February 10, 2021
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INSIDE L O C A L N E W S
S PORTS
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M ETRO
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Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are prepared at a drive-thru clinic in Portland. Gov. Brown,
following public health guidelines, opened up vaccines to people 80 years or older this
week, but reservations for the shots quickly outpaced supply. (AP photo)
Vaccine Signups Outrun Supply
Hard hit elderly begin
to receive shots
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O PINION
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(AP) — Appointments to receive the COVID-19
vaccine in Oregon were quickly booked Monday, as
residents who are 80 years and older became eligi-
ble to receive doses of the scarce and highly antici-
pated vaccine.
Seniors in Oregon have waited weeks to receive
the vaccine, after the original eligibility date was
delayed and then Gov. Kate Brown decided to prior-
itize educators ahead of the elderly.
The elderly have been the hardest hit group in
state when it comes to the virus — people 60 years
and older account for 90% of Oregon’s COVID-19
deaths.
On Monday, seniors 80 and older began to re-
ceive shots. Eligibility will expand to younger age
groups each week: 75 and older starting Feb. 15, 70
and older starting Feb. 22 and 65 and older starting
March 1.
The Oregonian/Oregon Live reported Monday
that every available appointment for seniors in the
Portland area was booked within the first two and
a half hours they were eligible. All appointments at
the Oregon Convention Center and Portland Inter-
national Airport’s red economy parking lot for the
next week -- through Tuesday, Feb. 16 -- were taken.
Last week, Oregon health officials warned that as
168,000 elderly Oregonians become eligible there
could be issues.
In preparation for the increase in eligible people,
Brown announced Friday that 30 additional Nation-
al Guard members would be deployed to help field
211 calls and texts from seniors signing up and seek-
ing information on vaccinations.
Officials from 211info, Oregon and Southwest
Washington’s information referral line for health
and human services, said earlier this month that their
call volume had gone from 400 calls a day before
the pandemic to 1,800 calls a day during the vac-
C onTinued on P age 6
Officials Respond to Spike in Shootings
Chief moves officers; mayor supports new team
Portland Police Chief Chuck
Lovell and Mayor Ted Wheeler
have announced moves to com-
bat a spike in shootings and vi-
olent crime.
Lovell on Thursday said he
is moving officers from traffic,
K-9, narcotics and other units
into street patrol to pursue im-
mediate investigations in re-
sponse to shootings and help
process crime scene evidence.
At a news conference, Lovell
said he regrets the Portland City
C onTinued on P age 6
Chuck Lovell