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Friends and Neighbors,
Oregon Health Authority Updates
Oregon Has a Plan to Ramp up COVID-19 Vaccination
From the Oregon Health Authority
Oregon Health Authority Director Patrick Allen and Dr. Dana Hargunani, OHA’s chief medical officer, held a media briefing this week (watch here) to discuss the steps OHA is taking to scale up Oregon’s vaccine program and achieve Governor Brown’s goal of 12,000 COVID-19 vaccinations per day within the next two weeks.
Oregon’s pace of COVID-19 vaccinations is on par with other states, with more than 1.2 percent of the population having been vaccinated as of yesterday.
Director Allen and Dr. Hargunani announced that this week OHA will take the following steps:
- Speed Phase 1A prioritization by simplifying the staging and sequencing among groups.
- Speed the number of doses delivered to nursing home staff and residents by activating Part B of federal pharmacy partnerships. OHA anticipates this change will speed vaccinations to approximately 80,000 staff and residents.
- Speed the number of doses delivered to health care workers and other Phase 1A groups by giving them the option to get vaccinated at retail pharmacies.
- Make more doses available to Phase 1A workers by leveraging every available public health capability at our disposal.
- Speed the number of doses delivered to unaffiliated health care workers, nursing home staff and others by supporting innovative partnerships, such as a collaboration between OHSU and labor union SEIU to launch a pilot vaccination effort.
Oregon is currently in Phase 1A of the vaccination effort. So far, members of Group 1 of Phase 1A are receiving vaccine, which includes staff who work in hospitals, urgent care settings, skilled nursing and memory care facilities (and residents) and tribal health programs, as well as emergency medical service providers and other first responders.
The changes give providers more flexibility to vaccinate people in other groups in Phase 1A, rather than each group getting vaccinated sequentially.
Others who are eligible for Phase 1A vaccinations include people who work in:
- Congregate care sites, such as nursing homes and residential behavioral health programs.
- Outpatient providers who serve specific high-risk groups.
- Home health providers.
- All other outpatient providers.
- Public health programs, and a range of other front-line roles.
According to Director Allen, speeding up the process within Phase 1A will mean that critical workers and vulnerable populations, followed by the general population, will be served sooner.
“That will save more lives and end the pandemic in Oregon sooner, too,” Allen said. “But as we roll out the vaccines, all of us need to keep taking the steps that have saved thousands of lives in Oregon and staved off the worst extremes of the crisis that we’ve seen in other states: Keep wearing your masks, maintain physical distancing, minimize your indoor social get-togethers, stay home if you feel sick, and wash your hands well and often.”
Sequencing for future phases will be determined by the new Vaccine Advisory Committee, which meets for the first time on Thursday. We will share updates from these meetings in the newsletter.
More information can be found on OHA's COVID-19 vaccine webpage (English or Spanish).
Vaccines for Residents in Long-Term Care Facilities
Information provided by the Oregon Health Authority
Oregon is participating in a Federal Pharmacy Partnership Program with CVS, Walgreens and Consonus pharmacy for vaccination of long-term care residents and staff. These pharmacy partners are providing on-site vaccination clinics in partnership with long-term care and congregate care settings throughout Oregon. The vaccines are being delivered directly to the pharmacies, which are connecting with each facility to set up on-site vaccination clinics.
The decisions around coordination and logistics made between the federal agency and pharmacy partners impact when each facility will be scheduled for vaccination clinics. These decisions are based on available doses, vaccine storage and delivery, available pharmacy staff, numbers of staff and residents at each facility, implementing informed consent processes, timing considerations for patient observation after vaccine administration, etc. Whether someone is currently sick with COVID-19 is also considered in as much as those that are should not receive the vaccine until they have recovered, but those who have been exposed to the virus are encouraged to receive the vaccination.
Vaccination began in skilled nursing facilities with these pharmacy partners on Dec. 21. Read more about the Federal Pharmacy Partnership Program here: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/long-term-care/pharmacy-partnerships.html
Education Updates
Hillsboro School District: Return to School Planning Update
From the Hillsboro School District: Return to School Planning Update
On Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2020, Governor Kate Brown issued a letter to the directors of the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and Oregon Department of Education (ODE) stating that as of Friday, Jan. 1, 2021, the health metrics guiding schools’ return to in-person learning should be considered advisory rather than mandatory. The Hillsboro School District will be meeting with the Governor’s office and ODE this week to get clarification on how the changes announced by the Governor on Dec. 23 will impact schools and districts. An update will be provided to the HSD Board on 1/12, and will be shared districtwide on 1/13. Read more about planning at HSD here.
The Governor’s office indicated that Oregon’s school metrics will continue to be based on scientific data and evidence and that the metrics related to a return to in person instruction will be reviewed and updated by January 19, 2021. HSD will continue collaborating closely with the Hillsboro Education Association, the Hillsboro Classified Union, and Washington County Public Health; and will make any necessary adjustments to our planning teams and process to comply with the changing situation.
Oregon’s current metrics compared to some other states:
Talking to Kids about Current Events
With the disturbing events in our Nation’s Capitol and in our own Capitol in Salem this week, we all are feeling anxious and concerned about current events. Our children carry these feelings too, whether they hear about them in adult conversations or see the scary images flashed on television. This is a great time to discuss and talk through with your children, or those you know and love, about how best to work through these emotions. Read this article, from Common Sense Media, on "How to Talk to Kids About Difficult Subjects." This article has suggestions for kids ages 2-teen and is a great resource for parents.
For younger children that may have questions about what government does, or to learn about Washington D.C., watch these fun short videos from Kids Academy:
When I served on the school board in Hillsboro, I would often say that the “students are watching and listening”. They pay attention to the world around them, even when you think they are not. This traumatic experience can be turned into a learning experience and a time to connect with our kids to put their anxiety at ease.
Education and Employment Opportunity through Apprenticeship – Earn While you Learn
Online applications are being accepted in January for the Inside Electrician apprenticeship program. Earn while you learn. No debt. Great career - family wages and full benefits!
For more information visit: https://nietc.org/applicants/
 Oregon Legislature’s Joint Emergency Board Meeting
Today, January 8th at 1pm. Staffed by the Legislative Fiscal Office, the Emergency Board operates during the interim when the Legislature is not in session. In consideration of agency requests, the Board allocates Emergency Funds, increases expenditure limitations, authorizes transfers, receives reports, and approves submissions of federal grant applications. Find today's meeting agenda at the link below. Use the same link to find the live stream today at 1:00.
https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2019I1/Committees/EB/2021-01-08-13-00/Agenda
House District 30 - 2021 Legislative Session Concepts
In order to provide information and updates on the policies that I am working on for the 2021 Session, this is a continuation of that series.
HB 2698: Right to Repair
Right to Repair would require manufacturers of consumer electronic equipment to make available replacement parts, tools, repair manuals, and any software necessary to diagnose or make replacement parts work at fair and reasonable terms. Consumer electronic equipment is something generally used for personal, family or household purposes and is distributed in commerce.
I am excited to work on this policy for many reasons, not only will it provide more opportunity for our small Main Street business community as independent repair shops will now have the ability to work on more products, but this policy will also:
- Reduce waste and climate pollution- annually it is estimated that 150 million cell phones are thrown away each year in the United States.
- Make sure more people have affordable access to technology-access to the internet is essential and especially during a pandemic.
- Protect consumers-once someone buys a product they should own it and be able to do what they want with it.
- Build small business opportunity for our local, authorized dealers and repair shops on our Main Streets in Oregon.
I am proud to bring this bill forward with the support of my colleagues including bi-partisan support and bi-cameral support (both Senate and Representative sponsors).
Check back on OLIS soon, once session begins on January 19th, to read more about HB 2698 and all bills coming forward in the 2021 Session.
Upcoming Right to Repair Town Hall
Join me and OSPIRG, along with Senator Jeff Golden, for a Right to Repair town hall. Thursday, January 21, 2021 from 5:30pm-6:30pm.
Follow this link for more information and to watch the event live.
 Community Outreach
Listen to the Past, Stories from OJMCHE's Oral History Collection: Jews@Work
From the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education
January 14 | Noon PST
Join OJMCHE (Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education) Archivist Alisha Babbstein, Curator of Collections Anne LeVant Prahl, and Director Judy Margles as they discuss their favorite oral history clips and tell stories about the community that created them. This month the focus is on work. The remarkable progress Oregon Jews made as they integrated into the life of the state–from their days as immigrants to fully participatory Oregonians and Americans is reflected in the world of work and the development of their career choices that opened to them over the years of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Register here.
Free COVID-19 Testing Event this Saturday
From Project Access NOW
Pre-Registration is required. Go here to pre-register: https://www.doineedacovid19test.com/
 Additional Resources
House District 30 Links
Federal Delegation Links
Education Links
Utilities Assistance
Food and Housing Assistance
House District 30 COVID-19 Perspective
Written by Ginny, age 43, House District 30 resident
There is a lot of misinformation out there about Covid so I want to share my real life experience with having the Coronavirus.
First, if you get the virus, it’s literally like playing Russian Roulette- you have no way of knowing how bad you’re going to get it. Some people are asymptomatic, some just lose their sense of taste and smell, some have “just a bad flu”, some get really sick, some get so sick they have to go to the hospital to be able to breathe, and some die. There’s no formula for knowing which one you would be.
For me, I was fortunate in that I didn’t end up in the hospital and dying. But I got really sick. I was out of work for 3 weeks and I am having to slowly transition to getting back to work full time. I am now at 4 weeks and I am waking up in the morning with stabbing headaches, experiencing a lot of fatigue, and struggling with some pretty bad depression. The internet tells me that these things (and others) are common lingering effects for people who have been sick with the coronavirus. And one example is still having the lingering effects, 9 months later.
I don’t wish this virus on anyone, and I am grateful that it did not affect me worse than it has. My heart goes out to the people that have had to go to the hospital and to the families of those who died. It is hard to see people who don’t take this seriously and wonder why I am sick and not them. I will be even more careful about protecting others than I was before.
This is not fear, it is not paranoia, and it is not a conspiracy. It is reality. And this virus is not going away until more people take it seriously. Please do your part to stop the spread.
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I want to thank Ginny for sharing her personal experience, so that we all might learn from it.
Be good to yourself and each other. ❤
Onward & Upward,
 Capitol Phone: 503-986-1430
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-487, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.JaneenSollman@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/sollman
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