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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Welcome to August! I’m hoping for a better month than last on our pandemic numbers, but more on that below.
Just a quick update – we'll be changing the newsletter schedule a bit by going to morning publishing on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Our goal is to continue to provide regular, helpful updates on the latest statewide COVID-19 developments and news, as well as important legislative updates.
And, as always, thank you for reading. I hope these newsletters continue to be a helpful resource for reliable information during uncertain times.
Here are the latest daily numbers of confirmed cases and deaths since my last newsletter (August 1-3):
- Saturday: 330 cases, 3 deaths
- Sunday: 285 cases, 1 death
- Monday: 272 cases, 2 deaths
Last week, we learned that Oregon recorded a 4.8% test positivity rate, which brought the seven-day percentage below 5% for the first time in 10 weeks. It was also the first time the rate dropped from one week to the next since mid-May.
But, yesterday, the Oregon Health Authority’s weekly testing summary showed a disappointing setback, as the testing rate spiked to 6.1%. The full report can be found here. The 6.1% positivity rate is the highest the state has recorded since the first three weeks of the outbreak back in March. This is particularly problematic because we’re doing more testing now.
Our overall testing rate still remains far better than much of the country, however much of the rest of the country is not doing an adequate job of containing this virus. And we certainly want to be better than other states.
While COVID-19 first hit more urban areas, it’s now spread to less densely populated areas. Willamette Week writes here about Idaho’s weekly test positivity rate, which is the fifth-worst in the nation at 13.2% and presents further risks for Oregonians living along the Idaho border.
The state’s positivity rate is a key statistic for determining whether children return to in-person schooling at all this year. The Governor has said that the weekly coronavirus test positivity rate must be at 5% or below for three consecutive weeks for in-person instruction to resume in our schools.
As for the state’s testing capacity, the OHA still projects testing supply issues in the coming weeks and noted the state is experiencing longer turnaround times for test results from commercial labs, sometimes as long as two weeks.
August will be a critical month to take charge of the infection spread. We know what works in to stop the spread, so let’s keep doing our best. The recent decision to take Umatilla County back to baseline, as reported here, is a cautionary reminder of the important connection between the pandemic and our economic recovery.
What happens this month is up to us!
This past Saturday, Governor Brown announced the Oregon Worker Quarantine Fund which can provide up to two weeks of financial relief to agricultural workers 18 and older, regardless of immigration status. You can read the Governor’s release about the program here.
Food packing and agriculture worksites have been overrepresented in workplace outbreaks, so it’s important for these workers to have support so they can stay home to self-quarantine or recover from COVID-19.
Agricultural workers can apply for relief through local community-based organizations here or by calling 1-888-274-7292.
According to the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), there has been a rise in wildfires caused by people, which might be a side effect of the pandemic. Oregon Public Broadcasting reported on this development here.
ODF says that people have caused 90% of fires so far in 2020, compared to 70% in an average year. The agency chalks this up to campfires and other human activities as many are flocking to the forest to get outside following months of home-bound activities.
While camping is among the safer activities to do during this pandemic, let’s not forget the usual precautions to reduce wildfires. Here is some helpful information from Oregon State Parks about campfire safety:
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Keep your campfire small, or roughly two feet high. This helps prevent ash or embers from becoming airborne, especially during the dry summer months. If you see the wind stirring up embers from your fire, play it safe and extinguish it.
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Use existing fire rings. Fire ring locations are carefully considered and park rangers clear vegetation around rings to create a safe buffer zone.
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Burn wood only, and stick to local wood to prevent introducing non-native insects. Burning other materials may cause toxic smoke and ash.
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Always have water and a shovel nearby. To put out your fire, drown the flames with water and stir the embers to make sure everything is wet. The stirring step is important because ash and wood debris often maintain heat and embers unless they are drowned out.
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Beach campfires should be started on open sand, away from driftwood or vegetation. Use water to extinguish your beach fire, not sand. Covering the fire with sand will insulate the coals, keeping them hot enough to burn someone hours or even days later.
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For propane fire rings, follow the same safety precautions you would with a log-based campfire. Propane fire rings should be placed in, on or directly next to installed park fire rings.
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Make sure everyone in your campsite, even children, is familiar with campfire safety. Always keep an eye on your campfire; many accidental fires are started because campers left their fire unattended for “just a minute.”
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Oregon Public Broadcasting has a very worthwhile look here at the challenges mask-wearing can bring for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. While we all have to do our part to wear a face covering to stop the spread of COVID-19, let’s not lose sight of the additional difficulties that can emerge for different communities during this pandemic.
- The economy is still in a fragile spot, but at least consumer spending across Oregon is bouncing back overall. Some sectors are still stagnant (such as transportation and hospitality). The Oregonian reports on this economic news here.
- The Portland Tribune has more information here on how $26 million in federal funds allocated by the legislative Emergency Board to the Oregon Cultural Trust is being distributed to arts and cultural organizations.
- On Monday, the Oregon Health Authority reported 272 new confirmed cases of coronavirus, bringing the statewide total of new and presumptive cases to 19,366. Sadly, two more people have died, meaning there have still been 328 Oregonians to die of the coronavirus. Please note the first image below combines the numbers from Saturday, Sunday and Monday. 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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