December 15th COVID-19 Update

Oregon State Legislature sent this bulletin at 12/15/2020 08:49 PM PST
Michael Dembrow

December 15, 2020

I hope that you and your loved ones are doing well, staying healthy, and looking out for your neighbors and friends in these difficult times.

It suddenly feels as if yesterday’s day of good news is a distant memory.  We were celebrating the arrival of the vaccines, lowered case counts, and lower death counts.  Today’s news, on the other hand, is sobering on several counts. Most notably, OHA reported a record 54 COVID deaths today, far more than had ever before been reported on a single day in Oregon.  It reminds us that we still have a good deal of pain ahead of us. 

It’s important for me to put this in context, however.  First of all, we need to remember that these COVID deaths—as tragically premature as they are in every case, whenever a loved one is lost—are the result of infections that occurred weeks ago.  That’s the way this disease works in most cases—infection, then a week before symptoms occur, then another week or two before those symptoms become severe and require hospitalization, then another couple of weeks before death arrives when it does.  We are now seeing the results of the big increases that began in early November.  When the vaccines begin to be deployed among our elderly, vulnerable populations, we’ll see those numbers go down. However, that will take time.

Second, if you look closely at the dates of death for those reported today, you’ll see that many of them occurred many days and even weeks ago. As OHA stated in a release today, “The counting of deaths from death certificates may take time to process because they are determined by physicians and then sent to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for further review before the cause of death is ultimately determined.  Once this information is confirmed, the information is reported back with a final cause of death to states.” Today many of those that were pending review caught up with us.  We had unusually low levels of reported deaths over the last few days.  Today’s is unusually high, at least partly as a result.  Again, we need to evaluate these as trends over time, which allows us to adjust for these single-day anomalies.

Looking at the brighter side, our case count again remains stable, despite a big increase in testing.  As a result, our reported positivity rate today is the lowest it’s been for a long time.

Also, we learned today of a very positive review of the second vaccine product, the one from Moderna.  We can expect those vaccines to become available here in Oregon within the next week or so.

And finally, we learned officially of something that’s been in the works for some time—the Legislature will be coming into a special session on December 21, primarily to prevent thousands of Oregonians from potentially being evicted from their homes at the end of the year and to allocate much-needed funds to COVID and wildfire response.  I’m pleased that we’ll be able to help allay the fears of the many Oregonians at risk of losing the roofs over their heads (especially in light of the continuing inability of Congress to fund needed responses to COVID and the recession). 

I’m not happy that this has to be an in-person session, which seems unnecessarily dangerous for many of our members, staff, and their families, but in the end this was the only way we could guarantee that these important votes could happen.  You can read more details about the upcoming session further down in the newsletter.

Please stay safe, and let me know if you have any questions about today’s newsletter. 

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TODAY’S CORONAVIRUS AND CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE UPDATE

  • New COVID Cases: OHA reports 1,129 new COVID cases today.  This count is a combination of positive test results and those who are presumed positive (see definition below).  The cumulative number of cases in Oregon since the beginning of the pandemic is 96,092.
  • Positive Test Results: OHA reports 1,767 positive test results. The cumulative total of positive test results since the beginning of the pandemic is 135,329.
  • Total Tests: OHA reports an additional 38,797 test results. Our cumulative total of tests is 2,343,728.
  • Positivity Rate: The average positivity rate for Oregon today is 4.6%.  The national ratio today is 10.9%.
  • Deaths: I’m sorry to have to report an incredible 54 additional COVID deaths today. You can read about the Oregonians we lost further down in the newsletter. The total number of COVID deaths in Oregon is now 1,214.
  • Hospitalized: OHA reports 76 new COVID hospitalizations. The cumulative number of those who have been hospitalized with COVID is now 5,579.
  • Presumptive Cases: OHA is including “presumptive COVID-19 cases” in its reports, consistent with recently amended guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A presumptive case is someone who does not yet have a positive PCR test but is showing symptoms and has had close contact with a confirmed case. If they later test positive by PCR, those will be recategorized as confirmed cases.   
  • Other Hospital Information:
    • Patients Currently with COVID-19 Symptoms (who may or may not have received a positive test result yet): 599 (2 fewer than yesterday). Of those, 544 (5 more than yesterday) have already received a positive test back.
    • Available ICU Beds: 142 (7 fewer than yesterday)
    • Other Available Beds: 679 (60 fewer than yesterday).
    • ICU Patients w COVID-19 Symptoms: 119 (15 fewer than yesterday).
    • COVID-19 Patients Currently on Ventilators: 67 (1 fewer than yesterday).
    • Available Ventilators: 755 (16 more than yesterday).
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  • Today’s National Numbers:
    • Total Tests: 222,699,096 (up 1,742,813 from yesterday).
    • Total Cases: 16,529,187 (up 189,865 from yesterday.)
    • Deaths: 295,322 (up 2,918 from yesterday).
    • These national numbers come from the COVID Tracking Project. You can visit that site here.
  • Additional Brief Updates:
    • We received good news today from the Employment Department regarding employment in Oregon as of the end of November. As you’ll see in that email and in the accompanying press release, not only are our COVID rates below the national average, so is our new, lower unemployment rate of 6%. (The national average right now is 6.7%.)  This is obviously much better than where we were in April (14.2%).  Finding ourselves this much below the national average is actually unusual for Oregon.  On the down side, though, this reduction could end up barring those who remain unemployed from having access to extended benefits, especially if Congress fails to pass a COVID relief bill in the next week or two. 
    • Those November unemployment numbers likely don’t fully reflect the ongoing effects of the Thanksgiving freeze and other restrictions put in place to help contain our COVID increases. Today’s Oregonian has a good article explaining the current unemployment situation.

Special Session Coming on Monday

As I’ve mentioned in earlier newsletters, discussions about a potential special session with a limited agenda focused on extending the moratorium on evictions, providing relief to landlords, and moving needed dollars into the Emergency Fund have been ongoing for the last month.  Yesterday an agreement was reached between the Governor and legislative leaders, and a date was set:  8 a.m. on Monday, December 21.

In addition to the above issues, the session will also provide some relief for the restaurant industry by allowing them temporarily to sell pre-packaged cocktails for takeout (cocktails being a major source of income for many restaurants and bars and currently prohibited from takeout) and also putting a limit on the amount of markup that can be imposed by delivery services for all restaurant items. 

A final issue to be addressed will be temporary liability protections for schools that are complying with state COVID regulations that includes whistle-blower protections for both employees and those working in the schools for outside entities. 

Here are the current forms of the Legislative Concepts (changes are already being discussed) that will be introduced for the special session:   

LC 10 Restaurant Relief during Public Health Emergency.

LC 18 Residential Eviction Moratorium and Landlord Compensation Fund.

LC 21 Limiting School Liability during Public Health Emergency.

The final legislative concept related to moving money to the Emergency Fund in order to continue needed funding for COVID and wildfire relief is still being drafted.

There will be a public hearing on these bill proposals Thursday evening.  I hope in tomorrow’s newsletter I’ll be able to give you a precise time and process for offering your testimony orally or in writing.  There is already a 3rd Special Session Web Page.  You can keeping checking it for information about logistics and updated LCs and meeting materials.

I’d encourage you to check out Rep Alissa Keny-Guyer’s just-published newsletter.  It’s wonderfully thorough and includes details about many of the improvements to the current LCs that are being considered.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

More Counties Moved to Extreme High Risk

While we’re seeing improvements in our higher-population counties, presumably as a result of the new restrictions put in place prior to Thanksgiving, we’re also seeing an increase in COVID cases and potential hospitalizations in some of our more rural counties.  As a result of the most recent examination of the counties by the Governor’s medical advisors, a number of changes to risk levels have been made.  For the most part, they are changes in the direction of higher risk:

  • Two counties have moved to “Low Risk” from higher-risk categories
    • Grant (moved from Extreme)
    • Harney (moved from Moderate)
  • One county has been more to “Moderate Risk” from a higher-risk category
    • Lake (moved from Extreme Risk)
  • Five counties have moved from “High Risk” to “Extreme Risk”
    • Benton
    • Clatsop
    • Coos
    • Curry
    • Lincoln
  • One county has been moved from “Moderate Risk” to “Extreme Risk”
    • Tillamook

Here is a list of the new risk status for all the counties. You'll see that all the coastal counties are now considered Extreme Risk.  County status is reevaluated every two weeks, so these new risk assignments will be in place until January 1.

Here is the news release from the Governor’s office on these changes.

House Committee Meetings This Week

This is the final week of “Leg Days” in 2020, where legislative committees meet (remotely for now) to hear updates on issues of concern and introduce the first round of bills for the next session.  This week is devoted to House hearings.  Unlike the Senate hearings last week, which lasted 3 hours, most of the House committees will have two meetings each, each one lasting 2 hours.  In addition to the House committees, one Joint Committee and one Task Force will be meeting this week as well.

Here's the calendar for this week, with committees listed in alphabetical order (joint committee and task force at the end).  The links will take you to the agenda, meeting materials, and meeting video for each hearing.

Agriculture and Land Use

Behavioral Health

Business and Labor

Economic Development

Education

Energy and Environment

Health Care

Housing

Human Services

Natural Resources

Revenue

Rules

Veterans and Emergency Preparedness

Joint Committee on the I-5 Bridge

Task Force on Access to Quality Affordable Child Childcare

Where Are Today’s New Cases?

If we put together the positive test results and new “presumptive” cases reported today, the overall number of new cases reported for is 1,129.  Here is the breakdown of reported cases by county for today:

Baker (7)

Benton (20)

Clackamas (128)

Clatsop (8)

Columbia (15)

Coos (9)

Crook (10)

Curry (10)

Deschutes (31)

Douglas (10)

Grant (2)

Hood River (19)

Jackson (86)

Jefferson (15)

Josephine (15)

Klamath (22)

Lake (3)

Lane (111)

Lincoln (3)

Linn (30)

Malheur (18)

Marion (140)

Morrow (1)

Multnomah (215)

Polk (22)

Tillamook (4)

Umatilla (44)

Union (5)

Wasco (6)

Washington (89)

Yamhill (31)

And the Deaths

NOTES from OHA:

  • Oregon’s 707th and 727th COVID-19 deaths, reported on Nov. 5 and Nov. 7, are the same person. The numbers have been adjusted accordingly.
  • Updated information is available for Oregon’s 901st death. He is an 82-year-old man from Marion county. He was originally reported as a woman.

Oregon’s 1,161st COVID-19 death is a 76-year-old woman in Hood River County who tested positive on Dec. 1 and died on Dec. 13 at her residence.

Oregon’s 1,162nd COVID-19 death is a 71-year-old woman in Washington County who died on Nov. 24 at her residence. as a cause of death or a significant condition contributing to death.

Oregon’s 1,163rd COVID-19 death is a 96-year-old woman in Washington County died on Dec. 7 at her residence.

Oregon’s 1,164th COVID-19 death is an 89-year-old woman in Lane County who tested positive on Nov. 9 and died on Dec. 8 at her residence.

Oregon’s 1,165th COVID-19 death is an 88-year-old woman in Jackson County who tested positive on Nov. 9 and died on Dec. 3 at Providence Medford Medical Center.

Oregon’s 1,166th COVID-19 death is an 85-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on Sept. 22 and died on Nov. 23 at her residence.

Oregon’s 1,167th COVID-19 death is an 84-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 14 and died on Dec. 6 at Adventist Medical Hospital.

Oregon’s 1,168th COVID-19 death is a 74-year-old man in Klamath County who tested positive on Dec. 3 and died on Dec. 12 at his residence.

Oregon’s 1,169th COVID-19 death is an 80-year-old woman in Linn County who died on Dec. 3 at her residence. The death certificate listed COVID-19 disease or SARS-CoV-2 as a cause of death or a significant condition contributing to death.

Oregon’s 1,170th COVID-19 death is a 91-year-old man in Clackamas County who tested positive on Nov. 5 and died on Nov. 25 at his residence.

Oregon’s 1,171st COVID-19 death is a 76-year-old man in Clackamas County who tested positive on Nov. 30 and died on Dec. 13. Location of death is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 1,172nd COVID-19 death is a 70-year-old man in Douglas County who tested positive on Nov. 29 and died on Dec. 5 at his residence.

Oregon’s 1,173rd COVID-19 death is a 79-year-old man in Douglas County who tested positive on Nov. 16 and died on Dec. 6 at his residence.

Oregon’s 1,174th COVID-19 death is an 88-year-old woman in Douglas County who tested positive on Nov. 16 and died on Dec. 7 at her residence.

Oregon’s 1,175th COVID-19 death is a 63-year-old woman in Douglas County who tested positive on Nov. 29 and died on Dec. 6 at her residence.

Oregon’s 1,176th COVID-19 death is an 89-year-old woman in Jackson County who tested positive on Nov. 16 and died on Dec. 9 at her residence.

Oregon’s 1,177th COVID-19 death is a 71-year-old woman in Josephine County who tested positive on Dec. 8 and died on Dec. 11.

Oregon’s 1,178th COVID-19 death is an 83-year-old woman in Lake County who tested positive on Nov. 21 and died on Dec. 1 at Lake District Hospital.

Oregon’s 1,179th COVID-19 death is a 95-year-old woman in Lane County who tested positive on Nov. 17 and died on Dec. 4 at Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center.

Oregon’s 1,180th COVID-19 death is a 90-year-old woman in Lane County who tested positive on Nov. 17 and died on Dec. 9 at her residence.

Oregon’s 1,181st COVID-19 death is a 73-year-old woman in Lane County who tested positive on Nov. 29 and died on Dec. 8 at her residence.

Oregon’s 1,182nd COVID-19 death is an 84-year-old man in Lane County who tested positive on Dec. 4 and died on Dec. 12 at his residence.

Oregon’s 1,183rd COVID-19 death is an 89-year-old woman in Linn County who tested positive on Nov. 27 and died on Dec. 6 at her residence.

Oregon’s 1,184th COVID-19 death is a 56-year-old man in Malheur County who tested positive on Nov. 30 and died on Dec. 4 at Saint Alphonsus Medical Center — Ontario.

Oregon’s 1,185th COVID-19 death is a 90-year-old man in Malheur County who tested positive on Dec. 4 and died on Dec. 13 at his residence.

Oregon’s 1,186th COVID-19 death is a 54-year-old woman in Marion County who tested positive on Nov. 27 and died on Dec. 2 at Salem Hospital.

Oregon’s 1,187th COVID-19 death is an 84-year-old man in Marion County who tested positive on Nov. 7 and died on Nov. 19 at his residence.

Oregon’s 1,188th COVID-19 death is a 79-year-old man in Marion County who tested positive on Nov. 15 and died on Dec. 13 at his residence.

Oregon’s 1,189th COVID-19 death is a 79-year-old man in Marion County who tested positive on Nov. 28 and died on Dec. 13 at Salem Hospital.

Oregon’s 1,190th COVID-19 death is a 62-year-old man in Marion County who tested positive on Dec. 3 and died on Dec. 3 at his residence.

Oregon’s 1,191st COVID-19 death is a 57-year-old man in Marion County who tested positive on Nov. 19 and died on Dec. 8 at Salem Hospital.

Oregon’s 1,192nd COVID-19 death is a 68-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 23 and died on Dec. 7.

Oregon’s 1,193rd COVID-19 death is a 65-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 23 and died on Dec. 5 at Providence Portland Medical Center.

Oregon’s 1,194th COVID-19 death is a 60-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 1 and died on Nov. 29 at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center.

Oregon’s 1,195th COVID-19 death is an 87-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 5 and died on Nov. 17 at his residence.

Oregon’s 1,196th COVID-19 death is a 47-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 11 and died on Dec. 1 at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center.

Oregon’s 1,197th COVID-19 death is an 87-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 16 and died on Nov. 18 at his residence.

Oregon’s 1,199th COVID-19 death is a 77-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 18 and died on Dec. 6 at Kaiser Permanente Sunnyside Medical Center.

Oregon’s 1,200th COVID-19 death is a 70-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 21 and died on Nov. 24 at Providence Portland Medical Center.

Oregon’s 1,201st COVID-19 death is a 70-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 25 and died on Dec. 1 at Providence Portland Medical Center.

Oregon’s 1,202nd COVID-19 death is a 76-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 23 and died on Dec. 7 at his residence.

Oregon’s 1,203rd COVID-19 death is a 97-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 27 and died on Dec. 6 at her residence.

Oregon’s 1,204th COVID-19 death is a 71-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 24 and died on Dec. 12 at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center.

Oregon’s 1,205th COVID-19 death is a 68-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 27 and died on Dec. 3 at his residence.

Oregon’s 1,206th COVID-19 death is a 91-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 27 and died on Dec. 9 at her residence.

Oregon’s 1,207th COVID-19 death is an 87-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 30 and died on Dec. 4 at her residence.

Oregon’s 1,208th COVID-19 death is a 75-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on Dec. 7 and died on Dec. 8 at her residence.

Oregon’s 1,209th COVID-19 death is an 84-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 20 and died on Nov. 30 at her residence.

Oregon’s 1,210th COVID-19 death is an 89-year-old man in Umatilla County who tested positive on Nov. 20 and died on Dec. 6 at Good Shepherd Community Hospital.

Oregon’s 1,211th COVID1-9 death is a 73-year-old man in Union County who tested positive on Dec. 3 and died on Dec. 13 at Grande Ronde Hospital.

Oregon’s 1,212th COVID-19 death is a 39-year-old woman in Washington County who tested positive on Nov. 8 and died on Dec. 4 at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center.

Oregon’s 1,213th COVID-19 death is a 73-year-old woman in Yamhill County who tested positive on Nov. 24 and died on Dec. 5 at Willamette Valley Medical Center.

Oregon’s 1,214th COVID-19 death is a 76-year-old man in Hood River who tested positive on Dec. 2 and died on Dec. 14 at his residence.

Additional Graphs:

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**You can find a breakdown of regional availability here.

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Want to See Past Newsletters?

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 (senatordembrow.com), click on “News and Information,” and you’ll find them all there.  Also, if someone forwarded you this newsletter and you’d like to get it directly, you can sign up for it there.

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AND FINALLY,

Here again are some resources that you will find useful:

If the above links are not providing you with answers to your questions or directing you to the help that you need, please consider me and my office to be a resource.  We’ll do our best to assist you or steer you in the right direction. 

Best,

dembrow signature

Senator Michael Dembrow
District 23

email: Sen.MichaelDembrow@oregonlegislature.gov
web: www.senatordembrow.com
phone: 503-986-1723
mail: 900 Court St NE, S-407, Salem, OR, 97301