Governor declares state of emergency for coronavirus response: The number of confirmed cases in Oregon rises to 14; none reported in HR County

Gov. Kate Brown has declared a statewide state of emergency to address the spread of the novel coronavirus after the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) identified four new cases of COVID-19 in Oregon on Saturday and an additional seven on Sunday, bringing the total to 14 as of Monday morning.
In total, eight of the confirmed cases are out of Washington County, two are in Jackson County, and Klamath, Umatilla, Douglas and Marion counties have one confirmed case each.
According to OHA, three of the new cases are travel-related, five were contacts of a known case and had been under monitoring, and three — one each in Washington, Marion and Douglas counties — are being investigated as community-spread cases, meaning that the origin of the infection is unknown.
“This news is concerning for all Oregonians, but my resolve and that of my administration to address this public health crisis is unchanged,” said Brown in an official press release. “This emergency declaration gives the Oregon Health Authority and the Office of Emergency Management all the resources at the state’s disposal to stem the spread of this disease. We will do everything it takes, within our power and in coordination with federal and local officials, to keep Oregonians safe.”
The emergency declaration allows OHA to activate reserves of emergency volunteer health care professionals and grants broad authority to the State Public Health Director, OHA, and the Office of Emergency Management, said the press release, which “will allow the agencies to take immediate action and devote all available state resources towards containing the coronavirus in Oregon.”
The state of emergency will remain in effect for 60 days but can be extended “until the public health threat of the coronavirus is contained,” said the press release.
“We are prepared to activate an unprecedented state and private effort to contain the spread of COVID-19 in Oregon by focusing specifically on at-risk populations,” said OHA Director Patrick Allen. “We want to protect Oregonians at greatest risk of the most severe outcomes of this disease, including older adults, people with underlying conditions, people who are homeless and those who are vulnerable in other ways.”
With the additional resources granted by the emergency declaration, OHA is finalizing agreements with major hospital systems to expand locations where COVID-19 tests can be conducted safely, preparing to mobilize Oregon’s medical reserve corps, expanding telemedicine, and convening providers who serve older adults and vulnerable populations to mobilize an “aggressive outreach and prevention strategy to protect at-risk people,” according to an OHA press release.
“By declaring a state of emergency, the governor and the Oregon Health Authority director are taking necessary steps to bring state government’s broad powers to respond to the outbreak of COVID-19 in Oregon,” said Becky Hultberg, president and CEO of the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems (OAHHS), a nonprofit trade association representing acute care hospitals in Oregon. “Hospitals are on the front lines responding to the outbreak and are committed to providing critical inpatient and community health services to respond to this evolving situation. We are working with the state administration to address important issues such as inpatient capacity, additional supplies and equipment to keep our workers and patients safe, regulatory relief to ensure adequate staffing and clarity around changing requirements.”
There are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Hood River County, and locals are taking preventative action to try and keep it that way. Events throughout the county have been canceled or rescheduled due to concerns about the outbreak (see sidebar), and the Hood River County School District is keeping parents updated on the situation statewide and on the district’s own preventive safety measures, including disinfecting high-touch areas (including school buses) daily with hospital-grade disinfectant and stocking up on other cleaning supplies.

COVID-19 cancelations announced

Columbia River Gorge Commission, others, cancel or change plans

Coronavirus concerns are impacting more and more local organizations, including Columbia Gorge Commission, which canceled its March 10 in-person session, and will shift to remote technology to conduct business.

Chairman Robert Liberty said in a weekend email, “As a bi-state agency I think we should be respectful of Gov. Jay Inslee’s advice yesterday to avoid nonessential meetings of 10 or more people or to hold them virtually.”

Liberty said, ”Until there is more information about coronavirus, the Gorge Commission will be scheduling and holding our next meeting (and possibly more) using online video technology such as Zoom. We will send out email notices and will post the new date of our first online commission meeting in the next week, so please check our website for the call-in information.”

2020 Wind Challenge

In what should have been its seventh year, the 2020 Wind Challenge has been canceled in relation to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, announced officials with Gorge Technology Alliance (GTA).

The event brings over 200 middle- and high-school students and dozens of volunteers from across six counties together for a one-day competition to build the best wind turbine. This event had been planned for March 14 at Fort Dalles Readiness Center.

“We did not take cancelation of this event lightly,” said GTA Executive Director Jessica Metta. “While Wind Challenge has been a beloved staple for STEM education in the Gorge for many years, the safety of the students and volunteers is our top priority. We have been monitoring the COVID-19 concerns very carefully and felt it was best to cancel this year’s event based on our most up-to-date assessment and in consideration of general public health and safety.”

The planning team behind Wind Challenge will reconvene in a few months to consider rescheduling the event for Fall 2020. All previously registered student teams, volunteers, and the community will be informed if the event is rescheduled.

For more information about Wind Challenge, visit windchallenge.org

Barley Draught shows

Gorge band Barley Draught has postponed all four of its gigs in March they had billed as their farewell tour, after 23 years together.

Double Mountain party

Double Mountain Brewery and Cidery has postponed the 13th anniversary party it planned for this weekend, to the tentative date of June 27.

“After a lot of thought and discussion, we have decided to postpone our Anniversary Party and have set a tentative date of June 27,” the brewery announced in a press release. “We do not take the decision lightly, but considering the number of people that attends and the current situation with COVID-19, we do think it is in the best health interests for everyone. Should anyone decide to show up, we will be open for normal hours, unless things change over the next week.”

Gorge Commission

Chairman Robert Liberty stated, “The long-term advantages of learning how to use online meeting technology will be important during this critical time, as well as for scheduling future meetings as needed. We do not know, yet, whether the April 28-29 meetings can be held in person, or whether we will need to continue online meetings for the next few months,” Liberty said.

The March 10 Commission meeting materials are all posted on the commission website. Liberty advised contacting Executive Director Krystyna Wolniakowski, with any questions in advance of our next online meeting “in order to be very prepared on the content while we are exploring how to have productive discussions using new meeting technology.”

Wolniakowski can be reached by email at krystyna.wolniakowski@gorgecommission.org, or by phone 509-713-9623.

Cherry Blossom Buffet

Mosier Grange announced Monday that it was canceling its annual Cherry Blossom Buffet, which would have been held April 5, due to concerns about coronavirus.

HR Business Showcase

The Hood River County Chamber of Commerce has decided to cancel the 2020 Small Business Showcase. scheduled for March 12 at Hood River Valley Adult Center, and will refund vendor fees.

Feast of Words

The Hood River Library Foundation fundraiser scheduled for March 14 has been postponed. “We fully intend to hold the event, but we want to do so on a date everyone is comfortable with,” said Foundation president Jen Bayer.

Coronavirus refers to the family-group of viruses, while COVID-19 is the specific strain causing the outbreak. Common human coronaviruses can cause mild to moderate upper-respiratory tract infections — such as the common cold — but some, like COVID-19, can also cause more severe symptoms. Reported cases have ranged from mild illness, similar to a common cold, to severe pneumonia that requires hospitalization.
Most people with COVID-19 have mild symptoms, but older adults and people who have severe chronic medical conditions, such as heart, lung or kidney disease, have been identified by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention as the most at-risk for severe illness from COVID-19.
Dana Hargunani, M.D., chief medical officer at OHA, recommended that those most at-risk take the following steps to stay safe and healthy:
Minimize contact with people who may be ill.
Avoid large public gatherings.
Order prescriptions by mail.
Take daily precautions: Wash your hands frequently, don’t touch your anywhere on your face and clean surfaces.
The most effective preventative methods for the general public are frequent handwashing and covering your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.
When handwashing, use soap and warm water to scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds; and when coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue and throw it away after use, then wash your hands (if a tissue is unavailable, coughing/sneezing into your elbow or upper sleeve is the next best option).
OHA also recommends that people avoid contact with people who are sick, avoid touching your face with unwashed hands, clean and disinfect surfaces that are often touched, and stay home from work or school if you feel sick, or develop a cough or fever. The Hood River County School District requires that students be fever-free for 24 hours before returning to class after an illness.
For more information, and to check for updated information about the coronavirus, visit the websites for OHA, www.oregon.gov/oha or the World Health Organization, www.who.int/westernpacific/emergencies/covid-19. Links to the Center for Disease Control’s webpage and the John Hopkins University Coronavirus Tracker, as well as guides for business and restaurant response, are available via the Hood River County’s website, www.co.hood-river.or.us (for the County Health Department’s page, click “Health Department” under the County Departments tab). The Hood River County School District is posting relevant information on its website, www.hoodriver.k12.or.us/hoodriver.