COVID-19: Steep decline seen in cases

Schwartz reported steep declines in both case counts, hospital visits testing volume over the past week. last week, Region 6 hospitals (The Dalles and Hood River) reported seven of 10 Intensive Care Unit beds occupied, and 44 of 50 non-ICU beds occupied.

Schwartz noted a mobile FEMA vaccination team would set up downtown The Dalles Feb. 21. The free walk-in, week-long COVID-19 vaccine clinic will be open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, Feb. 21-28, including the weekend. It will be located at 523 E. Third St., the former Griffith Motors building downtown, across from Sawyer’s Ace Hardware.

The clinic will offer free vaccines to everyone ages 5 and up, and will offer the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. No ID, insurance or appointment is needed. It will offer pediatric doses as well as first, second, third and booster doses.

Schwartz noted COVID test kits were available at the NCPHD office. To request a home test kit, call 541-506-2600 and select the “testing” option. Kits are distributed at certain times each day, but those interested should still call ahead before attending, according to NCPHD; 5,220 home test kits have already been distributed to the community.

The long-running vaccination clinic held at the Fort Dalles Readiness Center is shutting down, and vaccination services are moving to the NCPHD clinic beginning March 2, with clinics on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Statewide, Oregon’s mask mandate will be lifted by March 31, both for indoor venues and for school districts.

“Mask mandate could be lifted before that date, if cases drop fast enough,” Schwartz added, but said local health officials have not been notified what metric will trigger an early end to the mandate. Businesses and school districts can still require masks after the mandate ends, Schwartz said.

Masks will still be required at healthcare facilities.

“Please continue wearing your mask until hospital numbers go way, way down,” Schwartz added, noting that it didn’t take many hospitalizations to impact the region’s hospitals. “We need to see more hospital capacity here, and throughout the state, so beds are available,” she explained.