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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
To all the students and families who participated in virtual graduation ceremonies this past weekend, my heartfelt congratulations for everything you have accomplished. I know this graduation season is not the one anyone had anticipated. Fortunately, many folks came up with creative ways to celebrate and make the best of an unusual situation. However you were able to celebrate, I hope you found ways to connect with loved ones and commemorate such a significant accomplishment.
Young people are on my mind today. Two months ago, Governor Brown shuttered our public schools, right before spring break. What was surprising and new has turned into something more profound in its impact on young people’s lives. Regardless of the challenges, I have a lot of confidence in our young people, in their resilience and their hopefulness. They are part of defining this new “normal” and I really appreciate the sacrifices they’ve made to keep others safe and healthy.
The unknowns of the pandemic can be particularly difficult on young children. Children take cues from their parents and other adults. If you have young children, please consider these tips put together by the Oregon Health Authority:
- Remember, children follow the lead of their parents. They look to you to see if they should be afraid, concerned, confident, calm or carefree. You can set the stage for their response to be concerned and confident by taking a moment to check in with yourself before you check in with them.
- Consistency and structure can help establish a sense of normalcy and be calming. Try to establish a simple routine for your family in 60- or 90-minute chunks. Get your children involved in the planning process to give them a sense of control.
- Physical activity has been shown to combat symptoms of anxiety and depression. Taking regular breaks to go outside for fresh air and exercise is great for mental health. Look for free online resources for youth-focused at-home workouts.
- Relearn how to be present with your family. Being present and available for your family can be the best way to support and help during this stressful time. Consider working on tasks or projects alongside your children and set aside time to offer your family your full and undivided attention.
- Maintain technologic well-being. The key to healthy screen use is awareness and open conversations with your children. Consume news judiciously from reputable journalism organizations, the Oregon Health Authority or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Participate in technology alongside your children, for example by engaging with them via social media apps or video games they frequently use.
Last Friday, the Legislative Emergency Board approved a high-level plan to distribute the state’s portion of the Coronavirus Relief Fund. The Coronavirus Relief Fund, or CRF, is one of the funds established by the federal CARES Act and is intended to help states, tribes, and local governments respond to the crisis. Oregon received about $1.3 billion for state response costs.
Here is the breakdown for how Oregon plans to use the $1.3 billion:
- $450 million for state expenses – including the purchase of personal protective equipment (masks, gloves, shields, sanitizers, etc.), increased medical expenses, providing quarantine beds, salaries for COVID-19 dedicated staff, increased cleaning supplies and custodial services, increased emergency food program expenses, and other similar increased costs in response to the pandemic;
- $415 million for local governments and tribes - since Multnomah County, Washington County, and the City of Portland received a total of $247 million directly from the U.S. Treasury, this set aside for local governments and tribes is prioritized for entities outside of the boundaries of the two counties; and
- $525 million in reserves to be spent before the end of the calendar year on coronavirus response needs.
The approved plan initially focuses resources on maintaining public health and keeping people safe while business resumes. Maintaining and strengthening our public health infrastructure amid Phase 1 of reopening is essential to Oregon’s overall economic recovery. In addition, going forward, we will also need to make some emergency investments to help individuals and businesses recover from this unprecedented crisis.
- A judge in Baker County ruled today that Governor Brown’s Stay Home, Save Lives executive orders are invalid. The Oregon Department of Justice is appealing the ruling to the Oregon Supreme Court. You can read Governor Brown’s statement on the ruling here and a full story on the court case from Oregon Public Broadcasting here.
- The Oregon Health Authority reported 62 more confirmed cases of coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 3,604 confirmed cases. The agency also announced two new presumptive cases. There are 3,687 confirmed and presumptive cases combined. Sadly, one more person has died, meaning there have been 138 confirmed deaths in Oregon from coronavirus.
The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office has started a new social media campaign to encourage members of the Asian community to report bias crimes and harassment during the coronavirus pandemic. The campaign is called, “We Need to Know,” and you can read more about it from the District Attorney’s Office here, as well as a story by The Oregonian here.
Oregon Public Broadcasting reported last month that reports of hate crimes and bias incidents have spiked 366% in Oregon this year, in part because of the coronavirus pandemic.
If you are the victim of a bias crime assault or you are witnessing one, immediately call 9-1-1. If you are the victim of a bias crime and the suspect is no longer present or if you have information about a bias crime committed in the past, call the non-emergency line at 503-823-3333.
To read past newsletters, you can go to this link. For up to date information, please check this link to the Oregon Health Authority where regular updates are posted: https://www.oregon.gov/oha/ERD/Pages/News-Releases.aspx
Please email me at Rep.TinaKotek@oregonlegislature.gov if you have specific concerns that have not been addressed by the OHA. Our office will do all we can to help and protect all Oregonians.
Thank you for reading! We will get through this together.
Best,
Tina Kotek
State Representative
House District 44
Speaker of the House
email: Rep.TinaKotek@oregonlegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1200
address: 900 Court St NE, H-269, Salem, OR 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/kotek
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