The ongoing surge COVID-19 , driven by the highly contagious delta variant, appears to have peaked in Oregon and the Columbia River Gorge, but hospitals, healthcare workers and emergency responders continue to see an increase in patients needing emergency and critical care.
August 2021 is now the second highest month for new COVID-19 infections in Hood River County since the beginning of the pandemic, reports the Hood River County Health Department. There were 221 new COVID-19 cases, the second highest behind December 2020, which saw more than 400 new cases.
HOOD RIVER — In response to a positive COVID-19 case within Columbia Center for the Arts, the center is announcing the following changes to the gallery schedule to enable full completion of quarantine, testing, and sanitation protocols:
The CDC issued a health advisory today about a rapid increase in ivermectin prescriptions — now up 24-fold over pre-pandemic levels — and reports of severe illness associated with use of ivermectin products to prevent or treat COVID-19, according to North Central Public Health (NCPHD) in The Dalles.
Ivermectin is not FDA approved for use in preventing or treating COVID, and has not been proven as a way to prevent or treat it. Calls to poison control centers have gone up nationwide as a result of people taking ivermectin improperly, NCPHD reported.
HOOD RIVER — Hood River County School District Superintendent Rich Polkinghorn shared the district’s operating and COVID precaution plans at the Aug. 25 board meeting. The first day of school will be Sept. 7.
“This year we start the year still gripped in a COVID pandemic,” Polkinghorn told the board in his opening remarks.
Vaccination rates continue to rise steadily in Wasco, Sherman and Gilliam counties, but COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are also climbing as the surge in Delta variant COVID cases continues.
As of Friday morning, Aug. 27, MCMC had no open ICU beds, and 26 percent of its patient beds were taken by COVID positive patients. It has had to turn away ambulances due to increased volume in its ER. Also Friday, it re-instituted its policy of not allowing visitors due to the surge.
HOOD RIVER — Staff at Horizon Christian and Hood River County School District sites are getting ready to welcome students back into classrooms beginning Tuesday, Sept. 7.
The beginning of the new week brought a torrent of bad numbers that measure the skyrocketing spike in COVID-19 cases in Oregon.
Oregon’s hospitals continue to head toward unknown medical territory as the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients hit 937 in a report Monday, 37 more than Sunday. There 253 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit beds, up 22 from the day before.
The COVID-19 delta variant is spreading so fast that it will hit most of the state’s unvaccinated population before the six weeks needed to be fully immunized if they were inoculated now.
Since Friday, July 23 through late morning Friday, July 30, Wasco County has had 62 cases of COVID-19. More were coming in Friday afternoon.
Of those 62 cases, 55 were in unvaccinated people.
Peace Corps volunteers are going door to door in The Dalles to spread the word about the mobile COVID-19 vaccine clinic at St. Mary’s Academy. The clinic is only here through next Wednesday, July 14, and this is a final push to get the word out.
Hood River County Health Department gave a big thanks to all of the volunteers who helped Hood River County reach the 70% vaccination mark with a luncheon June 21 at Toll Bridge Park in Parkdale. Hood River remains a leader among the state.
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Nearly all COVID-19 restrictions could be lifted in as early as just over two weeks, Gov. Kate Brown said Friday.
The state is about 127,000 adults short of the goal of getting at least one shot of vaccine into 70 percent of eligible residents.
HOOD RIVER — Hood River Valley High School will double the size of its summer school program and offer students more options to regain credit, participate in experiential learning classes, and get back on track for graduation this year.
After receiving reports of three positive COVID-19 cases last weekend, Klickitat County Health Department announced notification of an additional 14 COVID-19 cases in individuals associated with Goldendale High School last Friday.
Five Oregon counties — including Hood River County — moved to the most permissive risk category for the spread of COVID-19 on Friday, May 21. Washington County, the state’s second-most populous county, is also among the five.
Thursday mornings in May from 9 a.m. to noon, business owners can pick up free business Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and residents can get free Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccines at Hood River County’s COVID Vaccine Clinics, held at Hood River County Health Department, 1109 June…
Five Oregon counties — including Hood River County — will move to the most permissive risk category for the spread of COVID-19 this Friday, May 21. Washington County, the state’s second-most populous county, is also among the five.
On Monday, May 10, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved to expand the use of Pfizer vaccine among adolescents 12-15 years old. Hood River County will be able to begin administering Pfizer to this age group once regional approvals are received in the following days. Those age …
The cities and counties of the Columbia Gorge are making plans now to spend the millions coming next month from the American Rescue Plan Act, the same act that awarded stimulus funds to individuals. The funds to governmental bodies are meant to offset losses caused by the pandemic.
HOOD RIVER — The City of Hood River’s revenue did not decline last year as expected, due in large part to in-coming federal pandemic stimulus funds known as the American Rescue Plan. City Manager Rachael Fuller and Finance Director Will Norris presented the fiscal year 2021-22’s proposed bud…
Hood River County School District’s bus drivers — around 24 of them, not counting the two mechanics who also drive when needed — lost a lot of work in the past year.
Hood River — COVID-19 rates are going up in Hood River County, Hood River County School District Superintendent Rich Polkinghorn told the board at the April 28 public meeting. Moving from Low Risk to Moderate Risk — and again to High Risk — is a reminder that the pandemic is not over, he said.
Hood River — Hood River County School District (HRCSD) and Hood River Education Association (HREA) reached a tentative settlement on a new three-year collective bargaining deal in the early hours of Thursday, April 22, during its third meeting with a state-assigned mediator. The HRCSD Board …
On May 4, Walmart announced a new COVID-19 vaccine milestone: Immunizations are now available to customers and associates in all of their more than 5,100 pharmacy locations nationwide. This includes the 45 Walmart pharmacies in Oregon.
On Friday, May 7, Hood River County will move from High Risk down to the Moderate Risk level. This change will be in effect through the following Thursday, May 13.
Effective Friday, April 23, Hood River County will move to Moderate Risk Level through May 6, Hood River County Health Department announced Wednesday afternoon.
The Next Door has announced its 2020 Volunteers of the Year: Tina Castañares and Paul Woolery of Odell.
Hood River County School Board members and administrators celebrated the return of all students to in-person classes at their April 14 board meeting, held at May Street Elementary as well as broadcast live via Google Meet.
Hood River, April 13 — Due to the announcement from the U.S. CDC and FDA this morning, the Johnson and Johnson Vaccine Clinic scheduled for Thursday April 15 has been canceled. This is out of an abundance of caution as they review six cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot in women ag…
The Hood River County Library District is offering browsing and Computer appointments at the Hood River branch Wednesdays and Thursdays, noon to 6 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
"We are seeing what may be a fourth wave of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations locally as well as statewide," began a Hood River County Health Department press release dated April 12.
The Hood River County Health Department has announced a COVID vaccine clinic for Thursday, April 15, with a goal of reaching farmworkers and household family members of frontline workers,
Staying strong can mean many things — physically, psychologically, emotionally strong. We’ve heard from the experts that exercise is one of the important ways we can maintain fitness, health and vitality. But finding the right program that fits our lifestyle and abilities as we age can be ve…
The U.S. reported a record over the weekend, with more than 4 million COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in 24 hours, according to Hood River County Health Department. “The country now averages more than 3 million doses daily, according to CDC data. We will continue to work with our communi…
Large groups of people are newly eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine starting April 5, including frontline workers and their age-eligible family members living with them, and those 16 and older with underlying health conditions as defined by the CDC.
All unemployed Oregonians will continue to get uninterrupted supplemental benefits of $300 per week under an extension of federal programs contained in President Joe Biden’s pandemic recovery plan, which is now law.
Wasco County reported on 10 cases of COVID-19 in the past two-week reporting period, and the state risk level map shows all of central Oregon, from the Columbia River to California, in the “green” or lower risk category. “We are crushing it here in central Oregon,” said Mimi McDonell, health…
A steep drop in COVID-19 infections nationwide was reflected Feb. 23 with 16 Oregon counties improving their infection risk levels. Gov. Kate Brown said that 10 of the state’s 36 counties were dropping off the extreme risk tier.
“It will be complex.”
Twelve counties, including Hood River County, will see fewer COVID-19 restrictions on businesses and activities beginning Friday as the state dropped risk level ratings for counties due to a decline in new infections.
Beginning the week of Jan. 25, Hood River County School District plans to offer limited in-person instruction (LIPI) to eligible students within Hood River County.
Hood River — Beginning the week of Jan. 25, Hood River County School District plans to offer limited in-person instruction (LIPI) to eligible students within Hood River County, HRCSD announced in a press release Jan. 22.
Jessica Metta had worked on economic response to disasters before the COVID-19 pandemic reached the U.S. in 2020.
“This is a public health emergency,” Trish Elliott, County Health Department director told the Hood River County Board of Commissioners last week.
Hood River — Hood River County will remain at the Extreme Risk Level with 29 other Oregon counties through Dec. 31, Hood River County Health Department announced Dec. 18.
The Capital Funds Campaign for the Hood River Valley Adult Center has received a $25,000 matching donation from an anonymous donor, and reports that $25,000 through local donations have been received.
What is it like to live in fear? Because of COVID-19, we’ve all been experiencing a fear unlike anything we’ve ever felt.
Wasco County, Hood River County at ‘extreme risk’
“To-go” is the classic phrase customers often add by force of habit in these pandemic days of ordering a meal, beer or coffee.
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