Coronavirus and Wildfire Update: Vaccine Updates and Holiday Safety

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House Speaker Tina Kotek

Coronavirus and Wildfire Update: Vaccine Updates and Holiday Safety

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Today, Governor Brown held a press conference with public health officials to provide more details on COVID-19 vaccine distribution and timing, one day after the Food and Drug Administration recommended vaccines developed by Pfizer and BioNTech be authorized for emergency use.

Oregon expects to receive 147,000 vaccinations from Pfizer and Moderna by the end of December and plans to distribute 100,000 first doses of the vaccine to essential workers during that timeframe. More details are coming from the Governor’s Vaccine Advisory Council, for example who specifically is defined as an “essential worker.” We know the first doses will be prioritized for staff at hospitals and inpatient facilities who have direct contact with patients.

The Oregon Health Authority’s page on COVID-19 vaccinations can be found here.


Vaccine Phases

It’s heartening to hear more details about the development and distribution of vaccines. But keep in mind that the FDA has not yet approved the vaccine and it’s clear that we are still months away from wider distribution. We need to keep our guard up because the situation is as dire as it’s ever been.

Last week, Oregon set weekly highs for COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations for the third consecutive week. Hospitalizations are up 70% since mid-November. There were 133 reported COVID-19 deaths, up from 86 the previous week and an average of 19 per day – the highest since the pandemic began. More details are available here in the latest COVID-19 Weekly Report.

During the Governor’s press conference, it was noted that cases are rising, but not as steeply post-Thanksgiving as we had feared. So, if you canceled your Thanksgiving plans or didn’t travel, thank you so much for doing what you could to stop the spread!

And there’s more holiday season to come, so it’s critical to assess what you’re doing. If you’re considering gathering with people you don’t live with, here are some tips for making that decision:

  • Check your county risk level to see what gathering size is allowed.
  • Talk to the host about what steps are being taken to increase safety.
  • Gathering outdoors is safer than indoors.
  • Wear a mask indoors AND outdoors.
  • Avoid shouting or singing.
  • Stay home if you are sick or have been near someone who thinks they may have or have been exposed to COVID-19.
  • Remember, it’s OK if you decide to stay home and remain apart from others. Do what’s best for you.

Rather than canceling all your holiday celebrations, plan your festivities and maintain your traditions with those in your household and include others virtually, including:

  • Lighting candles over video together with family and friends near and far.
  • Singing holiday songs on a virtual singalong.
  • Watching holiday-themed movies as a family.
  • Crafting or baking and dropping off what you’ve created without contact.
  • Playing a game over the internet.
  • Viewing holiday decorations around the neighborhood with people you live with, either by foot or car.

Holiday Safety.png

You Are Not Alone

While physical distancing is one of the best ways to save lives during this pandemic, I know isolation can lead to other negative things. Please know that you are not alone.

You can find resources in your community at oralert.gov/not-alone/. Help lines are confidential and offer translation services.


Not Alone

Reminder on the Need to Quarantine

If you’ve been near someone who has COVID-19, you may have been exposed to the virus, even if you’re not having any symptoms. When this happens, it’s important that you quarantine to keep from spreading the virus to someone else.

You may have seen that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its guidance on quarantining, which can be found here.

Here is the latest on this issue from the Oregon Health Authority.

If you have been near someone with COVID-19:

  • Stay home and at least six feet away from everyone, including the people you live with, for 14 days.

A 14-day quarantine is the safest option to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to others. If you have not had any symptoms, you may consider ending quarantine early:

  • After 10 days, without any testing or; after seven days, if you have had a negative result from a test that was administered less than 48 hours before you end quarantine.

If you choose to shorten your quarantine period, there is a small chance you may spread the disease to others post-quarantine, so it’s critical that you continue to monitor yourself for symptoms daily. If you develop symptoms, you should continue to avoid contact with others and call your healthcare provider to discuss testing.

Staying away from others can be difficult. It’s important to take care of yourself during these times. Here are some ideas for self-care during quarantine:

  • Take time to do things you love – watch a movie, read a book or work in the garden. 
  • Connect with loved ones and friends over phone or video.
  • Cook something you enjoy, or order contactless food delivery. 
  • Do something creative like art, woodworking or crafting. 
  • Exercise at home. 
  • Meditate. 

For support and resources, or if you have questions during your quarantine you, you can call 211 or visit the 211 website here.


Next Phase of Wildfire Cleanup

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has completed the cleanup of hazardous waste from properties burned in September’s wildfires, the Associated Press reports here. The next phase – removing hazard trees, ash, and other debris from impacted properties – is already underway this week. Trees are being removed along affected highways.

Cleanup assistance is available to all impacted home and business owners in Clackamas, Douglas, Jackson, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn and Marion counties. To participate, private property owners must sign a Right of Entry form. For help with debris removal, property owners can call the Debris Task Force hotline at 503-934-1700.


The Latest News

  • The Oregon Health Authority reported 1,610 new confirmed cases of coronavirus, bringing the statewide total of new and presumptive cases to 91,420. The OHA also reported 16 more deaths, meaning 1,138 Oregonians have died of the coronavirus. You can click the images below for links to interactive data tables about coronavirus in Oregon.

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OHA COVID-19 Epi Curve 121120

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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