June 4th COVID-19 Update

Michael Dembrow

June 4, 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.

Today’s COVID numbers show an increase in case counts reported today, but decreases in all other metrics: positivity rate, hospitalization rates, and deaths.  Vaccination rates continue to rise gradually from the Memorial Day Weekend’s big declines.

In tonight’s newsletter you’ll find a summary of the Governor’s press conference focused on COVID and the vaccines.  In the words of the Governor and her medical advisors, Oregon (and the same could be true of much of the country) is really having two pandemic experiences now: one, a heartening story of plummeting case counts, hospitalizations, and deaths among the vaccinated, who are now able to safely put COVID restrictions behind them; and a pandemic where the disease is as dangerous and virulent as it has ever been for the unvaccinated.  A stark example is told by a pulmonologist from Bend, where of the 98 COVID deaths they’ve experienced, all but one were unvaccinated. 

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

  • New COVID Cases: OHA reports 436 new COVID cases today.  The cumulative number of cases in Oregon since the beginning of the pandemic is 202,675.
  • Variant COVID Cases: Here are the cumulative case counts for the COVID variants in Oregon: 1,152 (up from 983) cases of the B.1.1.7 (UK) variant, 176 cases (up from 142) of the P.1 (Brazilian) variant, and 86 (up from 80) cases of the B.1.351 (South African) variant.  In addition, we are now seeing 277 (up from 257) cases of the B.1.427 variant, and 700 (up from 688) of the B.1.429 variant.  OHA is now producing a  Variant Dashboard, providing current variant case numbers for the state as a whole and for various parts of the state.  It’s updated each Wednesday.
  • Positive Test Results: OHA reported 448 positive tests today. The cumulative total of positive test results since the beginning of the pandemic is now 293,865.
  • Total Tests: OHA reported an additional 14,446 tests today. Our cumulative total of reported tests is now 5,184,834.
  • Positivity Rate: The test positivity ratio for Oregon today is 3.4%.
  • Hospitalization Information:
    • Patients Currently with Confirmed COVID-19: 219 (9 fewer than yesterday)
    • ICU Patients Confirmed w COVID-19: 57 (6 fewer than yesterday).
    • Available ICU Beds: 158 (12 more than yesterday)
    • Other Available Beds: 488 (30 more than yesterday).
    • Confirmed COVID-19 Patients Currently on Ventilators: 29 (1 fewer than yesterday).
    • Available Ventilators: 783 (19 more than yesterday).
  • Deaths: I’m sorry to report 3 additional COVID deaths today.  The total number of COVID deaths in Oregon is now 2,686.
  • Vaccinations:
    • As of the end of yesterday, here are the latest numbers:
      • New Immunizations Reported Today: 25,237
        • 9,587 were conducted and reported yesterday
        • 15,650 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 17,551 doses per day.
  • Total First and Second Doses Administered So Far: 4,021,545
    • 2,246,993 Pfizer doses
    • 1,625,361 Moderna doses
    • 147,284 Johnson & Johnson doses
  • Total Oregonians vaccinated so far: 2,265,143
    • 1,893,574 now fully vaccinated with two doses
  • To date, 5,289,645 doses of vaccine have been delivered to sites across Oregon. (This is 7,960 more than yesterday. The total number of doses coming in this week so far this week is 199,590.)
    • 76.0% of these doses have been administered so far. The national average is now 81.0%.
    • 55.4% of Oregonians have received at least one dose (63.0% of those 16 and older, 66.2% of those 18+, which is the CDC standard).
    • 46.2% of Oregonians are now fully vaccinated (54.0% of those 16 and older).
  • Want to see how close each county is to hitting the 65% target for moving to lower risk? Here's an interactive map showing percentages for total population and for eligible population (residents age 16+).  It shows how close each county is to hitting the 65% target.
  • Additional Brief Updates:
    • Democrats and Republicans on the House Conduct Committee couldn’t agree on how to handle the harassment charge for Rep. Brad Witt (D-Clatskanie), who sent a very questionable and suggestive text to a House colleague. As a result, the committee deadlocked and could only agree that Rep Witt needed coaching and training to avoid such an event in the future.  You can read more here.
    • Meanwhile, the Oregonian published a story and video of what definitely appears to be a smoking gun in the case of Rep. Mike Neaman’s intentionally allowing armed, violent protesters into the Capitol during a special session in December. Recorded prior to that event, he is seen coaching people on how to contact him to come out and open the door on that day.  Having watched the video, it’s hard to see that this was not a deliberate act by Nearman.  He faces legislative action and criminal charges.
    • Plans for summer programs for young people to help them make up for lost activity and learning are shaping up around the state. Having been involved in this effort from the beginning, this is very exciting for me. Here's a story about it. If you’re not sure what’s available in your area, contact your local school district and check.

 

It's Constituent Coffee Time!!!

Tomorrow is the first Saturday of the month, so tomorrow morning, 9:00-10:30, will be our next zoom coffee.

This will be our last coffee of the session, so a great chance to hear just what’s happening in these turbulent final days and your last chance to remind me of your priorities!

Hope tosee you there.  You can register here.

 

Governor’s Press Briefing Today: A Tale of Two Oregons

The Governor gave a COVID update in her press briefing today.  She was joined by OHA Director Pat Allen, State Epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger, and Dr. Louis D’Avignan, a pulmonologist at St. Charles Hospital in Bend.  One major theme of the briefing was that Oregon is now experiencing two radically different pandemics right now: one for the vaccinated (an overall cheery story now) and one for the unvaccinated (a tale of ongoing danger and risk).

You can watch the briefing here (starts at 33’32”), find the slides here and read the press conference talking points here.

Here are some highlights:

  • We have 127,000 to go to hit the 70% threshold that will allow us to fully reopen the state.
  • The modeling suggests that we will get to the 70% threshold by June 21st. Memorial Day weekend set us back a bit, but we do still seem to be on track for that.
  • “Fully reopen” means no more capacity limits. Masks will no longer be required by the state, except for places still limited by the federal government: airports, public transit, medical facilities.
  • The more Oregonians are vaccinated, the safer it will be for those who CANNOT get the vaccine or for whom it’s not fully effective: people with cancer, those who are immunocompromised, and children.
  • Nearly all Oregonians coming into the hospital now are unvaccinated.
  • According to Dr. Louis D’Avignan from Bend: In Bend 97 of the 98 COVID deaths have been unvaccinated. The average length of stay in the ICU is a minimum of 2 weeks. Patients are younger because many of the older people have been vaccinated.  It’s tragic because this is now a preventable disease.
  • There are two pandemics in Oregon: one is dying out among people who are vaccinated and one that is raging as fiercely as ever among the unvaccinated.
  • If you are fully vaccinated, you can begin to put the pandemic behind you. You won’t have to quarantine yourself even if you come in contact with someone with COVID.
  • Counties with lower than median vaccination rates have higher than median COVID rates.
  • We are 18th in the nation for states whose populations have received at least one dose.
  • Memorial weekend we hit a speed bump for vaccinations.
  • People of color are continuing to be vaccinated at higher rates than White Oregonians.
  • Pharmacies are starting to give vaccinations in the evenings in order to be available for the “Vaccine Inconvenienced.”
  • The vaccine may be slightly less effective with COVID variants, but it appears to be equally effective at preventing serious effects from the disease.
  • We’re in the top ten of states at vaccinating 12-15 year olds.

 

Where Are Today’s  Cases?

If we put together the positive test results and new “presumptive cases” reported today, the overall number of new cases reported is 436. Here is today’s breakdown by county:

Baker (2)

Benton (2)

Clackamas (66)

Columbia (4)

Crook (15)

Curry (4)

Deschutes (27)

Douglas (24)

Grant (2)

Harney (5)

Jackson (14)

Jefferson (6)

Josephine (4)

Klamath (7)

Lane (38)

Lincoln (3)

Linn (27)

Malheur (1)

Marion (49)

Morrow (6)

Multnomah (45)

Polk (9)

Tillamook (1)

Umatilla (12)

Union (3)

Wallowa (1)

Wasco (2)

Washington (48)

Yamhill (9)

 

And the Deaths:

Oregon’s 2,684th death is a 58-year-old man from Klamath County who tested positive on April 30 and died on May 16 at Sky Lakes Medical Center.

Oregon’s 2,685th death is a 75-year-old woman from Harney County who tested positive on May 8 and died on May 26 at St. Luke’s Boise Medical Center.

Oregon’s 2,686th death is an 84-year-old man from Marion County who tested positive on May 29 and died on June 2 at Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center.

 

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cases 14

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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