April 20th COVID-19 Update

Michael Dembrow

April 20, 2021

Dear Neighbors and Friends,

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.

COVID cases have gone up somewhat, but not a lot from where they were over the weekend.  However, as you’ll see below, there was a reporting problem, and today’s test reporting numbers are low.  OHA warns that tomorrow’s will be much higher to make up for that.  Hospitalizations are up as well, and they are approaching the level where they send some counties into the Extreme Risk category.  More on that below.

Fortunately, COVID deaths remain low.

Today, as I’m sure you know, was an extremely important day for us all in the United States, with the announcement of the guilty verdicts for the police officer who murdered George Floyd.  Today’s announcement was reassuring in allowing us to see justice fulfilled but also painful in reminding us yet again of the pain and the loss and the work that still needs to be done.

Knowing the gridlock that still largely reigns in Congress, most of that action will need to be done in state legislatures.  Ironically, on this day of the Derek Chauvin decision, the Oregon House was slated to pass several policing-reform bills on the floor, but those votes had to be postponed till next week. Why?  

Because another case of COVID at the Capitol was announced today.  As a result, all House floor sessions have been canceled for this week.  Fortunately, our committees are meeting remotely, so they won’t have to experience any disruptions from this turn of events.

We again haven’t been told who it is, only that the person was last on the floor on Thursday. 

Senators are apparently not at risk and will be meeting tomorrow as usual.  I believe that all, or nearly all of the senators are fully vaccinated now or have had at least one dose of a two-dose vaccine.  A vaccine clinic was held for legislators two weeks ago tomorrow with the single-dose J&J vaccine, so hopefully this will be the last COVID disruption that we encounter.

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

 

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TODAY’S CORONAVIRUS AND CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE UPDATE

  • New COVID Cases: OHA reports 580 new COVID cases today.  The cumulative number of cases in Oregon since the beginning of the pandemic is 176,157.
  • Variant COVID Cases: OHA is now producing a Variant Tableau dashboard providing current variant case numbers for the state as a whole and for various parts of the state.  The reported numbers are the same as yesterday:  69 cases of the B.1.1.7 (UK) variant, 4 cases () of the P.1 (Brazilian) variant, and 8 cases) of the B.1.351 (South African) variant.  In addition, we are now seeing 124 cases of the B.1.427 variant, and 474 of the B.1.429 variant. 
  • Positive Test Results: OHA reported 625 positive tests today. The cumulative total of positive test results since the beginning of the pandemic is now 254,306.
  • Total Tests: OHA reported an additional 9,865 tests today. Our cumulative total of reported tests is now 4,493,610.
  • Positivity Rate: The test positivity ratio for Oregon today is 6.3%.
  • Hospitalization Information:
    • Patients Currently with Confirmed COVID-19: 255 (12 more than yesterday)
    • ICU Patients Confirmed w COVID-19: 58 (1 more than yesterday).
    • Available ICU Beds: 134 (35 fewer than yesterday)
    • Other Available Beds: 514 (116 fewer than yesterday).
    • Confirmed COVID-19 Patients Currently on Ventilators: 24 (2 more than yesterday).
    • Available Ventilators: 815 (22 more than yesterday).
  • Deaths: I’m happy to report 0 additional COVID deaths today.  The total number of COVID deaths in Oregon is now 2,460.
  • Vaccinations:
    • As of the end of yesterday, here are the latest numbers:
      • New Immunizations Reported Today: 26,051
        • 17,762 were conducted yesterday
        • 8,289 were conducted earlier, but the reports were received yesterday (there can potentially be a three-day window for reporting)
        • The 7-day running average is now 34,935 doses per day.
      • Total First and Second Doses Administered So Far: 2,574,583
        • 1,349,486 Pfizer doses
        • 1,135,322 Moderna doses
        • 88,696 Johnson & Johnson doses
      • Total Oregonians vaccinated so far: 1,615,363
        • 1,044,311 now fully vaccinated with two doses
      • To date, 3,221,605 doses of vaccine have been delivered to sites across Oregon. (That’s 152,880 more than was reported yesterday.)
  • Additional Brief Updates:
    • Canada has generally been doing better than the U.S. in terms of COVID-response. The one exception is with vaccinations, and there you’ll see a lot of frustration north of the border.
    • Here's a piece on how the pandemic has changed transit ridership now and perhaps for the long haul.
    • Here's a story  about how some small restaurants have used technology to beat the virus.
    • With the jury still out on whether or not the “pause” for the J&J vaccines is really needed, you may be wondering how the American people are reacting to this forced holiday from the vaccine. As you’ll see in this poll result from Axios/Ipsosl a strong majority of Americans believe that pausing the vaccine was the right step for the Government to take.
    • Here’s a major story from the Salem Republic's Rachel Alexander on a recent report on the effect of the pandemic on childcare providers in Oregon.  

 

Coming Up:  Another Ways and Means “Road Show”

We’re approaching that point in session where budgetary decisions for the next two years will begin to be made.  As usual, that won’t happen until the public has had a chance to weigh in with their priorities.  This usually comes in the form of a somewhat grueling series of “road shows,” as legislators travel around the state to hear directly from individuals in a succession of 2-minute oral testimonies and thousands of pages of written testimony.  It’s always enlightening and always painful, as we hear about the huge and varied levels of need there are out there.

This year, thanks to COVID, it will be different.  All the “road shows” will be virtual.  Instead of being held at a local community college or city hall, into which hundreds of people cram in hopes that their time driving or riding the bus will yield a couple of minutes of air time, this year time will be equally at a premium, but the distances traveled won’t be so great. 

The Road Shows continue on Wednesday evening, this time for residents of CD 3.  Here is the overall schedule:

road show

And here is the Ways and Means webpage for Wednesday, with the links to the meeting agendas, info on how to sign up to testify, and how to watch the meeting and testimony.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

 

Governor Announces New County Risk Levels

As expected, given the rising infection rates that we’ve been experiencing, a number of counties are seeing their risk status move up this week. Ten counties in all will see their risk levels increased, but as you’ll see, it could have been worse. Here's a press release from the Governor.

Here's the new list of county risk assessments.

As you’ll see, no counties are currently at Extreme High Risk, the most restrictive category that causes restaurants and other venues to close to in-person customers. As you’ll see in her press release, the Governor doesn’t want to move any counties into that category as long as hospital capacity isn’t at risk—until we have more than 300 Oregonians in the hospital for COVID.  However, at our current rate of hospitalization increase (we’re currently at 255), we’ll likely be there in a week, and the following counties will move into the High Risk Category:

Baker

Clackamas

Columbia

Crook

Deschutes

Jackson

Josephine

Klamath

Marion

Polk

Here's a chart  that shows the requirements for the different risk levels.

 

Updates to Indoor Sports Metrics, Effective April 23

In a move that many will likely question  (OK, I question it myself . . . ), the Governor also announced today that she is loosening the restrictions on indoor full-contact athletics.  Here’s the announcement:

Recognizing the importance of athletics for the physical and mental health of Oregon’s youth athletes and at the direction of the Governor’s Office, OHA has updated Oregon’s metrics for allowing the resumption of indoor full-contact sports. Sports organizations are required to follow health and safety measures for indoor full-contact sports to lessen the risk of COVID-19 infection. Additional guidance for indoor full-contact sports from OHA is forthcoming.

 

From OHA: “Sixteen and 17-Year-Olds Are Now Eligible for Vaccine: What’s Different for Them?”

Here’s another message that just came in from OHA, focused on young people:

Now, everyone in Oregon who is 16 and older is eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccination. If you’re 16 or 17, or the parent/guardian of someone who is, here’s what you need to know:  

  • Pfizer is the only vaccine that is authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use by people under the age of 18. 
  • Sixteen and 17-year-old people should look for appointments in locations that have access to the Pfizer vaccine.  
  • Not all vaccine websites tell you what kind of vaccine is available. Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is working to increase information about the type of vaccine that’s available. VaccineFindeorgdoes allow you to search for locations that provide the Pfizer vaccine.  
  • There are some areas of the state where the Pfizer vaccine is not readily available. OHA is working to expand the availability of Pfizer throughout the state.  
  • Under Oregon law, minors 15 and older may give consent to medical treatment, including vaccinations, provided by a physician, physician assistant, naturopath, nurse practitioner, dentist or optometrist, or others operating under the license of these providers, without the consent of a parent or guardian.   
  • It is OHA’s understanding that most locations where COVID-19 vaccinations are provided have oversight by a medical provider who would meet the definition of the provider types listed above, and therefore consent of a parent or guardian should not be required for a 16- or 17-year-old who wishes to get the Pfizer vaccine. Providers administering COVID-19 vaccinations to 16- or 17-year-old people should make it clear at the time a vaccine appointment is made whether consent from a parent or guardian will be required. 
  • The vaccine is free. You do not need to have insurance to use it. If you do have insurance, you may be asked for an insurance card so that an administration fee can be billed to the insurance company.  
  • You do not need to bring proof of eligibility, identification, social security number or health insurance. Vaccine providers may ask if you live in Oregon or what kind of work you do. 

For more information on vaccination for 16 and 17-year-old people, see the FAQ on OHA’s webpage

 

If You Missed Last Week’s OHA Facebook Live, Here’s the Summary

OHA experts answered vaccination questions on Facebook Live last week. You can view the video in Spanish or English. Below are time stamps for the questions: 

13:23 – My son turns 16 in May. Can he get vaccinated before his exact birthday? 

14:03 – Will it be easier to find and book an appointment after eligibility opens to all Oregonians on April 19th? I’m struggling to find an appointment for a medically-fragile senior citizen. 

15:04 – What happens if I get COVID-19 between my first and second dose? 

16:14 – The Johnson & Johnson vaccine can cause blood clots. If I’m more susceptible to having blood clots, should I get a different vaccine? 

17:29 – I live in a rural community that does not have the Pfizer vaccine available. That’s a problem because that’s the only vaccine for people 16-17 years old. How do I find a vaccine for my kids? 

18:16 – How many people have symptoms after the first dose of the Moderna vaccine? 

19:27 – Why are there so many doses of vaccine that have not been given? Are the extra doses being saved for second doses? 

20:30 – Can you please speak about the possibility of antibody-dependent enhancement, or ADE? What is the research with this issue in relation to the COVID-19 vaccines? 

21:17 – I finally got my first appointment this morning through OHSU. Should I still stay in the lottery queue under Get Vaccinated Oregon? 

22:11 – Can I get the vaccine outside of my home county? 

22:51 – Can I get a vaccine if I’m breastfeeding or pregnant? 

24:25 – After the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine, I developed an intensely itchy rash all over my body – five days after taking the vaccine. What do I do if a third booster is needed? 

25:39 – I’ve had COVID-19 twice now. Why should I get vaccinated? 

26:36 – I was so excited two weeks ago when I got my last vaccine so I’m finally fully vaccinated, but now I’m reading that the vaccines don’t protect against the B.1.351 variant. 

28:03 – When do we expect that everyone can be vaccinated? 

29:46 – My boyfriend got multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). Should he get the vaccine? 

30:53 – Do I still have to quarantine if I get vaccinated? 

 

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 580.  Here is today’s breakdown by county:

Benton (20)

Clackamas (47)

Clatsop (1)

Columbia (3)

Coos (6)

Crook (11)

Curry (4)

Deschutes (42)

Douglas (8)

Gilliam (1)

Grant (8)

Harney (7)

Hood River (3)

Jackson (47)

Jefferson (1)

Josephine (12)

Klamath (47)

Lake (1)

Lane (67)

Linn (13)

Malheur (2)

Marion (21)

Morrow (2)

Multnomah (86)

Polk (7)

Tillamook (1)

Umatilla (15)

Union (2)

Wallowa (1)

Wasco (8)

Washington (81)

Wheeler (1)

Yamhill (9)

Note from OHA: Reported case counts and electronic laboratory report (ELR) totals are lower than expected today due to unexpected downtime of Opera, Oregon’s COVID-19 case database, which occurred during business hours yesterday. This downtime paused the processing of ELRs received yesterday, and OHA expects that all delayed ELRs will be processed today. OHA anticipates case counts and ELR totals to be higher than expected tomorrow due to this delay.

 

And the Death (and Near-Death):

Oregon’s 2,460th death is an 82-year-old man from Sherman County who tested positive on Jan. 11 and died on Jan. 27 at Yuma Regional Medical Center in Yuma, Arizona.

Happy Note from OHA: On April 7, OHA reported in error Oregon’s 2,434th COVID-19 death as a 48-year-old man from Union County who tested positive on Nov 11. The man is not dead, and the number of COVID-19 deaths in Oregon has been adjusted to accommodate this error.  [I’m sure the man’s family is much relieved!]

 

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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.

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: 503-281-0608
mail: 900 Court St NE, S-407, Salem, OR, 97301