Greetings:

As we approach Veterans Day, I would like to thank all those who have served in our nation’s armed forces. We are forever grateful for your service to our country. In celebration of Veterans Day, the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs will be hosting multiple virtual events tomorrow. You can find more information about how to participate here.

Emergency Board Update

Yesterday, the Oregon Emergency Board approved more than $128 million in aid to provide much needed support for Oregonians impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. You can watch the meeting and review submitted materials here. A full breakdown of what was approved is below: 

• $45 million for Childcare Provider Assistance to support the increased costs facing childcare providers facing economic and operational challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  
  
• $35 million for Project Turnkey Statewide Pandemic and Homelessness Response. This essential investment will ensure that there are enough emergency housing options that maintain social distancing and the health of houseless community members in need of shelter during the winter months.This project will acquire and, if needed, retrofit suitable properties, and convert them to emergency shelter, with the possibility of conversion to transitional or permanent affordable housing.
  
  
• $20 million for a third grant to the Oregon Community Foundation for the Oregon Worker Relief Fund, which will make additional payments to workers who are ineligible for wage replacement payments from traditional unemployment insurance programs.
  
  
• $20 million to provide additional financial assistance to small businesses economically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
  
  
• $5 million to help cover long term care provider costs for routine COVID-19 staff testing.
  
  
• $2.4 million for one-time COVID-19 baseline testing of long term care facility staff and residents.
  
  
• $1 million to support victims of domestic and sexual violence The COVID-19 pandemic has been a catalyst for increased domestic and sexual violence. 

Oregon Health Authority COVID-19 Update

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reports up-to-date information regarding testing statistics that can be found on their website. You can read details about the overall picture of COVID-19 response efforts in Oregon. Here are some recent developments:

• The most recent COVID-19 Weekly Report showed that during the week of Monday, Oct. 26, through Sunday, Nov. 1, OHA recorded 3,542 new cases of COVID-19 infection—up 34% from the prior week’s tally of 2,642. This is the second consecutive week daily case counts have set a record high for the pandemic.
  
  
• The number of newly tested Oregonians rose to 34,591 and the percentage of positive tests rose sharply to 8.4%.
  
  
• People aged 20 to 49 accounted for the largest percentage of infection at 56%, despite accounting for 39% of the total population. Persons under 30 accounted for 38% of the cases.

As COVID-19 cases continue to surge, please continue to wear a face covering, keep physically distant, avoid large gatherings, restrict gatherings with people outside of your household and wash your hands frequently.

Two-Week Pause on Social Activities

Starting tomorrow, Multnomah county and several other counties experiencing a spike in COVID-19 cases will be placed on a two-week pause to try to slow the rapid spread of COVID-19 in those counties. This is being instituted in counties with a current case rate above 200 cases per 100,000 people over a two-week period, or more than 60 cases over a two-week period for counties with less than 30,000 people. New health and safety measures will be in effect from Nov. 11 through Nov. 25. Two-Week Pause measures include:

• Urging all businesses to mandate work from home to the greatest extent possible.
• Pausing long-term care facility visits that take place indoors to protect staff and residents.
• Reducing maximum restaurant capacity to 50 people (including customers and staff) for indoor dining, with a maximum party size of six. Continuing to encourage outdoor dining and take out.
• Reducing the maximum capacity of other indoor activities to 50 people (includes gyms, fitness organizations/studios, bowling alleys, ice rinks, indoor sports, pools, and museums).
• Limiting social gatherings to your household, or no more than six people if the gathering includes those from outside your household, reducing the frequency of those social gatherings (significantly in a two-week period), and keeping the same six people in your social gathering circle.

COVID-19 Toolkit

Multnomah County created a helpful toolkit, Taking Care of Ourselves and Others: A COVID-19 Guide for Youth and Families. This guide was created by Multnomah County students, parents, and public health communicators as a resource you and your family can turn to during this challenging time. In this toolkit, you’ll find:

• Basics about COVID-19 and how it spreads
• Where to get tested, resources for staying home, and tips on caring for someone with COVID-19
• General prevention guidelines along with strategies for safer socializing and dealing with peer pressure
• Maintaining mental and physical health and coping with loss and grief
• Resources to stay informed, access health care, mental health counseling, and culturally-specific support, and ways to get involved

Please reach out to my office if you have any additional questions, or if there’s anything you think I could help with. 

Sincerely, 

Representative Barbara Smith Warner
House District 45

email: Rep.BarbaraSmithWarner@oregonlegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1445
address: 900 Court St NE, H-295, Salem, OR 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/smithwarner