Coronavirus Update: Wildfires Engulf Oregon

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House Speaker Tina Kotek

Coronavirus Update: Wildfires Engulf Oregon

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

In a year already filled with too much pain and loss, my heart breaks for all the Oregonians whose lives and livelihoods are being affected by the unprecedented fires ravaging our state.

Hundreds of thousands of acres have burned throughout Oregon, leading to horrific losses and the substantial destruction of towns like Detroit in the Santiam Valley, Blue River and Vida in coastal Lane County, and Phoenix and Talent in southern Oregon. My thoughts and prayers are with every community that has been evacuated. These fires are the devastating result of a combination of historically dry conditions and extreme winds, tragically highlighting the dangers of intense weather conditions connected with climate change.

Governor Brown said today that these fires could lead to the greatest loss of property and human lives in state history, as The Oregonian reports here. You can track the latest updates on each active fire by clicking the image below.


State Fire Dashboard

Oregon Wildfire Resources is the best place to find centralized resources with updated information, including how to respond to evacuation orders. More information about smoke and air quality throughout the state can be found here at Oregon Smoke Information.

Poor air quality resulting from fire smoke can irritate the eyes and lungs and worsen some medical conditions. Young children, adults over 65, pregnant women and people with heart disease, asthma or other respiratory conditions are most at risk.

  • Stay inside if possible. Keep windows and doors closed.
  • Be aware of smoke in your area and avoid places with the highest levels.
  • If smoke levels are hazardous, consider leaving the area.
  • Use high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters. These can be portable filters or can be installed in indoor heating, ventilation, cooling and air purification systems.
  • If you have heart or lung disease or asthma, follow your health care provider’s advice.

The Oregonian has centralized its coverage here of fires across the state, and Oregon Public Broadcasting has live updates on fires and evacuation orders running here.

We are in the midst of a critical few days. Please follow trusted social media sources – county emergency management offices, Red Cross Cascades, and state agencies such as the State Fire Marshal, Oregon Department Forestry, and the Oregon Department of Agriculture. If Internet resources are not possible, contact your county sheriff’s department. If possible, check in on family, friends and neighbors to ensure their safety. Several roads are closed in affected fire areas and due to wind storm damage. Check TripCheck for the latest information.

And please familiarize yourself with the following evacuation order levels in case you have to quickly leave your home.

  • Level 1 – BE READY – Monitor emergency services websites and local media outlets for information. This is the time for preparation and precautionary movement of persons with special needs and, in some cases, pets and livestock.
  • Level 2 – BE SET – Be ready to leave at a moment’s notice. There is significant danger to your area. Be prepared to voluntarily relocate to a Temporary Evacuation Point as set up by the Red Cross, or move to family/friends outside of the affected area.
  • Level 3 – GO – Leave immediately! Danger to your area is current or imminent. Do not delay leaving to gather any belongings or make efforts to protect your home.

Ready Set Go Fire

Lastly, we are still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Face coverings are required in all parts of the state, and Oregonians are reminded to maintain social distancing and wash hands frequently when possible.


Latest COVID Weekly Testing Summary

We continued to see lower case counts over the Labor Day weekend, but since my last newsletter another 19 people have died. Here are the numbers:

  • Saturday, September 5: 261 cases, 5 deaths
  • Sunday, September 6: 190 cases, 1 death
  • Monday, September 7: 154 cases, 1 death
  • Tuesday, September 8: 169 cases, 4 deaths
  • Wednesday, September 9: 125 cases, 8 deaths

Here are the highlights from the Oregon Health Authority’s weekly testing summary, which can be read in full here.

  • As of September 5, Oregon’s cumulative positivity rate for the pandemic is 4.6% of people tested. This is considerably lower than the national average of 8%.
  • Of the 26,855 people tested the week of August 30 – September 5, 4.3% were positive (more test results will be added to the calculator later).
  • It’s encouraging that test positivity rates appear to be declining since their peak in late July/early August. This suggests that the number of people newly infected with COVID-19 each week is decreasing.

OHA Weekly Testing Summary 9-8-2020

The Latest News

  • The Oregon Health Authority reported 125 new confirmed cases of coronavirus, bringing the statewide total of new and presumptive cases to 28,471. Sadly, eight more people have died, meaning there have been 494 Oregonians to die of the coronavirus. You can click the images below for links to interactive data tables about coronavirus in Oregon.

OHA COVID-19 Update 9-9-2020

OHA Epi Curve 9-9-2020

OHA County Map 9-9-2020

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