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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I hope you all had a fulfilling 4th of July weekend.
Like so many holidays and events this year, we’ve all been asked to make sacrifices in how we celebrate in order to protect our communities. My wife and I decided to cancel our plans to travel to Eastern Oregon because we thought it best to stay close to home. It was a small sacrifice to make, but it was a bummer nonetheless. We ended up spending some quality socially-distanced time with friends, so we found ways to smile and make it work.
Over the weekend, the pandemic in Oregon hit a new marker. Our state crossed the threshold of more than 10,000 coronavirus cases, after four days in a row of case counts exceeding 300 new cases per day. Oregon’s weekly test positivity rate increased to 5.3%, the highest single-week rate in three months.
Oregon’s overall test positivity rate is still below 4% (3.7%), which ranks among the 20 lowest positivity rates in the nation. The national average is about 9%. But, we can’t become complacent.
Eight states have surpassed 100,000 cases, and we’ve seen a number of states that have opened too early and too quickly have to backslide on reopening. Even a state like California, which acted swiftly to shut down in March, has seen a recent surge in cases that has also forced officials to ping-pong back on reopening. I have family in Arizona, which is now seeing positivity rates around 25%. Things are scary in other states.
We know what it takes to reduce transmission of the virus and hold things steady again. Remember the importance of the basics to stop the spread of the virus: wash your hands, wear your face covering, and watch your distance from others.
We’re all feeling the strain of the pandemic, especially as the numbers tick up again. While ‘Zoom fatigue’ is all too real, it’s important that we don’t lose sight of the need to connect during this time of isolation.
Reopening has meant we can get back to some of our usual daily activities, but that isn’t the same for everyone, particularly people who have existing medical conditions. As much as you can, I’d encourage us all to continue to stay connected with loved ones and friends.
Also, if you or others are struggling and need someone to talk to, remember that there are resources available, including these sites and numbers provided by the Multnomah County Health Department.
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Multnomah County Crisis Line | 503-988-4888, toll-free 800-716-9769 - Free 24/7 support, with interpreters available.
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National Suicide Prevention Hotline | 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
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Crisis Text Line | Text HOME to 741741
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Oregon Youthline | Call 877-968-8491 or text teen2teen to 839863 between 4pm - 10pm to text with another teen.
- National Youth Crisis Hotline | 1-800-442-HOPE (4673)
- Oregon Partnership 24 Hour Youth Helpline | 1-877-553-TEEN (8336)
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NAMI Oregon | 503-230-8009 or 800-343-6264, email namioregon@namior.org(link sends e-mail) - Live support from 9am - 5pm, M-F.
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The Trevor Project | 1-866-488-7386 - 24/7 suicide prevention for LGBTQ.
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Senior Loneliness Line | 503-200-1633 or 800-282-7035 - For Oregonians 55+ years old. Get ongoing support, resources, and listening sessions.
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Veteran Crisis Line | 1-800-273-8255 - Call, chat, or text options, with deaf and hard of hearing support available.
Last Wednesday’s weekly coronavirus report from the Oregon Health Authority updated the most common signs and symptoms for the virus. The top five most common are cough, headache, muscle aches, chills, and fever over 100 degrees. If you have any of these, please stay home and get tested.
From Wednesday through Friday this week, the Joint Committee On Transparent Policing and Use of Force Reform will host three virtual meetings to start discussions on additional police accountability measures.
The Legislature took the initial steps toward reform in a historic three-day emergency special session two weeks ago, which you can read about here. But there is more work to do, and deeper systemic reform will need a more comprehensive plan.
The committee, which is co-chaired by Representative Janelle Bynum and Senator James Manning, will start with a look at the use of deadly force, best practices for recruiting and hiring officers, law enforcement partnerships with mental health teams, the impact of militarized policing on the public, and much more.
Please note that these agendas are subject to change. As of today, each meeting will begin at 10 a.m. and live streaming will be available here.
- The Oregon Zoo will reopen this week for the first time since Governor Brown instituted Stay Home, Save Lives in March. The facility will open to the general public on Saturday with distancing and hygiene guidelines in place. The Oregonian has more information here.
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The Oregonian also has more information here on the impending reopening of the Portland Art Museum.
- The Oregon Health Authority reported 168 new confirmed cases of coronavirus, bringing the statewide total of new and presumptive cases to 10,395. The OHA did not record any more deaths today. There have been 215 Oregonians to die of the coronavirus. You can click the images below for links to interactive data tables about coronavirus in Oregon.
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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