Coronavirus Update: Special Session Called and Cases Are Up

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House Speaker Tina Kotek

Coronavirus Update: Special Session Called and Cases Are Up

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

This morning, Governor Brown announced she is calling a special session of the Legislature starting next Wednesday, June 24. The session will focus on policies related to the coronavirus pandemic and police accountability.

I support this action. Oregonians need more support to address the economic fallout of the pandemic, especially housing protections. And, across the state, we’ve seen the public take to the streets for weeks demanding police accountability reforms to address the tragic prevalence of police brutality and racial injustice in our society.

These issues demand urgency.

The state’s budget shortfall must also be addressed soon. My hope is that the federal government will pass another coronavirus relief package to help state and local governments before the Legislature convenes to rebalance the budget.


Another Day of Record Cases

Today was another difficult day in Oregon’s fight against the coronavirus pandemic. The Oregon Health Authority announced 278 new cases of coronavirus. This is the first time our state has seen more than 200 diagnosed cases in a single day, let alone nearly 300 (more details on that data is available in The Latest News below). Many of these cases are linked to a church in Union County, which The Oregonian details here.

It’s another reminder that we need to do all we can to take care of each other. Wearing a mask when you’re outside your home is so critically important to stopping the spread of coronavirus. It’s also a signal to family, friends, and neighbors that you’re doing what you can to take our collective public health seriously.


Wear a Mask 6-16-2020

Testing for Long-Term Care Facilities

The Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) and Oregon Health Authority (OHA) announced yesterday they have finalized a comprehensive, statewide COVID-19 testing plan for long-term care facilities that have more than five residents.

Outbreaks at long-term care facilities have been the leading cause of deaths in Oregon from coronavirus, so this is an important step to take.

Implementation of the plan will occur in two phases. In the first phase, every facility will test all staff and offer testing to all residents. This phase begins June 24, and will conclude by September 30. It will cover more than 680 large long-term care facilities statewide, which combined provide care for an estimated 31,000 residents and employ 29,000 staff. Residents and staff at nursing facilities in Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, Yamhill, Marion, and Polk counties will be prioritized, as these counties account for the majority of outbreaks in long-term care facilities to date. Testing will then start at assisted living and residential care facilities with memory care units, followed by facilities without memory care. This same sequence will then roll out in other counties statewide.

In the second phase, facilities will develop and implement plans for ongoing monitoring. Plans will detail how they will monitor and test residents and staff, including testing all staff at least once per month.

Statewide testing in long-term care is an essential step that will allow the state to examine how visitation policies can be safely and incrementally improved.

For more information on the long-term care facility testing plan, see the joint press release from DHS and OHA.


The Latest News

  • Phase 2 Reopening guidelines have been updated to allow playgrounds to open in Phase 2 counties. You can read the full guidance on outdoor recreation here.
  • Oregon regained 22,000 jobs in May, although unemployment is still above 14%. The Oregonian has more details here.
  • The Oregonian also has more details here on the potential list of adults in custody who may be eligible for early release to prevent coronavirus spread in the prison system.
  • The Oregon Health Authority reported 278 more confirmed cases of coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 5,897 confirmed cases. The 278 cases is the highest one-day count yet, and there’s more information on why here. There are 6,098 confirmed and presumptive cases combined. Sadly, there have been two more deaths, meaning there have been 182 confirmed deaths in Oregon from coronavirus.

OHA COVID-19 Update 6-16-2020

OHA Hospital Capacity 6-16-2020

Watch Out for Contact Tracing Scams

The Oregon Department of Justice issued a scam alert for people who are pretending to be contact tracers. These imposters send emails and text messages with links to fraudulent websites. Clicking on the link may download unwanted software onto your computer or phone, giving them access to your personal and financial information.

If you receive an email or a text message you think might be from a scammer posing as a contact tracer, first, do not click on any links. Then, file a complaint online at www.oregonconsumer.gov or call 877-877-9392 and ask that a complaint form be mailed to you.

For more information on other COVID-19 scams, visit www.oregonconsumer.gov/COVID-19.

For more information on what you can expect from state, local, or tribal health department contact tracing efforts, visit www.healthoregon.org/contacttracing.

Here is what you should expect on a contact tracing call:


Contact Tracing Call 6-16-2020

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

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