LOCAL
Saturday, June 13, 2020
COVID-19
Continued from Page 1A
risk,” Brogoitti said. “It’s
hard to literally change
how you interact with
people. It doesn’t happen
quickly and doesn’t happen
easily. Gatherings are a
place where people should
be cautious and where we
should work to maintain
our distance.”
Brogoitti acknowledged
what is most difficult is
changing the behaviors and
traditions people are used
to. She said people are
used to interacting in one
way, and to interject new
behaviors and ask people
to change the way they do
things, like touching and
talking, can be difficult.
These can be interactions
in school, in the workplace
and out in public. How-
ever, the best tool, Bro-
goitti said, people have in
fighting against the spread
of COVID-19 is to physi-
cally distance.
“Our goal is to keep the
spread as low as possible,
and if there is something
we can do as a community
we will try to do it,” Bro-
goitti said.
Rumors about the
new cases have spread
through the community,
including that the people
with COVID-19 were at a
church or protest. Brogoitti
said speculating on where
someone caught the dis-
ease misses the point.
“We lose sight of the
bigger picture when we
focus on one event,” Bro-
goitti said. “Is it possible
a person at an event had it
and spread it? Absolutely,
but it could have been any
setting.”
There is a possibility,
with a large increase in
cases, the county may go
back to Phase 1. According
tHe OBSerVer — 5A
to Brogoitti, it would be
the Oregon Health Author-
ity’s and the governor’s
offices that would make
that call based on indica-
tors measuring case num-
bers and rates. At this
time, the county remains
in Phase 2 of reopening.
Grande Ronde Hos-
pital and Clinics on
Friday announced it is
now requiring all patients,
employees and visitors
to wear a mask at all of
its locations. The “mask
requirement has come due
to an increase in commu-
nity-contracted cases of
coronavirus,” according
to a press release from the
hospital.
As long as there are
enough masks in supply,
the hospital will give dis-
posable masks to patients
and visitors who do not
have one. People may wear
their own masks or face
coverings as long as they
do not have any respira-
tory symptoms. If someone
arrives to a Grande Ronde
Hospital facility with
symptoms, staff will pro-
vide proper face coverings.
The hospital built up its
supply of personal protec-
tive equipment and dispos-
able loop masks and mon-
Continued from Page 1A
MEALS
place to prevent the spread
of the coronavirus. Vol-
unteer drivers now must
leave lunches and dinners
on doorsteps of homes.
Volunteer drivers used to
talk with the seniors on
their routes as a means of
lessening social isolation.
“Often Meals on
Wheels drivers are the
only people some seniors
see all day,” Gleeson said.
Peggy Lanman, a Meals
on Wheels driver, wishes
she could talk more exten-
sively with the people she
delivers to.
“I miss that part of it,”
Lanman said.
She started delivering
meals two years ago after
retiring as a teacher at
Imbler Elementary School.
Lanman said she had
wanted to do this after
seeing how much Meals
on Wheels meant to her
grandmother.
Recipients of Meals on
Wheels are encouraged to
make a $4.75 donation.
The increase in demand
for Meals on Wheels is not
the only reason the food
service staff at the Union
County Senior Center is
hopping more than ever.
The center on March 17
began offering midday
grab-and-go meal service
for seniors and all resi-
dents. The statewide prohi-
bition on large gatherings
meant the senior center
had to cancel its midday
sit-down meal service. The
takeout service became the
replacement for the con-
gregant meals.
RULES
Continued from Page 1A
looking at a way to present
something to the governor
and staff. These areas can’t
all be treated the same.
Guidance for one area
doesn’t work for another.
“Our call a week ago
with (the Oregon Health
Authority), we were told
those things. It set people’s
teeth on edge.”
She also said the state
was going against its own
claim that all decisions
would be science-based,
and pointed to the effec-
tiveness of face coverings
— which is still in dispute
Staff photo by Dick Mason
Jean Redd, a member of the food service staff at the Union County Senior Center, prepares meals Tuesday. The center’s
takeout lunch service offers meals to go in place of dining on site.
Grab-and-go drew 10
people the first day, but
since then its popularity
has soared and it now
sometimes draws more
than 100 people during the
noon hour. People 60 and
older are asked to make a
$3 donation for each meal,
while those younger than
60 pay $5. The number of
people coming for grab-
and-go meals is sub-
stantially more than the
number who came to eat
in the dining hall at the
Union County Senior
Center. Gleeson said the
center is providing 1,200-
1,400 takeout meals each
month, substantially more
than the 800-1,000 sit-
down meals per month.
Gleeson attributes the
increase to more seniors in
their early 60s coming for
grab-and-go meals.
“We are getting more
younger seniors coming
now,” she said.
A number of people
coming to the grab-and-go
use it as a means to reach
out to others, including
Al Weathermon of Island
City. Weathermon said he
will sometimes get up to
seven additional meals that
he distributes to seniors in
his neighborhood who are
— as an example.
“We were told the state
made only decisions based
on science. But on this
particular issue it was
based on theory,” she said.
Lake County Commis-
sioner Mark Albertson
coordinated the meeting
via email, in which he ref-
erenced a conference from
last week that seemed
to indicate a double
standard.
“Today in a confer-
ence call with the AOC the
OHA director stated that
he wanted to protect the
protesters and they didn’t
have to follow the guide-
lines that we do!” he said
in an email timestamped
just before 3 p.m. June 5
that was sent to more than
45 Eastern and Central
Oregon commissioners.
“You can request the tran-
script from the AOC if you
don’t believe me. In other
words you can protest but
we can’t go to church, you
can protest but can’t go to
a ball game, you can pro-
test but you can’t have a
fair or rodeo. This is abso-
lute insanity and now the
OHA tells you if you can
go to work or dinner with
your friends.”
Anderes also refer-
enced the conference call,
noting “they talked about
not tracing demonstra-
tors but were going to hold
everyone else to a (dif-
ferent) standard.”
The Union County com-
missioner said there was
discussion about the state
continuing to hold what
he said was about $1.62
billion in CARES Act
funding.
“As of today, there has
not been any money dis-
tributed to counties, cities
and special districts, which
is really a concern,” he
said. “We are racking
up some bills that are
COVID-related.”
Roberts noted the com-
missioners discussed their
concerns about their con-
stituents, how there “didn’t
seem to be any consistency
whatsoever” in what came
from the state.
“There were just lots of
things that did not equate
to rural Oregon,” she said,
pointing to the lower per-
centage of cases in the
rural parts of the state
compared to others. “We’re
not naive enough to think
the virus won’t find us but
we’re prepared to meet the
challenge. Our local hos-
pitals and authorities are
ready.”
She added the state
should be ready to help if
called upon, but “until then
we feel we need to be able
to make the decisions.”
Roberts said a “compi-
lation of those things we
itors their amounts, the
press release said.
“In addition, due to
the generosity of our
own community, we
have already been able
to distribute hundreds of
donated cloth face cov-
erings to many of our
employees and patients,”
according to the release.
“We have been and will
continue to be good stew-
ards of these crucial
supplies.”
This new policy will
be in effect until fur-
ther notice as the hospital,
county and state continue
to monitor cases locally.
not able to get out of their
homes easily.
“I want to help people
who are stuck in their
houses,” Weathermon said.
Gleeson said her staff
is continuing to keep tabs
on the seniors who are
not able to get out during
the pandemic. They call
to find out how they are
doing and how they can be
helped.
“If they have a problem
we try to put them in touch
with people who can assist
them,” Gleeson said.
For example, if seniors
are not able to get their
medication staff will put
them in touch with a phar-
macy that makes deliv-
eries, and if someone
needs to get to a doctor
arrangements to pro-
vide transportation will
be made. Gleeson is
impressed with how hard
her staff, which includes
cooks Nancy Scott, Loran
Maltman and Jean Redd,
work to reach out.
“They have such a pas-
sion for seniors and get-
ting them what they need,”
Gleeson said, noting that
the clients are always the
focus of the Union County
Senior Center’s food ser-
vice program.
This summer, Com-
munity Connection also
is providing meals for the
kids summer lunch pro-
gram, which serves free
lunches on weekdays
at the Riveria Activity
Center. Even with the extra
responsibilities, Gleeson
said she finds the work
fulfilling.
“It still is as rewarding
for me as when I started,”
she said.
NOW HIRING
as commissioners out here
feel need to be addressed
or let our public know we
are working on” will be
sent out next week.
Roberts also coun-
tered reporting about the
meeting being secretive.
“We weren’t
private,”
NOW
HIRING
he said. “We went into a
restaurant and had lunch. I
think the concept was we
could have had a phone
call among us. We chose
to meet in public and in
person, and the press was
there.”
NOW HIRING
NOW HIRING
PRODUCTION
WORKERS
starting wage $19.65/hr.
NUMBERS
Continued from Page 1A
gets sick with COVID-19
symptoms.
•Stay in touch with
others by phone or email.
If you have a chronic med-
ical condition and live
alone, ask family, friends
and health care providers to
check on you.
Stay in touch with
family and friends, espe-
cially those at increased
risk of developing severe
illness, such as older adults
and people with severe
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WHAT ARE THE
SYMPTOMS OF
COVID-19?
Reported illnesses have
ranged from mild symp-
toms to severe illness and
death for COVID-19. Fever,
cough and shortness of
breath may appear two to
14 days after exposure.
IF I FEEL I HAVE
COVID-19 SYMPTOMS,
WHAT DO I DO?
If you think you have
been exposed to COVID-19
and develop a fever and
symptoms, such as cough
or difficulty breathing, call
your health care provider
for medical advice.
WHERE CAN I
GET THE TEST FOR
COVID-19?
If you develop symp-
toms such as fever, cough
and/or difficulty breathing,
and have been in close con-
tact with a person known
to have COVID-19 or have
recently traveled from an
area with ongoing spread
of COVID-19, stay home
and call your health care
provider. Your doctor will
determine whether you
should be tested.
*Source: Centers for
Disease Control and
Prevention
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Gerry Montgomery
90 years old
on June 14th -Flag Day
Gerry is truly a gift to the community.
Some brief information about her! She has been volunteering at the Union County Senior Center for the
last 20 years. Prior to COVID-19 and when this is all over with: She is currently the Volunteer Coordinator
five days a week where she schedules volunteer groups to serve lunch and assist with catering jobs that
help support the center. She is also the coordinator of the weekly Bingo Games for the center as well. She
teaches water aerobics at Grande Ronde Athletic Club and a stretching class.
She stays very active and enjoys all volunteer commitments that help keep her feeling young at the age of
90. If you ask her she will say “Staying so active has really been a blessing for my health and wellbeing.”
Happy Birthday Gerry! We Love you Mike, Carmen & Ashley