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March 20, 2021
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
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.
Our COVID numbers remain stable, with reported hospitalizations declining from yesterday. This is good news, suggesting that the more-contagious COVID variants have not taken hold here yet.
Friday was another big day for vaccinations, fortunately. 467,951, or nearly 2/3 of seniors 65 and older, have now been vaccinated
Please stay safe, and let me know if you have any questions about information in today’s newsletter.
TODAY’S CORONAVIRUS AND CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE UPDATE
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New COVID Cases: OHA reports 339 new COVID cases today. The cumulative number of cases in Oregon since the beginning of the pandemic is 160,994.
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Variant COVID Cases: OHA does not report on potential additions to the number of variant cases over the weekend. So, the reported number of the B.1.1.7 (UK) variant in Oregon remains at 17, and the P.1 (Brazilian) variant is still at 1. There are still 0 reported cases of the other variants.
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Positive Test Results: OHA reported 527 positive tests today. The cumulative total of positive test results since the beginning of the pandemic is now 233,831.
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Total Tests: OHA reported an additional 16,738 tests today. Our cumulative total of reported tests is now 4,055,535.
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Positivity Rate: The test positivity ratio for Oregon today is 3.1%.
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Hospitalization Information: OHA only reports on the first two bulleted items over the weekend. So, the other numbers are unchanged from yesterday. I’ll update them on Monday.
- Patients Currently with Confirmed COVID-19: 106 (9 fewer than yesterday)
- ICU Patients Confirmed w COVID-19: 26 (4 fewer than yesterday).
- Available ICU Beds: 169 (14 more than yesterday)
- Other Available Beds: 650 (58 more than yesterday).
- Confirmed COVID-19 Patients Currently on Ventilators: 8 (3 more than yesterday).
- Available Ventilators: 808 (10 more than yesterday).
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Deaths: I’m sorry to report 5 additional COVID deaths today. The total number of COVID deaths in Oregon is now at 2,362.
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Vaccinations:
- As of the end of yesterday, here are the latest numbers:
- New Immunizations Reported Today: 35,608
- 22,630 were conducted yesterday
- 12,978 were conducted earlier, but the reports were received yesterday (there can potentially be a three-day window for reporting)
- Total First and Second Doses Administered So Far: 1,487,154
- 729,748 Pfizer doses
- 726,799 Moderna doses
- 29,636 Johnson & Johnson doses
- Total Oregonians vaccinated so far: 960,013
- 549,419 now fully vaccinated with two doses
- To date, 1,858,385 doses of vaccine have been delivered to sites across Oregon. (7,210 more than yesterday.)
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Additional Quick Updates:
- The Oregonian’s Brad Schmidt does an in-depth look at why Oregon’s vaccination rate, while much higher than it was, has lowered relative to other states.
- Not surprisingly, reactions to the new CDC standards reducing student-to-student distancing from 6 ft. to 3 ft. are mixed. Here's an initial look.
- Vaccine hesitancy remains a challenge across the nation, which is why much-loved and respected individuals are being very public in getting their vaccines. Unfortunately, one-fourth of members of Congress are currently refusing the vaccine. See more here.
- Meanwhile, next door in Idaho, their legislative session has had to be suspended and their Statehouse shut down because of a COVID outbreak, mainly among Republican legislators. You can read about it here. As you’ll see, there is a partisan divide there with respect to face coverings. I’m pleased to say that during our floor sessions, all legislators have been following the protocols. However, Oregon Republican senators are still insisting that the Capitol be opened to the public at this time. (A recent poll has suggested that nearly 2/3 of Oregonians agree that the Capitol should remain closed until the COVID numbers have come down.)
- Among the bills that I’m chief-sponsoring this session, SB 574 is at first glance perhaps the most unlikely. It would allow motorcyclist to “lane filter,” meaning that if traffic comes to a half, or a near-halt, they can slowly ride their cycles between lines of traffic. It became to me as an issue by a former student, and I’ve come to appreciate the benefits for relieving congestion, lowering emissions, and keeping motorcyclists safe. As it turns out, it has lots of bipartisan support and was just scheduled for a vote. It stalled last session but is on track to pass this time around. Here’s a KGW piece on the bill and the issue.
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 is 339. Nearly 2/3 of today’s reported cases are from outside the Portland Tri-County area. Here is today’s breakdown by county:
Baker (1)
Benton (15)
Clackamas (39)
Clatsop (5)
Columbia (1)
Coos (16)
Crook (2)
Curry (6)
Deschutes (4)
Douglas (11)
Hood River (1)
Jackson (31)
Jefferson (1)
Josephine (25)
Klamath (3)
Lane (18)
Lincoln (3)
Linn (16)
Malheur (3)
Marion (32)
Multnomah (51)
Polk (1)
Tillamook (3)
Umatilla (7)
Union (3)
Wasco (1)
Washington (38)
Yamhill (2)
And the Deaths:
Oregon’s 2,358th COVID-19 death is a 78-year-old woman in Lane County who tested positive Feb. 19 and died March 3 at her residence.
Oregon’s 2,359th COVID-19 death is a 75-year-old man in Coos County who tested positive March 17 and died March 18 at Bay Area Hospital.
Oregon’s 2,360th COVID-19 death is a 94-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive Feb. 4 and died Feb. 11 at his residence.
Oregon’s 2,361st COVID-19 death is a 70-year-old man in Yamhill County who tested positive Feb. 4 and died March 11 at his residence.
Oregon’s 2,362nd COVID-19 death is a 77-year-old woman in Columbia County who tested positive Feb. 25 and died March 8 at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center.
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.
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,
 Senator Michael Dembrow
District 23
email: Sen.MichaelDembrow@oregonlegislature.gov
web: www.senatordembrow.com
phone: 503-281-0608
mail: 900 Court St NE, S-407, Salem, OR, 97301
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