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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
This week has been full of subject area meetings with legislators, community members, and advocates as we all get ready for December Legislative Days, a possible Special Session, and the 2021 Long Session. This weekend I will be in a two day retreat with my colleagues, where I will be able to get to know new members and prepare for 2021. I am getting so excited to remotely see my colleagues during our remote Legislative Days from December 7th through 18th, where we will receive reports and updates from agencies and subject experts. You can learn more about the work committees will be doing on the Oregon Legislative Information System (OLIS).
I am also getting excited about the start of the Christmas Season. I will not get to see as much of my family this year, but we are finding remote ways to connect and celebrate!
I will miss the Capitol Christmas tree this year, but will make do with a small tree at home and my Christmas Cactus!
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Governor’s update on the COVID-19 vaccine: Governor Kate Brown held a press conference today to update Oregonians on the status of COVID-19 in Oregon and the pending federal approval for vaccines. The Governor was joined by Pat Allen, Director of the Oregon Health Authority (OHA); Rachael Banks, OHA Public Health Director; and Dr. Dean Sidelinger, State Epidemiologist. You can view the Governor’s press conference here. Pending approval, Oregon will be receiving 35,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, shipping December 15th. And the following week, approximately 71,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine will be on their way. These first doses will be distributed among health care workers. Both Pfozer and Moderna vaccines require 2 doses, which will slow our ability to widen distribution. This vaccine development provides a light at the end of the tunnel, but we are not out of the tunnel yet, and it will be a long time before we have sufficient vaccine for the general public. You can read more about the distribution plan here, and view a table with the phases for vaccine deployment.
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Rent Stabilization: The eviction moratorium is currently set to last through December 31, 2020. Without a special session, many tenants could be left without housing, and landlords will still be without stable rental income. We are already experiencing a lack shelter beds for our existing homeless population, we cannot allow the number of unhoused Oregonians to grow in the middle of winter and the middle of a pandemic. Rep. Julie Fahey, the chair of the House Committee on Housing, was on OPB’s Think Out Loud on Thursday to talk about the rental housing stabilization proposal the Legislature could take up in a potential December special session. You can listen to the interview here. I hope we will be called into a special session soon so we can pass vital legislation like this.
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New Risk Levels in Effect: These counties are currently under the Extreme Risk restrictions: Baker, Clackamas, Columbia, Crook, Deschutes, Douglas, Grant, Hood River, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Klamath, Lake, Lane, Linn, Malheur, Marion, Morrow, Multnomah, Polk, Umatilla, Union, Wasco, Washington and Yamhill. You can learn more about the risk levels and what they mean here.
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State Funded Grants Coming Soon
From Washington County Business Recovery
On Tuesday December 1, 2020 the Washington County Board of Commissioners accepted the agreement and funds from the state of the Oregon for additional grants to support small businesses. We are working quickly to finalize the plan for distributing the additional money.
Pursuant to the Governor’s recommendation and the Board’s further direction, these funds will prioritize businesses in the hospitality sector and those that were shut down during the governor’s freeze.
Hotels: First, there will be a program to assist the hotels throughout the county that will be run by the county. Our current plan is to provide more information next week, with applications to be opened from December 14 -16, 2020.
County & Select Cities Small Businesses: Second, the county will open an application process for small businesses located in the following areas:
- Banks
- Durham
- Forest Grove
- Gaston
- King City
- the Washington Count portion of Wilsonville
- All unincorporated areas of Washington County
Our current expectation is that the application will open on Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at 8 a.m. and close Sunday, December 13, 2020 at Noon. We are finalizing the eligibility criteria, but grants will be prioritizing those that were shut because of the freeze as well as non-hotel, hospitality businesses.
Other Cities Small Businesses: Third, we are providing funds to the cities below for them to provide grants within their jurisdictions. Please check with these cities directly for information about their programs:
City of Hillsboro: Police Oversight Improvements Move Forward With City Council Support
From the City of Hillsboro
Recommendations to improve the existing oversight systems within the Hillsboro Police Department and provide the public with police engagement opportunities are moving forward.
The City Council voiced support for City Manager Robby Hammond's recommendations following a presentation and discussion during the December 1 work session.
See the oversight improvements and next steps.
- Total Cases: 14,041,436 (up 219,187 from yesterday)
- Deaths: 275,386 (up 2,861 from yesterday)
- Cases in the Last 7 Days: 1,214,180
- These national numbers come from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. You can view their national and state by state data here.
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Oregon Status Report: Oregon now has 81,437 total cases (confirmed and presumptive) of COVID-19.
- Today we have 2,176 new confirmed and presumptive cases, and 30 new deaths.
- Thursday: 1,151 cases, 21 deaths, 245 cases in Washington County
- Wednesday: 1,244 cases, 18 deaths, 184 cases in Washington County
- A total of 1,003 Oregonians have died from COVID-19.
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Washington County still has one of the highest case counts at 11,493 confirmed cases, including 319 new cases today. Our Case rate in Washington County is 1,873.6 per 100,000, and we have lost 103 people in our county to COVID-19.
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Weekly Report (11/23-11/29): OHA’s COVID-19 weekly report was released Wednesday, and it showed new weekly highs for COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations for the second consecutive week.
- OHA reported 9,100 new daily cases during the week of Monday, Nov. 23 through Sunday, Nov. 29, a 5% increase over the previous week.
- Weekly hospitalizations associated with COVID-19 rose to 398, a 9% increase, a significant slowing from the previous week, yet still the highest weekly total reported during the pandemic.
- There were 86 reported COVID-19 reported deaths, up from 61 the previous week.
- People aged 20 to 49 have accounted for 55% of the cases, while people 70 and older have accounted for 74% of the deaths.
- During the week of Nov. 22 to Nov. 28,141,356 COVID-19 tests were administered. The percentage of positive tests was 8.6%.
- The Oregon Health Authority recently provided a Public Health Indicators Dashboard to enable communities across Oregon to monitor COVID-19 in the state.The dashboard, which will be updated weekly on Thursdays, provides a transparent report that presents complex epidemiological data in an interactive, easy-to-understand way on a state and county level.
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Table showing Oregon case, testing and demographic data, link to more information
Updates from the Office of Emergency Management:
Wildfires spread less easily when property owners create "defensible space" around their home and experts say now is the time to create it.
- Create a 30-foot defensible space around your home that is free of combustible material
- Clean up dead or dying plants, branches, leaves and needles
- Remove flammable plants and replace with fire-resistant species
- Prune tree branches to a height of 6-10 feet to remove “ladder fuels;” keep shrubs low and away from tree limbs
- Maintain driveway clearance that is free of flammable debris to allow fire engine access
- Go to firewise.org for more information
Human Impacts:
Confirmed fatalities: 9
Source: Oregon State Medical Examiner
Missing persons: 1
Source: Law Enforcement Data System (LEDS)
Sheltered persons: 1,069
Source: American Red Cross
Individual Assistance Registrants: 25,116
Assistance Approved: $29.06 million
*Source: Federal Emergency Management Agency; Total registration count may vary on account of applications under review for potential fraud.
Daily Stats (as of 12/3):
Acres burned (approx.): 1.2 million
Source: Oregon Department of Forestry
Residences destroyed: 4,026
Source: OEM Planning Section
Resources:
OEM has put together this list of contacts to help speed up the process of replacing these documents:
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Green cards: Phone (800)-375-5283; Website: www.uscis.gov
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Medicare cards: Phone: (800)-772-1213; (TTY) (800)-325-0778 Website: www.medicare.gov
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Military records Phone: 866-272-6272 Website: www.archives.gov/contact/
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Passport Phone: 877-487-2778; (TTY) 888-874-7793 Website: travel.state.gov
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Social Security card Phone: 800-772-1213; (TTY) 800-325-0778 Website: www.ssa.gov
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U.S. Savings Bonds Phone: 844-284-2676 Website: www.treasurydirect.gov
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U.S. tax returns Phone: 800-829-1040 Website: www.irs.gov
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Birth, death, marriage, domestic partnership, divorce certificates Phone: 888-896-4988 Website: www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/Birthdeathcertificates
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Driver’s license, auto titles and registration, ID cards Phone: 503-945-5000 Website: www.oregon.gov/odot
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SNAP (Oregon Trail Card) Website: www.oregon.gov/DHS/Assistance/Food-Benefits
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State taxes (Oregon Dept. of Revenue) Phone: 503-378-4988 or 800-356-4222 TTY: All relay calls are accepted. Website: www.oregon.gov/dor
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Real estate and property - Contact your county government.
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Credit cards - Contact your credit card company directly.
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Credit reports from Equifax, Experian, TransUnion Phone: 877-322-8228 Website: www.annualcreditreport.com
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Insurance documents - Check with your insurance agent.
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Medical records - Call your doctor or your medical insurance company; medical and prescription records are tracked electronically.
The Governor’s office has put together a Wildfire Resources page that you can access from the Governor’s home page. It has links to many of the most important updates about the status of fires and resources for evacuees. This website will be updated regularly.
Legal Resources: Oregon State Bar’s Lawyer Referral Program, Oregon lawyers, through the Oregon State Bar, are partnering with FEMA and the American Red Cross to provide legal assistance on FEMA claims, contract claims, insurance claims, landlord-tenant matters and more.
The Department of Forestry’s Wildfire Response and Recovery Overview has ongoing updates about firefighting efforts, damage reports, and more.
FEMA Updates: FEMA has provided several different Fact Sheets and resources for accessing benefits, determining eligibility and avoiding scams.
Employers and Employees
Education Links
Local Government
Utilities Assistance
Food and Housing Assistance
View Past Updates, Share and Subscribe:
If there was COVID-related information in a past newsletter that you want to go back to, but find you’ve deleted it, you can always go to my legislative website (http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/mclain), click on “News and Information,” and you’ll find them all there. You can also share this site with your friends and loved ones, so they can view past newsletters, and subscribe to future updates.
Yours truly,
 Representative Susan McLain
House District 29
email: Rep.SusanMcLain@oregonlegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1429
address: 900 Court St NE, H-376, Salem, OR 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/mclain
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