April 17, 2020 - COVID-19 Updates

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Mark Hass

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

In these troubled times, I am heartened by the small acts of kindness throughout our state. People are signing up for the Meals on Wheels program (you can go here for ways to contribute). Neighborhood kids are offering to mow lawns. Neighbors have been dropping off flowers and bottles of wine to a few frontline workers in grocery stores. A girl in our neighborhood has organized a dog walking program. We are all finding ways to contribute to our community.  

I got out a few days ago to hand out lunches to long-haul truck drivers on I-5. I am grateful to have had an opportunity to connect with people like Helen, who said she’d been driving from Vancouver, Canada and hadn’t anything to eat all day because of store closures. These days, it's more important than ever to know we can rely on each other.

truck

COVID-19 Numbers

  • Positive Cases: 1,785
  • Total Tests: 36,321 (4.9% positive)
  • Currently Hospitalized: 301
  • Deaths: 70

Weekly Overview

Framework for Reopening the State

On Tuesday, Governor Kate Brown introduced her framework for Reopening Oregon: the plan to restart public life and business while maintaining healthy Oregon communities. In order to begin reopening communities, Oregon must first slow the growth of COVID-19 and acquire adequate personal protective equipment to protect health care workers and first responders. Additionally, the state must bolster its public health capabilities by:

  • Ramping up COVID-19 testing capacity in every region of Oregon,
  • Developing robust contact tracing systems to track and contain COVID-19 cases, and
  • Establishing a quarantine and isolation program for new cases.

State leaders are closely monitoring COVID-19 cases and PPE levels. They are doing all they can to create a public health framework that would allow the state to quickly and efficiently respond to an uptick in COVID-19 cases in a targeted manner as the state begins to reopen. This may take time, it will certainly take longer than we’d like, but it is necessary to save lives.

Reopening OregonNext Steps

Removing the Unemployment Insurance Waiting Week

We learned yesterday that Oregon will waive the one-week waiting period for new unemployment insurance claimants who are eligible for jobless benefits. The switch could provide more than $100 million in additional benefits to Oregonians who have lost their jobs to the coronavirus outbreak. The change will be retroactive for workers who have already applied for benefits.

Governor Brown Signs Executive Order on Safe Public Meetings

Governor Brown issued an executive order yesterday that directs state and local governments to take necessary measures to facilitate public participation in decision-making, helping ensure the continued operation of local governments during the COVID-19 outbreak. Local governments across Oregon are expected to begin their budget processes this month, and this order gives them the authority and flexibility to organize the civic engagement necessary for moving those processes forward.

Under the order, state and local government bodies must hold public meetings and hearings by telephone or electronic means whenever possible. When in-person meetings are necessary, governments must use appropriate social distancing measures to ensure the safety of participants. The order waives in-person requirements for public testimony if testimony can be provided by telephone or electronic means.

Unemployment Benefits for Independent Contractors

OED is working on implementing the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program for people who are not usually eligible for unemployment insurance benefits. PUA benefits will be retroactive to February 2, 2020; however, the OED system is not currently programmed to accept independent contractors, and such claimants are advised to wait until the system is updated to begin applying to the program. Updates will be announced on the COVID-19 page.  Sign up for OED email updates here.

Updated websites:

Contact emails:

Helpful Resources

Coronavirus Response Information:

Employment/Business/Consumer Information:

Housing Resources:

    • Call 211 or 1-866-698-6155
    • Text your zip code to 898211 (TXT211)
    • EMAIL: help@211info.org

 Food Resources:

Health & Safety Information:

 

As always, please let me know if there's anything you need. My staff and I will be there to assist.

 

Sincerely,

hass-signature

Senator Mark Hass
Senate District 14

email: Sen.MarkHass@oregonlegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1714
address: 900 Court St NE, S-207, Salem, OR, 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/hass