REGION Saturday, February 20, 2021        – š–›››››–– ’“”­‰  ™ ˜ ’“”­‰  ™ • ‡­    ‡ ‡­    ‘“€–€”‘‡• “…‘‚‚‡ ­… ”€ƒ‡­ ­ —€‰  ˜ €‘ ­ —€‰  ˜ €‘ ­ —  ˜ €‘      ­€€‚‚ ‹ ‹  –— €„   € ˜ˆ ­  ™ € ‡ˆ Š Š‹­ŒŠ‡  ‚Š… …  ƒ Š† „ Šƒ„  ­€Šƒ„  ­€ €† Š Ž ‡ €„… Š† „  ‚  ƒ €„… †… ‡ˆ €† A3 ‡ˆ Š ˆ‰    ƒ Š† ‡ ŒŽ€Ž‘­…’‘Ž…‘“€„€”‘‡•“­‡…€…‰€”€„‡”…€•  East Oregonian ­ €‰ Umatilla County child dies with COVID-19 By BRYCE DOLE East Oregonian UMATILLA COUNTY — The Oregon Health Authority has reported the state’s first COVID-19-re- lated death of a child between 0-9 years old — an infant boy from Umatilla County. The boy tested positive for COVID-19 on Jan. 17 and died that same day at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland, Washington, according to a press release from OHA on Thursday, Feb. 18. He had unspecifi ed under- lying health conditions. “Ever y death f rom COVID-19 is a tragedy, even more so the death of a child,” Dr. Dean Sidelinger, OHA’s health offi cer and state epidemiologist, said in a press release. “The death of an infant is extremely rare. This news represents a tremen- dous loss to the mother and family. My thoughts are with them during this difficult time.” Children who contract COVID-19 are less likely to develop severe symptoms than adults, but they are still at risk, Sidelinger said. The state encourages all parents with children who test posi- tive and develop certain symptoms to seek emergency medical care. Those symptoms include troubled breathing, constant pain or pressure in the chest, County announces vaccine clinic schedule through April By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian PENDLETON — Umatilla County Public Health released on Thursday, Feb. 18, a sched- ule for COVID-19 vaccina- tions that runs through the end of April. The department also announced that, due to inclement weather, the vaccine doses expected for Friday, Feb. 19, would not be available and that clinic would be postponed to Wednesday, Feb. 24, at 2260 S.E. Court Ave. in Pendleton. Those who made a vaccine appointment for the Feb. 19 clinic should show up at the same time on Feb. 24 instead. The county released the following vaccination clinic schedule for future vaccines: • Feb. 26, Hermiston drive-thru, second doses only • March 4, Pendleton drive-thru, fi rst and second doses • March 5, Pendleton drive-thru, fi rst and second doses • March 10, Pendleton by appointment, second doses only • March 11, Milton-Free- water drive-thru, fi rst and second doses • March 12, Pendleton drive-thru, fi rst and second doses • March 25, Milton-Free- water drive-thru, fi rst and second doses • March 26, Pendleton drive-thru, fi rst and second doses • April 2, Pendleton drive-thru, second doses (fi rst doses may be avail- able depending on alloca- tion) • April 8, Milton-Free- water drive-thru, second doses (fi rst doses may be available depending on allocation) • April 9, Pendleton drive-thru, second doses (fi rst doses may be avail- able depending on alloca- tion) • April 22, Milton-Free- water drive-thru, second doses (fi rst doses may be available depending on allocation) • April 23, Pendleton Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian Christina Garcia, right, receives her fi rst shot of the COVID-19 vaccine from Sharon Waldern during a vaccination clinic at Good Shepherd Medical Center in Hermiston on Friday, Feb. 12, 2021. Garcia, who works as a caregiver, said she had been anxiously waiting to get her vaccine. “I was really excited to be able to get it today,” she said. drive-thru, second doses (fi rst doses may be avail- able depending on alloca- tion) Residents eligible for the vaccine can check bit.ly/ ucohealthcovidvaccine on Mondays at 8 a.m. for open appointment slots for the upcoming week. Good Shepherd Health Care System will offer COVID-19 vaccinations each Thursday. Sign ups for arrival windows for the week will open each Monday at 8 a.m. Additional information will be posted to the Good Shep- herd Health Care System and Umatilla County Health websites when it is available. Mirasol Family Health Center will offer COVID-19 vaccination by appointment. Existing patients may sched- ule appointments by calling 541-567-1717. Individuals who are not established patients may email Mirasol@yvfwc. org to be added to the appoint- ment waitlist. Safeway pharmacies in Hermiston, Pendleton and Milton-Freewater are now offering limited COVID-19 vaccination by appointment only through the Federal Pharmacy Partnership. Those currently eligible for vaccina- tion can schedule an appoint- ment at www.safeway.com/ COVID-19 when slots become available. Oregonians age 70 and older become eligible on Monday, Feb. 22. Those ages 65 and up become eligible on Monday, March 1. Those ages 75 and up, educators, child care workers, health care workers, fi rst responders, incarcerated individuals, and those living in congregate care settings are already eligible. The state has determined that people with underlying health conditions and frontline workers essential to the func- tioning of society will be in line next after those over age 65, but has not yet announced further details of a timeline and what conditions or jobs will qualify. Umatilla County Public Health has asked that people refrain from calling its offices about the availabil- ity of vaccine appointments and instead watch the depart- ment’s website and Face- book page, the Oregon Health Authority vaccine website, or call 211 for general infor- mation about the vaccine and eligibility. new feelings of confusion, being unable to wake up or stay awake when not tired and bluish lips or face, OHA said. “We have all worked together for nearly a year in Oregon to protect the lives of those we hold most dear,” said Gov. Kate Brown. “The loss of a life so young is an indescribable tragedy for a family. Dan and I send our thoughts and condolences to the mother and family of this child, whose grief must be unimaginable in this moment. The hearts of all Oregonians are with you today.” Children with certain underlying medical condi- tions, as well as infants younger than 1 year old, could be at increased risk for developing severe symp- toms. Most children who have experienced severe illness from COVID-19 have had underlying medical conditions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to the CDC as of Wednesday, Feb. 17, 140 reported COVID-19 deaths have come from children and teenagers under the age of 14. Only 1.3% of the state’s confi rmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases among chil- dren 9 years old or younger required hospitalization, according to the CDC. The state has reported just under 7,000 cases of the virus among children. LOCAL BRIEFING Hermiston council to discuss utility rate increase HERMISTON — The Hermiston City Council will discuss a utility rate increase during their Monday, Feb. 22, meeting. A resolution adopted by the city council in 2018 dictated that water and sewer rates would go up according to infl ation each year, start- ing in March 2020, in an attempt to create more grad- ual increases over time. According to the agenda packet for the meeting, the increase will be based on the Engineering News-Record Construction Cost Index as of December of the preced- ing calendar year. That index rose by 2.15% from Decem- ber 2019 to December 2020, meaning water and sewer rates in Hermiston are set to rise by that much, adding an average of $2.13 per month to the median customer’s combined water and sewer bill. The council meeting will be broadcast live on the city’s YouTube channel. Prior to the 7 p.m. council meeting, which will take place at the Hermis- ton Community Center, the council will meet at 6 p.m. at the Hermiston Public Library, where it will take a tour of the newly renovated basement of the library, which will serve as a temporary city hall while the city’s planned new city hall is under construction. Weather halts prisons COVID-19 vaccinations UMATILLA COUNTY — Vaccine efforts at Umatilla County prisons were halted this week as inclement weather forced the state to delay upcoming shipments, according to spokespersons from Two Rivers Correc- tional Institution in Umatilla and Eastern Oregon Correc- tional Institution in Pendle- ton. The prisons each received around 670 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine last Tues- day to immediately begin offering the vaccine to all adults in custody and were expecting to receive more doses this week before the delay. The prisons have yet to receive confi rmation from the state about when the next shipment of doses might come, the spokespersons said. Ron Miles, a supervising executive assistant at EOCI, said the prison is “hopeful (doses) will arrive early next week.” Miles said the prison is confi dent that it should be able to offer all AICs at EOCI a vaccine upon the upcoming shipment. Roughly 72% of all AICs offered one of the 670 doses in the fi rst clinic were vaccinated, Miles said. Linda Simon, a public information offi cer at TRCI, said the prison is expecting 400 doses in the next ship- ment, but it’s unclear at this time when those doses might come.v Simon added that the prison will have to go through a “couple more rounds” of vaccine shipments before the entire population at the prison is offered their fi rst dose. — EO Media Group FEBRUARY IS AMERICAN HEART MONTH SHOW YOUR HEART some love Did you know... T QUIT SMOKING. And if you what’s good for your don’t smoke, don’t start. heart is also good T EAT A HEALTHY DIET. Eat more vegetables and fruits and limit for reducing your unhealthy fats. cancer risk? T STAY ACTIVE. Adults should aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate activity, five or more days per week. Make healthy lifestyle choices to lower your cancer risk and keep your heart healthy, too! 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