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If you're having trouble viewing this message, please visit my legislative web page at http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/prozanski/, click on "News" in the lower left-hand column and scroll down.
Dear friends,
Thank you for staying home and staying safe. It’s working; we are bending the curve! Now it’s time to stay the course. We all need to continue to stay home, but if you must go out, please maintain physical distancing.
With warmer and sunnier weather, it will be tempting to visit our favorite park or recreation area. If you do go out to exercise, please remember to keep six feet away from non-household members. Remember, we are winning this war by following the advice of our medical community and scientists. Stay Home, Save Lives!
Since Oregonians have been successful in bending the curve and our supply of ventilators outweighs both the current and projected needs, Governor Brown rightfully decided to provide New York state our allocation of ventilators from the Strategic National Stockpile. The Empire State is in immediate need of ventilators to assist those who have been infected by the virus and are in desperate need of the equipment. I'm proud that Gov. Brown and Oregon stepped up to help the hardest hit state. We stand united with the entire nation in fighting this pandemic. This is what "community" looks like at the national level. One state, helping another!
I continue to be dismayed at the mixed messages sent by President Trump around key health safety measures recommended by his own scientists and medical doctors, such as physical distancing and the need to wear face masks. Every American –– every Oregonian –– needs to take personal responsibility in this health crisis. Please follow the protocol of the experts, maintain physical distance and wear face masks. It's also incorrect for the Trump administration to state that the Strategic National Stockpile of medical supplies is not intended to support the states. That, in fact, is the reason why the stockpile was created –– to assist states and local governments during a public health emergency. It’s times like these that we need our federal government to assist states and local governments to provide for their citizens.
Again, thank you for bending the curve by staying home and maintaining a minimum of six feet between yourself and others who are not members of your household. Be well and please stay healthy!
Below you will find information on:
- Latest Oregon COVID-19 Infection Data
- Schools Closed for Remainder of School Year; Distance Learning an Option
- The CARES Act: What Oregon Expects
- Follow Up on Accessing Unemployment Benefits
- Small Business Resource Navigator
- USDA Help for Rural Areas
- Please Refrain From Outdoor Burning During COVID-19
- Guidance on Masks
- Primary Resource Links
I hope this information is helpful and informative for you or someone you know. As always, feel free to share your comments, questions or concerns with me by phone, mail or e-mail.
Latest Oregon COVID-19 Infection Data
As of April 9, 2020, our state has experienced the following number of positive cases and deaths attributable to COVID-19:
- 1,321 cases in Oregon
- 25,627 people tested for COVID-19 in Oregon
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44 deaths reported in Oregon
Schools Closed for Remainder of School Year; Distance Learning an Option
On Wednesday, Governor Brown announced extension of Oregon K-12 school closures for the remainder of this academic year. She also provided guidance for districts on supporting their students remotely, granting diplomas to those who are on track to graduate, and working with students who are not on track (those students will be given until August 31 to meet graduation requirements). You can view the guidelines for working with seniors, here.
The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) has provided direction for online and remote K-12 education. Districts across Oregon are strategizing and coming up with creative solutions to meet the needs of their students and ensuring there are supportive resources in place for special education and ESL students. To help, ODE launched a new website, Oregon Open Learning, to give educators and students access to an online professional community with distance learning resources.
Here are some key elements of distance learning from ODE:
- Every student regularly connects with their teacher(s).
- Teachers and students prioritize time together to focus on the most important or relevant learning
- Teachers, families, and caregivers work as a team. Together, teachers and families co-facilitate learning, design consistent routines, and establish a learning environment.
- Teachers continue to monitor, report and record each student's progress toward learning goals and standards encouraging critical problem-solving, collaboration and creativity
- Schools provide multiple, flexible opportunities for high school students to earn credit on their pathway to graduation
The CARES Act: What Oregon Expects
On April 6, legislators learned the following from Oregon's Legislative Fiscal Officer:
"The CARES Act includes a number of revenue streams for Oregon; the preliminary estimate is a total of $2.45 billion spread over 46 different federal programs. The largest single proposed distribution of federal revenue is through a new Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) through which Oregon is projected to receive $1.635 billion to be shared between the state and units of local government with populations greater than 500,000.
"We are awaiting further guidance from the U.S. Treasury on both the total amount to be allocated to Oregon and the method of distribution between the state and qualifying units of local government; the Act does indicate that the maximum amount units of local government are able to receive is 45 percent of the total sent to the state.
"We are expecting moneys from the CRF to come to Oregon in the form of a federal grant similar to how the state received federal support in previous relief and recovery initiatives."
Follow Up on Accessing Unemployment Benefits
If you're having problems filing for unemployment, or have questions about your eligibility, your best bet is to send an e-mail to: OED_COVID19_info@Oregon.gov. I have heard from numerous constituents about problems connecting and extremely long wait times when calling the Employment Department. The department has doubled its staffing and is on track to triple it, but for now the phone system is overwhelmed. The department has also released a new COVID-19 webpage, here.
Small Business Resource Navigator
Business Oregon –– in coordination with the Oregon Employment Department, Oregon Secretary of State, and Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services –– has launched a Small Business Resource Navigator to assist small businesses dealing with COVID-19. The navigator can be accessed, here.
USDA Help for Rural Residents, Businesses and Communities
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has taken a number of immediate actions to help rural residents, businesses and communities affected by COVID-19. You can read the full announcement, here, to learn more about the opportunities USDA is implementing to provide immediate relief, including specialized loan programs and rural housing service.
Please Refrain From Outdoor Burning During COVID-19
In response to the Governor's "Stay Home, Save Lives" executive order, a coalition of Oregon state agencies have asked Oregonians to voluntarily refrain from conducting outdoor burning. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), Oregon State Fire Marshal's Office (OSFM), Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA), and Oregon Health Authority (OHA) recognize that many Oregonians use fire as a necessary tool to manage their lands, including industrial forest landowners, farmers, small woodland owners, and rural residents. However, the agencies say it's important to weigh possible effects on the wider community before choosing to burn. Smoke from fires during the current pandemic may result in the following negative consequences for the public and first responders:
- Smoke inhalation can cause upper respiratory symptoms, which could be incorrectly attributed to COVID-19, leading to unnecessary testing or self-isolation.
- Exposure to smoke and other forms of air pollution can increase the risk of contracting infectious respiratory disease such as COVID-19, increase the severity of existing respiratory infections, and worsen underlying chronic respiratory conditions.
- There is a severe shortage of personal protective equipment to reduce smoke exposure at this time.
- First responders and other emergency services are operating at a reduced capacity and have limited resources to respond to out-of-control burns.
COVID-19 affects the respiratory system. Fever, cough and difficulty breathing are the most common symptoms. While some people with COVID-19 are hospitalized, most patients recover at home, where smoke from a nearby outdoor burn could worsen their condition. To avoid additional health impacts, all people in Oregon are asked to voluntarily refrain from conducting outdoor burning activities until further notice.
Burning that can be delayed includes:
- Debris burning around one’s property
- Burn barrels
- Industrial burning
- Slash and forest burning
- Agricultural burning that would impact neighbors and can be delayed
DEQ, ODF, OSFM, and ODA encourage the public to use the following alternatives to burning when available:
- Recycle paper products when possible
- Compost or chip yard debris on site
- Haul to a yard debris composting or recycling site
- Reuse old lumber
Guidance on Masks
(Courtesy of Rep. Janeen Sollman)
Under new federal guidance, Americans are advised to wear masks when in public. Some rules of thumb:
- Medical-grade masks should be reserved for health care providers.
- Homemade masks may be useful for others to reduce the spread of the virus.
- Homemade face coverings do NOT change the need for social distancing, washing your hands, and staying home as much as possible.
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A video by Oregon Dr. Lyn Jacobs on the importance of wearing a mask can be viewed, here.
Primary Resource Links
Here's a list of government resources that you may find useful:
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