6
Wednesday,February24,2021
COVID-19
Columbia Gorge News
www.columbiagorgenews.com
VACCINE UPDATES
eligible to receive the vaccine, check
• South Gilliam Health Center: 20
vaccination when the become
their websites for more information. cumulative; 20 the week ending Feb. eligible under state guidelines. In
Through Feb. 13, the entities
13.
Oregon, those 70 years of age and
Continued
Wasco, Sherman and
listed below have administered 5,517
• Local long term care facilities:
older are now eligible. Residents 65
Gilliam counties
vigilance needed
vaccines, including first and second
1,406 cumulative doses. (Long term
and older become eligible March 1.
In central Oregon, visit covidvaccine.
North Central Pubic Health District doses. The breakdown of vaccines by care facilities have completed their
Continued from page 1 is now providing weekly vaccine
agency or group is:
doses.)
oregon.gov, ncphd.org or wascosher-
• North Central Public Health
Vaccines are being given to health- mangilliamcovid19.com. Residents
updates and distribution statistics
District: 1,995 cumulative doses: 370 care providers, emergency respond- can also call 211, text ORCOVID to
for Wasco, Sherman and Gilliam
category based on its case
the week ending Feb. 13.
counties.
count over a 14-day period.
ers, educators and childcare provid- 898211 or email ORCOVID@211info.
• Sherman County Medical Center: ers and now, those 75 and older.
A number of entities are now
org. In Hood River, vaccine lines are
The “extreme risk” case count
221 cumulative, 84 the week ending
is 60 or more. Wasco County providing vaccinations in the three
NCPHD is working to distribute the available in English at 541-399-8022
county area, including NCPHD, Mid- Feb. 13.
was as high as 175 in early
vaccine as soon as it is received. The and Spanish at 541-399-8023, or con-
• Mid-Columbia Medical Center:
Columbia Medical Center (MCMC),
December.
ability to vaccinate is determined by tact your primary care provider.
1,307 cumulative, 235 the week end- how vaccine is received from the state
In the most recent 14-day Mid-Columbia Fire & Rescue, One
In Washington, call 1-800-525-
Community Health, Sherman County ing Feb. 13.
count, covering Jan. 31 to
each week, as well as state guidelines 0127 or 1888-856-5816, email covid.
Medical Clinic in Moro, Arlington
Feb. 13, Wasco County had
about who is currently eligible to get vaccine@doh.wa.gov, text the word
• One Community Health: 256
Health Center and South Gilliam
53 cases. That was enough
them.
"Coronavirus" to 211211 or visit www.
cumulative; none the week ending
Health Center in Condon. Deschutes Feb. 13.
to drop it to “high risk” cat-
For more information, visit
doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/COVID19/
Rim Clinic in Maupin begins vaccina-
• Mid-Columbia Fire & Rescue: 332 COVID-19 Vaccine in Oregon or visit vaccine online.
egory, which is 45-59 cases
In Washington, all seniors 65 and
cumulative doses; 0 the week ending NCPHD online www.ncphd.org or
over 14 days. (Moderate
tions this week.
wascoshermangilliamcovid19.com.
older are eligible to receive the vac-
Feb. 13. (MCFR has completed its
risk is 30 to 44 cases over 14
Local long-term care facility
vaccine work, which included first
days.) However, risk category residents and staff were vaccinated
cine, and those 50 years or older in
responders.)
changes only happen every
by national pharmacy chains. There
multigenerational households.
Vaccine registration
• Arlington Health Center: 10 cu-
other week. Next week is a
is very limited availability through
Klickitat County vaccine details
change week, new category
some local pharmacies for those
can be found on page 14.
mulative; 10 the week ending Feb. 13.
Residents should sign up for
changes will be announced
Tuesday, Feb. 23, with the
change taking effect Friday,
Feb. 26.
Wasco County has record-
ed just 27 cases since Feb.
7, which is the beginning of
the upcoming 14-day period
ending Feb. 20.
Dropping from “extreme”
By Kirby Neumann-Rea
Columbia Gorge News
has a primary care provider
hospitalizations, and 29
Board of Commissioners last of every clinic day that we
to “high” category would
(PCP) should contact that
deaths.
week. “We would really like
can get people in within a
allow in-person dining at
office. Those without a PCP
“We are continuing with
15-minute timespan so we
25 percent capacity; gyms
Hood River County Health to get those vaccines out to
should call 541-387-6911.
vaccine efforts, with clin-
those older populations. It
don’t waste.”
to have 25 percent capacity;
Department director Trish
Safeway pharmacy in
People able to respond
and in-person visits at long
Elliott said the local system is looks like going forward the
ics each week for past 5-6
Hood River recently received
state has committed to send- within 15 minutes “are just
term care facilities. Dropping prepared to vaccine thou-
weeks,” Elliott said. “We’ve
its first allocation, 100 doses,
like gold for us, we feel like
to the “moderate” risk
been very productive. We
sands of people but is getting ing Hood River County 300
we’re finally doing something would be more so if we could under a separate vaccine
category allows 50 percent
doses per week for net few
doses in the hundreds, and
pipeline provided by the
positive in this fight against
in-person dining capacity;
get more vaccine. We’re
weeks, and I’m disappoint-
decried the lack of supply
federal government.
COVID in our community
and 50 percent capacity at
ready to go to be out there
coming to the department
ed with that. That’s pretty
Elliott said One
and we want to maximize
gyms. Churches can have 50 and to primary care providers common number of doses
sharing vaccines with our
Community Health will re-
every dose we have.”
percent indoor capacity.
community partners and it
(PCPs) the county works with they are giving to counties
Elliott cleared up what she is frustrating we’re not able
North Central Public
to distribute and administer our size even though we have
ceive 200 doses per week for
called a recent rumor about
Health District Health Officer the vaccine.
to that vaccine to get it out
a lot more capacity to give
clients living in Hood River,
wasted COVID vaccines, say- there.”
Dr. Miriam McDonell said
“We are not getting as
vaccines than what we’re
Wasco and Sherman counties
the drop in cases is a com-
This week’s clinic at River
much as want,” Elliott said. A giving.”
starting Feb. 22. (OCH has
ing that out of the 2,000 doses
of Life Assembly in Hood
total of 250 new doses were
All people over 65 should
clinics in The Dalles and
handled so far, there have
bination of several factors,
shared among PCPs last week plan to be immunized by
Hood River.)
been exactly two losses: One River involves 650 doses,
including the end of the
and, of a shipment this week, their primary care provider
“We are going to get at least
was caused by a faulty needle mostly second doses.
holiday case surge and an
Elliott reported that the
600 are second doses and 50 once providers have vac-
300 doses every week starting
and syringe set, and the other
increasing county vaccina-
Feb. 22. We know we can at
tion rate, which is now at 12 are new.
cine. The county is currently was blown by the wind from county has been setting
up and using a new online
According to the Health
least count on parsing out
a table at an outside clinic,
percent of the population.
scheduling vaccinations to
scheduler with automated
that much to PCPs, but OCH
and was spoiled as a result.
McDonell also credited the Department, statewide there complete Phase 1a — sec-
will also be getting some and
“It’s all going into peoples’ processes that will save us
public with following the ex- are more than 750,000 people ond doses and Phase 1b,
a lot of time and effort with
it will be great if Safeway will
arms except for those two
Groups 1 and 2 (see related
treme risk category guidance, aged 65 or older. While
scheduling and making sure continue to get them, and to
Oregon has already vacci-
situations,” she said.
story, page A1). If you are
and “the continued good
we get recalls in in time.
get as many people in these
Elliott noted that the
in one of these groups and
work” of people to wash
nated more than 100,000
Most local vaccines are
age groups vaccinated as
syringe sets come from a
have not been contacted
their hands, stay 6- feet apart people aged 60 and older,
distributed through health
soon as possible,” Elliott said.
federal stockpile, “and are
and wear a mask. “There are state health officials estimate by the Health Department,
different with each shipment, providers, and anyone who
some counties moving in the it will take until mid-April to send an email to covidvac-
Sometimes they work well
wrong direction. We need to vaccinate more than 7 in 10
cine@co.hood-river.or.us; if
and sometimes they don’t.
continue what we are doing, Oregon seniors. All people
you do not have email, call
You just never know what
taking precautions, so we can over 65 are now eligible — if 541-387-6911.
you’re going to get.”
get to the next level.”
they can get it.
Elliott told the board that
Elliott said the county
Vaccinations are key to
“It is very frustrating for
her department and PCPs
KRHP is available
has recorded 1,045 total
ending the pandemic, she
us as we are not getting the
“are working extra hard to
pandemic cases, including
added. In the meantime, res- amount of vaccine,” Elliott
get people in, and we have
FREE over the air
22 active ones, a total of 34
a standby list at the end
idents are asked to continue told the Hood River County
in The Dalles
to wear a mask, stay 6-feet
& Dallesport
apart from those not in their
household, avoid gatherings,
wash hands frequently and
“Christian TV the
stay home when sick.
way it ought to be”
McDonell told the Wasco
Eventbrite.
submissions from inter-
The Dalles - The seventh
County Commission
For a complete list of this
edition of the Oregon Short
national independent
Wednesday, Feb. 24, that
year’s official selections for
Film Festival will take place
filmmakers.
ongoing testing was robust
films, videos, screenplays
on Feb. 25-28 at the Sunshine
Two hundred indepen-
so declining case numbers
Mill Winery And Drive-Up
dent short films of all genres and teleplays visit Film
were not the result of missed Theater and presented by
Festival Circuit’s website,
have been selected to be
cases. “Case counts really are Film Festival Circuit.
info.filmfestivalcircuit.com/
screened this February and
down.”
“We are so excited to be
the price for tickets is $35 per blog/oregon-short-film-festi-
Volunteers at Mid-
able to continue putting on
car, per day. Tickets can be
val-winter-2021.
Columbia Senior Center
film festivals in light of the
purchased online through
are helping contact eligible
recent COVID-19 pandemic,”
seniors, and vaccine sched-
said Mikel Fair, director of
uling has become more pre- Film Festival Circuit, LLC.
FREE CONSULTATION Melanie Chapman
“We’re grateful spaces like
dictable, despite delays due
Licensed Denturist
to winter storms nationwide. Sunshine Mill have found a
Chris R.
She asked those who have unique way to continue our
Chapman
Licensed
passion of bringing films to
received their vaccination
Arabella
Nicdao
,
Denturist
Keegan Ku Ku for Global Studies:
the big screen.”
to inform their personal
Student of the week
Keegan
comes
to
class
every
day
Film Festival Circuit is a
care provider, which will
Arabella is a shining example of commitment to learning
reduce duplication of efforts partnership of eight differ-
with
attitude
and
works
and she a is positive
greatly self-motivated.
She has
worked
hard to
and make it easier to track
ent Film Festival Events in
maintain
excellent
grades
and is always seeking
to improve
hard, not
only
improving
himself,
who has and who has not
the United States, which
her skills and abilities.
but fellow classmates
as well.
received the vaccine. “The
accepts film and screenplay
data is in the state system,
but not readily available,” she
Arabella Ku
Nicdao,
Keegan
Ku, TDHS
TDHS
explained.
French Onion
Having the Fort Dalles
Soup tonight?
Hood River, 926 12th Street
Readiness Center as a vac-
Gourmet Take-Out
541-386-2012
cine site has been a blessing,
And Local Delivery.
McDonell added, and as
1915 E. 19th Street | The Dalles
The Dalles, 414 Washington St.
baldwinsaloon.com
vaccinations continue to
541-296-3310
541-296-5677 | Se habla español
541-296-5666
Victor Cullen, DDS
ramp up, daily clinics will be
held at the site.
HR County ready to serve more people
than it has COVID vaccines available
■
Lost KRHP-TV on Cable?
Oregon Short Film Festival Winter
2021 held at Sunshine Mill
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Dr. Cullen’s
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Columbia
Gorge News
ColumbiaGorgeNews.com
“I feel safer here than living at my home.
We don’t have to go out and shop or
replace things around the house. We
have a social life, too. They take our
temperatures and check on us all the time.
They take care of us on many levels.”
Resident at The Springs Living
Independent Living
Assisted Living I Memory Care
1201 West 10th Street I The Dalles
541-296-1303
TheSpringsLiving.com