at different grade levels, parents who don’t speak English, children who have special needs.
Providing children with equitable access to what they need is a daunting prospect. Director Gill concluded his letter with the following:
Our children and educators deserve more than we can provide right now; we must let this thought drive our innovation and help us strive to overcome disparities and build resilience in our students and educators. This effort will call on all our creativity and talents as well as deep partnership with families to reach all students to provide care, connection, and continuity of learning.
So what will this look like in practice? With his letter came what’s being called "Distance Learning for All." It provides the overall guidance to school districts and teachers on the work that’s ahead of them. And here is ODE’s Distance Learning for All web site.
Check it out, and let me know if you have any questions. Legislators are being briefed on the new policy on Wednesday afternoon, and I’ll let you know what I learn.
By the way, ODE has promised to finish its guidance on this year’s graduation requirements by the end of the week. Obviously, high school seniors and their parents are impatient to know what they are. I’ll share them as soon as they’re out.
What’s Happening at Portland Public Schools
As a quick follow-up to the above, PPS teachers and administrators are already hard at work trying to implement online learning for Portland students. Even as they are continuing to provide food for children who need it and child care for the children of essential workers, they are putting the final touches on plans for remote learning. In a letter to families and staff on the PPS Coronavirus website, district leaders had this to say to the PPS community:
These are unprecedented times and building a home-based distance learning program almost from scratch is not without its challenges. But after the last two weeks, we feel further along than we initially expected with regard to content and platforms, and we are aligned with our teacher representatives about professional development. There are barriers, no question. It will not be perfect; while every effort is being made to provide a rich learning opportunity to our students, we also recognize that remote, at-home learning does not replace the experience of a student engaging with the teacher and their peers in the classroom. We will do our best to create a thoughtful and meaningful experience for our students.
This is all new to us, and quite frankly, the infrastructure is a challenge for what we are trying to achieve. But we believe that our talented educators and administrators are ready to give their very best effort. Our students deserve nothing less.
How About Higher Ed?
All of Oregon’s public colleges and universities are on the quarter system, meaning that Spring Quarter began yesterday. It’s safe to say that this will be the most unusual spring term our colleges and universities have ever experienced. Here’s the way that the Portland State website is putting it:
Spring term usually coincides with lounging in the sun on Urban Plaza, a plethora of festivals and activities and a humming, vibrant campus. But this year, spring at Portland State will look a little different. The trees will still be in bloom, but a global coronavirus outbreak has prompted a shift at universities nationwide — and PSU is not exempt. . . . As everyone now realizes, coronavirus has prompted a new daily reality.
Some students—those who were already taking all their courses online—won’t really notice much change. But most will. Different faculty members are approaching the challenge in different ways. Some are recording their lectures and putting them online, along with a variety of online resources, then interacting with students via email and discussions on Zoom or some other interactive video platform. Others are continuing to hold their classes in “real time” via videoconferencing, Zoom, or some other platform. For faculty and students who’ve been resisting this kind of teaching/learning, it’s going to be a shock and a steep learning curve. I’ve asked some of my former colleagues to let me know how things are going, and I’ll report in future newsletters.
I’ve received some questions about the financial implications of these changes for students at our public colleges and universities. Will students who decide that remote learning is not for them be able to withdraw and receive recompense? Yes, if students choose not to attend, they will be refunded any upfront tuition payments that they’ve made. If they do attend, of course they’re responsible for payment. If they are late with their payments as a result of the crisis, I believe that penalty fees are being waived. (They should check with their institution.)
If they’re not using a dorm, any upfront payments will be refunded.
Today’s edition of Inside Higher Education included a nice report on what’s going on in our neighbor to the north, the University of Washington (where my son and daughter-in-law work, by the way). They too are on the quarter system, and so are facing many of the same challenges we are.
So far, they’ve seen relatively few students completely withdraw from the university for spring quarter, but they are seeing a number of classes canceled because they just were not appropriate for remote learning. They will surely be seeing a drop in overall enrollment as a result (i.e., many students will be taking fewer classes), and that will result in a significant drop in tuition revenues. I know that our colleges and universities are extremely worried about that happening here. We’ll have a better sense in a week or so of what added support they’re going to be needing from state and federal government.
It’s No Joke: Get Counted While Staying Home
Wednesday, April 1, is Census Day, and the Census Bureau has made certain you can fill out your form while you stay home. This year, the Census is available online, over the phone and by mail. That’s especially important now that we’re in the middle of the Stay Home order. Follow this link to learn how to access the different options.
We did ours the other day, and it took us less than 10 minutes to complete. It’s really very easy.
Our nation-wide Census is conducted every ten years. The purpose of the Census is to get an accurate tally of everyone in the United States and where they’re living.
The federal government uses this information to distribute more than $675 billion in federal funds to local, state and tribal governments each year. Oregon and our local governments also use that information to invest in schools, public health and other critical resources and supports.
The census data also helps determine how the 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are divided among the 50 states and informs decisions about both congressional and state legislative redistricting. Redistricting decisions will among the big priorities of the 2021 legislative session.
Filling out the Census means Oregon can receive the resources, funding and representation our state deserves.
If you want to find out more about the census, the Census Bureau has useful information on why they ask and how their legal requirement to keep your information confidential no matter what.
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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