August 18, 2021
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INSIDE L O C A L N E W S
The
Week in Review
M ETRO
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With the new delta variant causing a spike in COVID-19 hospitalizations and cases, Gov. Kate Brown
has announced a new statewide indoor mask requirement, warning that the state’s health care system
could be overwhelmed.
Cash Incentives for Vaccines
Outreach targets Black community hesitancy
Arts &
ENTERTAINMENT
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O PINION
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long as they are available.
Ebony Clarke, interim director of the Multnomah
County Health Department, said the gift card pro-
gram has already seen an increase in vaccination
rates among African Americans and other commu-
nities of color, but more is needed.
“Vaccine uptake seems to be a lot lower in Afri-
can-American communities and we know the best
protection against Covid-19 is being immunized,”
she said. “But as we continue to see a high number
of vaccine hesitancy, we started the gift card pro-
gram with the hope it would prevent barriers and
challenges to get vaccinated.”
Clarke said she hears stories about how people
can’t afford to take time off from work to get the
shot, or they don’t have childcare or don’t have a
way to get to a vaccination clinic. She hopes the gift
cards will remove some of those barriers.
Details on the free county vaccination clinics,
including times and locations, and vaccine gift
cards are available at multco.us/novel-coronavi-
rus-covid-19/upcoming-covid-19-vaccination-clin-
C ontinued on P age 10
Soul 2 Soul on Black Resilience
Event offers resources, vaccinations
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As the Covid-19 Delta variant rages in the Port-
land area as across the nation, the impacts show that
Black people, African immigrants and other minori-
ty populations are much less likely to get a vaccine
that can save their lives, and at the same time, people
of color are also being hospitalized at a higher rate.
Dr. Bukhodsi Dube, public health physician with
the Oregon Health Authority, reported that Black
people are being hospitalized at 5.5 times the rate of
whites. The vaccination rates for whites in Oregon
is about 73 percent, while it is still in the mid-40
percent for African Americans and other people of
color.
In a recent interview on KPTV, Dube described a
general mistrust in Black and Brown communities
rooted in systemic racism and other historic systems
that continue to oppress communities of color with-
in the state, and within the country.
To combat that scenario, Multnomah County is
offering gift cards ranging from $50 to $150 for peo-
ple to get vaccinated at any county vaccination site.
Everyone 12 and over can get a Visa gift card as
A grass roots event to repair the bridges of the
Black Community with a focus on free vaccinations
for COVID-19 and resources to help with rent, food,
college scholarships and more, will be held Satur-
day, Aug. 28 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Lloyd
Center Regal Cinemas parking lot.
The community-led event, with walk-ins wel-
come, will celebrate the resilience and the health of
people of color with a focus on improving adverse
impacts like COVID-19, racial injustice, the rise of
gun violence and the effects of gentrification in the
city of Portland.
According to participating Black leaders, this is
a clarion call to reach those in the Black and Afri-
can American communities who are unvaccinated.
A drive thru experience will offer participants free
COVID-19 shots.
Incentives such as cash gift cards, rental assis-
tance, food boxes, college scholarships, raffles,
health resource booths, and swag bags will also be
distributed. Live entertainment will also be part of
the festivities.
Sponsors include the Coalition of African & Af-
rican American Pastors and the Office of the Gover-
nor. Other sponsors and partners include the Mult-
nomah County Health Department, Legacy Health
Systems, Washington County Department of Health
and Human Services, Project Access Now, REACH
(Multnomah County), Children’s Community Clinic,
Bridge-Pamoja, REAP, and Self Enhancement, Inc.
For more information, visit soul2soulpdx.com or
email soul2soul@gmail.com.