6A | SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 2021 | SIUSLAW NEWS
Compared to previous years, the
blueberries have peaked in batches
and the rows of bushes have ava-
lanched on top of each other.
“The bushes are so heavy with
fruit that some limbs have fallen
down,” the Crays said.
Although many pickers have
come by the farm, there are many
green blueberries left to ripen. The
Crays said they feel confident the
season will continue through the
end of August, with a possibility of
MASKS from page 1A
“If our hospitals run out of
staffed beds, all Oregonians
will be at risk.”
The Lane County Com-
mission serves as the local
Board of Health.
“In the past 24 hours, 264
positive cases were report-
ed in Lane County — the
highest one-day total for the
county since the pandemic
began,” the board wrote in
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carrying into September.
up in the late 1970s with
Beyond
blueberry
different owners, pre-
picking, the Crays have
vious berry pickers at
added feathery members
the farm have returned
to their farm.
as adults, bringing their
“We’ve had 12 chick-
loved ones to join the
ens for about a year now
experience. The Clear
and a peacock, with a
Lake Blueberry Farm
couple of ducks on the
has watered long-time
pond,” they said. “The
family grassroots for the
kids love to go throw
community and has re-
berries at the chickens
united pickers from then
to feed them, and the
to now.
People can pick their own blueberries each
chickens like it too.”
“It’s neat that we meet
Since the farm’s start- week at Clear Lake Blueberry Farm.
people who have been
the announcement. “The
number of individuals being
currently tracked as infec-
tious within Lane County is
the highest by a factor of two
as compared to the previous
high during the winter surge
of November 2020 to Janu-
ary 2021.”
On Aug. 9, over 590 indi-
viduals were in hospitals in
Oregon, with more than 150
in Intensive Care Unit
(ICU) beds.
The number of hospi-
talizations of Lane County
residents with COVID-19
is exceeding daily counts
observed during the winter
surge and stressing the ca-
pacity of the local hospital
system.
Lane County, as Oregon’s
second largest regional hos-
pital hub, is also receiving
patients from other counties
in Southwest Oregon.
Lane County Public Health
is working with PeaceHealth
Oregon and McKenzie Wil-
lamette Medical Center to
report COVID-19 hospital-
izations. As of Tuesday, 64
people were hospitalized in
the county, with 33 as coun-
ty residents. Fourteen of the
state’s COVID-19 ICU pa-
tients are in Lane County.
This recent surge is at-
tributed to the Delta vari-
ant of COVID-19, which
Oregon Health Authority
(OHA) said on Tuesday ac-
counts for nearly 100 percent
of Oregon’s new cases.
“COVID-19 vaccines re-
main the strongest preven-
tion tool against the rapidly
spreading Delta variant,”
OHA wrote in its news re-
lease. “OHA anticipates out-
breaks will continue to occur,
particularly in communities
with low vaccination rates.”
Since late July, OHA has
recommended that all per-
sons, regardless of their vac-
cination status, wear a mask
indoors in public spaces.
OHA also encourages all Or-
egonians to consider mask-
ing if they plan to attend
crowded outdoor events, es-
pecially if they are at higher
risk for complications from
COVID-19 or live with indi-
viduals who are unvaccinat-
ed or at higher risk for com-
plications from COVID-19.
Lane County’s Emergen-
cy Public Health Advisory
“specifically calls for all indi-
viduals, businesses and em-
ployers to ensure that indoor
masking is adhered to for
those older than five years of
age (two and older if tolerat-
ed), regardless of vaccination
status; maintaining distance
from individuals outside of
immediate households when
inside indoor shared spaces;
practicing good hand wash-
ing and sanitation hygiene;
and other relevant measures
as necessary to limit ongoing
community spread and save
lives in Lane County, and
should begin or be resumed
immediately for anyone
who hasn’t yet adopted these
practices.”
Earlier this week, Mult-
nomah County adopted a
similar mask measure.
The governor supported
this message by stating that
city and county leaders have
asked her for local control
and the ability to make local
public health decisions when
it comes to COVID-19.
Brown then thanked the
county’s leaders for “tak-
ing bold action to slow the
spread of the Delta variant in
our communities.”
She also said action could
not stop with just one or two
counties.
“I am calling on local lead-
ers to take action now to in-
stitute mask requirements,”
Brown stated. “At this point
in the pandemic, local lead-
ers are in a unique position
to help deliver the message
to members of their commu-
nities about effective safety
measures like vaccination
and masks. But the fact re-
mains, we have a finite num-
ber of staffed hospital beds
in Oregon. If local leaders
continue not to act and their
regional hospitals exceed
their capacity, it will impact
hospitals all across the state.
We will continue to explore
statewide health measures
necessary to stop the Delta
variant from stretching Or-
egon hospitals beyond their
full capacity.”
In the state, breakthrough
cases — where fully or par-
tially vaccinated individuals
test positive for COVID —
make up roughly 20 percent
of the current cases.
“The latest science is clear:
although unvaccinated in-
dividuals are more likely to
contract the disease, both
vaccinated and unvaccinated
people can spread the Delta
variant,” Brown said. “Masks
are a simple and effective
way to make sure you are not
unknowingly infecting your
friends, family members,
neighbors and colleagues.”
New modeling from OHA
and Oregon Health & Sci-
ence University (OHSU)
projects that, without new
health and safety interven-
tions in place, COVID-19
hospitalizations will far ex-
ceed Oregon’s health system
capacity in the next several
weeks. Without these addi-
tional mitigation measures,
Oregon could be as many
as 500 staffed hospital beds
short of what will be needed
to treat patients hospitalized
for any reason by September.
“There are two keys to sav-
ing lives. Vaccination is the
best way to protect yourself
and your family against se-
vere illness, hospitalization
and death. And, by wearing
masks, all of us — vaccinat-
ed and unvaccinated — can
help ensure that a hospital
bed staffed by health pro-
fessionals is available for our
loved ones in their time of
need,” Brown continued. “If
we all do our part, we can
beat COVID-19 once and for
all, keep our economy open
and thriving, and return our
kids to the classroom with
minimal disruptions in a few
weeks.”
The governor also an-
nounced that all State of Or-
egon executive branch em-
ployees will be required to be
fully vaccinated on or before
Oct. 18, or six weeks after a
COVID-19 vaccine receives
full approval from the U.S.
Food and Drug Administra-
tion, whichever is later.
The requirement will ap-
ply to all executive branch
employees, including em-
ployees working for all Or-
egon state agencies, and in
consultation with Oregon’s
statewide elected officials,
employees of the Oregon
State Treasury and the Ore-
gon Secretary of State’s Of-
fice, as well as employees of
the Oregon Bureau of Labor
& Industries and the Oregon
Department of Justice.
Employees will be required
to show proof of vaccination
by the deadline. Individuals
unable to be vaccinated due
to disability or sincerely held
religious belief may be able
to qualify for an exception, as
required by state and federal
law. State of Oregon employ-
ees will not have the option
of weekly testing instead of
showing proof of vaccina-
tion.
“Vaccines are safe and
effective, and they are the
surest way to prevent Ore-
gonians from ending up in
intensive care units,” said
Brown. “I am taking action
to help ensure State of Ore-
gon workplaces are safe for
employees and customers
alike, and I am strongly en-
couraging all public and pri-
vate employers to follow suit
by requiring vaccination for
their employees. The only
way we can stop the spread
of COVID-19 for good is
through vaccination.”
The vaccination require-
ment does not apply to em-
ployees of Oregon’s legisla-
tive and judicial branches
of government, though the
governor is encouraging the
leadership of both branches
to consider a similar require-
ment.
“After a year and a half of
this pandemic, I know Or-
egonians are tired of health
and safety restrictions. This
new mask requirement will
not last forever, but it is a
measure that can save lives
right now. It will help to
protect all of us, including
people who are immuno-
compromised and our chil-
dren under 12 who are not
yet eligible to get vaccinat-
ed,” Brown said. “Masks are
a simple and effective tool
that will keep our schools,
businesses, and communities
open.”
To learn more about
COVID-19 and vaccina-
tion efforts in Oregon, visit
healthoregon.org/corona-
virus and covidvaccine.
oregon.gov, as well as lane-
county.org/coronavirus and
lanecounty.org/vaxclinics.
We are doing everything
we can to safely
serve our community.
We are open:
Noon to 8pm every day
2020
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SandPine Annual
HOA Garage Sale
Sat. 08/14
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Something for everyone.
Phone (541) 997-9497
1234 Rhododendron Dr / Florence
Garage Sale
Fri. 08/13 & Sat. 08/14
9am-3pm
2010 Willow Loop
Furniture, tools, rugs, misc.
GARAGE SALE
Fri. 08/13 & SAT. 08/14
10am-?
1607 37th ST.
Household, beads, books, craft
items, collectable, lots of misc.
No early Birds
coming since they were kids, and
now they’re older and they’re
bringing their kids. It’s a good
family circle,” the Crays said.
Looking forward, the couple re-
iterates how appreciative they feel
for the community.
“I really enjoy it. Every day, I
think ‘What can I do to bless the
people that come out here?’” Deb-
bie said. “We just want people to
have a good experience.”
For more information, visit the
Clear Lake Blueberry Farm’s Face-
book page.
We are open for dine-in, take-out,
sidewalk & patio seating
E
BLUE from page 1A
Call 541-997-8104,
Florence Antiques
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