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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Today marks the 20th anniversary of the horrific and world-changing events of September 11, 2001. Like so many of you, I’ll never forget where I was on that day – in my case, watching the news live at the kitchen table. Let us always remember who and what was lost, as well as the heroism and compassion that brought us together in the days and weeks afterwards.
This is still a difficult day to talk about. If you are struggling to explain the significance of this day to any children in your lives, consider some lessons from this NPR piece. As an educator at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum put it, especially in this time of COVID, "Young people are looking to a generation who did live through a world-changing event and they want to know that it's possible to come out of it and how did we do it."
This article in The Oregonian reminds us how hundreds of Oregonians flew to New York City after 9/11 to support the city, sharing love and hope in a very dark time. An uplifting read.
This week marked the timeline that public health officials projected COVID-19 hospitalizations might reach their peak in the surge brought on by the Delta variant. While this provided a measure of hope, it is becoming clear that the fight against Delta will be ongoing for longer than we want.
An updated forecast from Oregon Health and Sciences University (OHSU) projects that Oregon hospitals will remain under severe strain from the current surge in COVID-19 cases, with a gradual decline in hospitalizations over the next two to three months. This decline, while slow, is only possible because more Oregonians are getting vaccinated, mask usage has increased, and more people have stopped gathering indoors and in large groups
As OHSU data scientist Peter Graven has put it, “We’re seeing evidence that people have changed their behavior to protect themselves and others, and that will need to continue if we’re going to be able to free up space in our hospitals.”
The stories about limited hospital capacity around the state over the last month have been frustrating and terrifying. Intensive care unit beds are incredibly scarce, and our hospitals are full. Cancer treatments are being delayed. Hospitals are setting up temporary morgues. These are the worst-case scenarios we feared, and have tried to prevent, for more than a year.
The actions many of you have taken to protect one another have been effective. Thank you! Here’s what’s working to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities:
- Getting vaccinated and helping friends, family and neighbors get vaccinated.
- Wearing face coverings in public indoor spaces and most public outdoor spaces.
- Keeping our gatherings small.
- Staying home when we’re sick.
- Washing our hands often.
- Physically distancing from those we don’t live with.
Let’s keep at it, together – for all of us.
Because getting vaccinated is the key to putting this pandemic truly behind us.
Think about COVID as a raging wildfire. Vaccines are like a fire retardant that can stop a fire on the move. There’s an individual and a communal benefit.
In addition, the temporary public health measures in place will help manage the Delta surge and keep our schools and businesses open. Vaccines, though, are still by far the best way to protect you and your family, especially any family or friends you have who are immunocompromised.
If you still have questions about how a vaccine works, consider the helpful video below.
If you recently decided to get a COVID-19 vaccine – even after you may have been initially hesitant – thank you! You can also help by encouraging other Oregonians to make this critical decision by telling your story. The OHA has a link here where you can share your experience.
School meals are a critical help to families who might struggle financially to put food on the table for their children. Since the start of the pandemic, school districts worked hard to feed children who were learning virtually. Families also relied more heavily on emergency food pantries to make up for the loss of school meals.
The good news is that the federal government has continued to step up to help with additional assistance to families through SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The Oregon Department of Human Services announced last week that Oregon received approval from the federal government to expand the Pandemic EBT program and provide an additional $167 million in food assistance to approximately 430,000 children in Oregon. Families currently receiving P-EBT benefits for the 2020-2021 school year will automatically receive an additional $389 per child in food assistance that will be received as two payments in September and October.
Additionally, I’m excited to see that every Oregon district will be able to provide free school breakfasts and lunches to any student this school year. The Oregonian has more details here on how bigger school districts across the state are handling this, thanks again to support from the federal government.
We have now entered the third school year impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This has been an incredibly difficult time for students, families, and educators, but I’m hopeful that effective public health measures can keep kids in school this year. I believe it’s absolutely essential to keep schools operating as normally as we can.
Earlier this week, Governor Brown, the Oregon Health Authority, the Oregon Department of Education (ODE), and OHSU urged Oregon families to take these five important steps to make the 2021-2022 school year as safe as possible:
- Make a plan to vaccinate all eligible household members.
- Wear a face covering in public and in carpools.
- Limit gatherings with other households, including big events for kids, like birthday parties.
- Move any social activities outside.
- Make a plan in case your child needs to miss school.
You can find more details here.
Some school districts may decide to conduct weekly COVID-19 testing, which may feel scary to some students. Preparing them ahead of time can help make it more comfortable. While parents know their kids best, here are some suggestions on how to prepare your child for testing:
- Make sure your kids know what COVID-19 is and why they are getting tested. Getting the test is a way to keep themselves and their loved ones safe. Explain what the process will look like. For example, you can explain that adults may wear protective clothing and that it may be uncomfortable, but it will be over fast.
- Make a plan with your kids about what to do during the test. Ask them what they can do to stay still, like counting, hugging a stuffed animal, taking deep breaths, or thinking of a favorite activity.
- Explain to them how you’ll find out the results of the test.
- Explain to them that they’ll have to quarantine if they test positive. Reassure them that you’ll make sure their needs are met while they’re at home.
This week marks one year since the historic Labor Day wildfires. The lives of so many Oregonians were forever altered by this disaster, and I continue to think about the communities who are still recovering and rebuilding.
This story from The Oregonian does a great job of sharing one community's story, one year later.
During this year's session, the Legislature approved more than $600 million to support the communities affected by the September 2020 wildfires, help reduce the effects of future wildfires, and increase community resiliency in the face of climate changes. The Oregon House is maintaining its Special Committee on Wildfire Recovery to keep tabs on the progress to revitalize and restore hard-hit communities. We will keep working together with communities to overcome this disaster.
If you live in one of the impacted communities and need support, please know that these resources are still available 24/7:
- Disaster Distress Helpline: call or text 800-985-5990 for immediate crisis counseling related to a disaster.
- Safe+Strong Oregon can connect you with help in your immediate area: call 800-923-HELP (4357) or visit safestrongoregon.org/mental-and-emotional-health
- Visit the American Red Cross for resources on recovering emotionally from a disaster: rdcrss.org/3l3vmW7
To everyone, please stay safe and informed about ongoing wildfire risks. There are 54 active fires throughout the state (which is twice as many compared to the middle of the week), and we know the threat is only increased by drought and unpredictable weather patterns brought about by climate change. For more information, go to Oregon Wildfire Response and Recovery here.
Finally, if you are in an area impacted by wildfire smoke, please consider the following public health advice about masking to protect yourself. N95 or P100 respirators can offer protection from the dangers of smoke, while cloth face coverings that can prevent COVID-19 transmission do not. National Public Radio has an informative story here on risks of wildfire smoke.
Since the additional federal unemployment assistance that started last year has ended, you or someone you know may be looking for help. The Oregon Employment Department has put together a resources webpage here where you can find out about programs and services available to you, like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), rental and housing help, small business assistance and more.
If you need help to pay rent or manage your mortgage, please check out:
Best,
Tina Kotek
State Representative
House District 44
Speaker of the House
email: Rep.TinaKotek@oregonlegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1200
address: 900 Court St NE, H-269, Salem, OR 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/kotek
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