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Wednesday,March10,2021
Columbia Gorge News
www.columbiagorgenews.com
March 20, 2021
Wasco, Sherman and
Gilliam vaccine update
Vaccinations event
serves Celilo Village
On Jan. 27, after a cere-
monial prayer, 103 Tribal
members from throughout
the Columbia River Gorge
gathered at the longhouse
and received first doses of the
COVID-19 vaccine.
“Our Longhouse is a place
of worship, and we haven’t
been able to use it during
COVID,” said Tribal Elder
Karen Whitford, who lives
12 miles east of the Dalles in
Celilo Village and was among
those vaccinated.
It was a vaccination event
that required collaboration
between two states, four
counties, the Intertribal Fish
Commission, social service
agencies and transportation
partners. Leading the effort
was one of the Oregon Health
Authority’s partners, One
Community Health (OCH),
based in Hood River and The
Dalles.
“We advance health and
social justice to all in our
community regardless of
the ability to pay,” said OCH
CEO Max Janasik. They offer
medical, behavioral health
and dental services, as well
as education and outreach to
seasonal farm workers, tribal
members and others.
Gladys Rivera, preventative
health manager, led the effort
to vaccinate tribal members
who would have struggled
to access vaccines. Many
live at fishing sites along the
Columbia River, often hours
away from the nearest Indian
COVID
A collage of photographs explore the vaccination event at Celilo Jan. 27.
Photo courtesy Oregon Health Authority
that service, that hasn’t hap-
“Itwashappyheartbreak,seeingwhowasalive pened before.”
“We like to make the
andwhowasn’t.”
Longhouse useful,” noted
Whitford. She and many
Tribal Elder, Celilo Village other Tribal members have
now had second doses. She
lost her nephew to COVID-19
Health Services clinic and
people’s information, sched- and her husband is still
have limited or no access to
uling an appointment and ar- suffering its aftereffects.
running water, electricity,
ranging transportation. Over Watching people arrive in
cell phones or other basic
four days they registered 104 their cars to be vaccinated,
services.
she said, “It was happy heart-
Tribal members.
OCH sent three commu-
“That is what equitable ac- break, seeing who was alive
cess should look like,” Rivera and who wasn’t.”
nity health workers and a
She is still being very
nurse who lives in one of the said. “We can’t expect people
to come to us. We need to go cautious but now, she said, “I
villages to 16 sites along the
to them. My favorite part has feel safe.”
Columbia River to register
been establishing that rap-
tribal members for the vac-
cination clinic. This involved port and trust. To be invited
going door-to-door, gathering to their home and provide
Karen Whitford
Vaccine availability
Vaccine availability con-
Vaccine demand tinues
to grow in the county,
outstrips supply but demand continues to
outstrip supply, McDonell
Continued from page 1 reported.
“At this point in time we
have way more people who
want the vaccine than we
in the region by the Oregon
have vaccine available,”
Health Authority and those
McDonell said. “At this mo-
tests are showing fewer
positive cases as well. She
ment, demand way outstrips
noted that as things begin
supply.”
to reopen, residents need to
She added that all three
continue following recom-
vaccine types were very
mendations to wear a mask, effective in preventing severe
maintain social distance and illness and noted “the right
vaccine for you is the one you
wash hands frequently.
can get.”
“People's behavior is
"We are still trying to honor
going to make a difference,”
McDonell explained. “People the order (older first), and
know what they are supposed adding in others who are
eligible as we get doses. We
to do. People need to be
only open up slots when
responsible.
we know we are getting the
"But it’s reasonable to
expect we can keep this (low vaccine, so first doses are
case count) where is it. There only booked out two weeks
ahead,” McDonell said. "We
could be another bump in
are trying to be as equitable
cases, but if people follow
as we can. I know its super
the rules, we can stay here.
frustrating,” she added. “It’s
I think we can all be really
not perfect, that’s for sure.
excited by how much better
“There will be slots added
control we have of this virus
on every week. The OHA
than we did in December
seems to believe that by the
and January.”
MAYOR
they’ve had to put up with
the year,” he said. “But
Many stepped up over
the grocery store is a good
example of people who you
to help in 2020
don’t really think about as
Continued from page 1 much as we should and how
they’ve really stepped up and
tried to make our lives as easy
“The police department
as possible.”
and the firefighters, they get
Mays said the city had
a fair amount of credit, it’s
distributed $200,000 in relief
pretty well-known. I con-
funds, broken up into two
tinue to be amazed at our
particular police department rounds of awards. The first
round split $100,000 between
here in The Dalles and what
end of March, when the new
groups open up, the vast
majority of seniors who want
the vaccine will have gotten
them,” McDonell said.
She noted that with the
reduction in virus spread, if
people continue to follow the
guidelines “we will be okay
during this time” as we await
the vaccine.
Pharmacies, including
Safeway and BiMart locally,
have their own scheduling
system and residents should
check online for availability.
Upcoming vaccination
plans Wasco County
Clinics continue at The
Dalles Readiness Center
Tuesday, Wednesday and
Thursday. Some weekend
“second dose” clinics also
continue. Visiting health
teams will start at home vac-
cinations in two weeks.
One Community Health
offers vaccinations Fridays,
plus one additional day each
week. OCH also is working
with native people, with
Celilo Village clinics.
Local pharmacies giving
around 65 businesses while
the second offered the same
amount of money specifically
to restaurants and fitness
centers. Funds also went
to non-profits including
Salvation Army, Point Man
Ministries and Windy River
Gleaners.
vaccinations include Safeway
and BiMart.
Information online
covidvaccine.orgeon.gov
ncphd.org/covid-vaccines
es.ncphd.org/
covid-vaccines
cdc.gov/faccines/covid-19
North Central Public
Health District is providing a
weekly update of COVID-19
vaccines distributed in its
three county service area of
Wasco, Sherman and Gilliam
counties.
Entities currently pro-
viding vaccines include
North Central Public
Health District, Mid-
Columbia Medical Center,
One Community Health,
Sherman County Medical
Clinic in Moro, Arlington
Health Center, South Gilliam
Health Center in Condon
and Deschutes Rim Clinic
in Maupin. Local long term
care facility residents and
staff were vaccinated by
national pharmacy chains.
There is increasing availabili-
ty through local pharmacies.
Check their websites for
more information.
Through Feb. 27, the
entities listed below have
administered 7,471 vaccines,
including first and second
doses.
The breakdown of vac-
cines by agency or group is:
North Central Public
Health District (NCPHD):
3,225 cumulative doses: 890
the week ending Feb. 27.
Sherman County Medical
Center: 357 cumulative, 43
the week ending Feb. 27.
Mid-Columbia Medical
Center: 1,481 cumulative.
(MCMC staffs a vaccine clin-
ic on Wednesdays but the
vaccine count is now tabulat-
ed through NCPHD.)
One Community Health:
545 cumulative; 214 the week
ending Feb. 27.
Mid-Columbia Fire &
Rescue: 332 cumulative
doses (MCFR has complet-
ed its vaccine work, which
included first responders).
Arlington Health Center:
40 cumulative; 20 the week
ending Feb. 27.
South Gilliam Health
Center: 44 cumulative, 11 the
week ending Feb. 27.
Local long term care facili-
ties: 1,406 cumulative doses.
(Long term care facilities
have completed their doses.)
Vaccines are being given
to healthcare providers,
emergency responders,
educators and childcare
providers, and now, those 65
and older. Wasco County has
vaccinated 16 percent of its
population, Sherman County
18.4 percent and Gilliam
County 14 percent.
Wasco County has vacci-
nated 54.5 percent of those
80 and older, 37 percent of
those 75-79; 23.9 percent of
those 70-74; and 17 percent
of those 65-69. Sherman
County has vaccinated 58
percent of those 80 and
older; 21.6 percent of those
75-79; 25.5 percent of those
70-74; and 22.8 percent of
those 65-69. Gilliam County
has vaccinated 48 percent
of those 80 and older; 34.8
percent of those 75-59; 24.8
percent of those 70-74; and
12.9 percent of those 65-69.
The ability to vaccinate is
determined by how much
vaccine is received from the
state each week, as well as
state guidelines about who is
currently eligible to get them.
Lower risk guidelines
Wasco county is at the
“lower risk” state category,
which means:
■ Indoor dining is allowed,
not to exceed 50 percent
capacity with a midnight
closing time.
■ Indoor recreation and
fitness capacity not to exceed
50 percent, indoor full-con-
tact sports prohibited.
■ Outdoor recreation is al-
lowed, with a maximum 300
people. Full-contact sports
are allowed.
■ Faith institutions are to
operate at 75 percent maxi-
mum capacity, with outdoor
gatherings limited to 300.
■ Museums, theaters and
other indoor entertainment
venues can open, limited to
50 percent capacity.
■ General indoor social
gatherings are limited to a
maximum of 10.
■ Offices are allowed limit-
ed opening.
March 20, 2021
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