LOCAL, STATE & NATION
6A — BAKER CITY HERALD
COVID
Continued from Page 1A
However, in March Gov.
Kate Brown announced that
a two-week “caution period”
would apply for counties in
certain situations.
To qualify for the caution
period, a county must have
dropped to a lower risk level
during the previous two-week
period.
Baker County did so, with
24 cases from March 7-20,
which moved the county from
the moderate risk to the low-
est risk.
Counties that meet that
requirement, but then have
enough new cases during the
next two-week period that
they previously would have
moved to a higher risk level,
are instead given a two-week
reprieve, during which they
remain at their current risk
level.
Those counties’ risk levels
will then be based on case
counts and positivity rates
during the two-week caution
period.
Here’s what that means for
Baker County:
SATURDAY, APRIL 3, 2021
over the past dozen days is
troubling.
We’re really concerned this
SALEM — COVID-19 infections are on the rise again
jump in cases could qualify us
in Oregon, a fourth wave of increasing cases since the
for ‘extreme risk’ again, which
pandemic began.
will have a huge impact on
“This virus is at our doorstep — our numbers are ris-
our businesses and their em-
ing and we are back on alert,” said Gov. Kate Brown at a
ployees,” Staten said on Fri-
Friday press conference.
day, April 2. “We really need to
A steep drop in infections since Jan. 1 had shown signs
get our case numbers down for
of bottoming out in recent weeks, but the most current
the sake of our public’s health
data shows COVID-19 is again on the rise.
and our businesses. Please
“The virus appears to be rebounding,” said Dr. Dean
make very careful choices
Sidelinger, OHA’s top infectious disease expert. “COVID-19
about gatherings and other
is a resilient enemy.”
activities where the virus can
The rise comes despite the arrival of three vaccines that
spread — it’s without a doubt
can inoculate people from the virus. But only 18 percent of
on the rise in our community.”
Recent surge in cases
Oregonians are currently completely vaccinated, slightly
Staten said earlier in the
higher than the national average.
The increase in cases since week that the recent cases are
March 23 pushed March’s
“mostly due to small groups of
— Gary A. Warner, Oregon Capital Bureau
total to 97, which is 27 more
connected cases tied to social
than the county reported
gatherings” rather than to a
during February (with three
single large outbreak.
Rather than jumping to
er Mark Bennett, the county’s fewer days).
Of the 62 cases the county
March’s daily average was recorded from March 23
extreme risk on April 9, the
incident commander since the
3.1 cases per day, compared
county starts the two-week
start of the pandemic, said
through April 2, the largest
caution period on Sunday,
he’s glad for the two-week cau- with 2.6 in February.
share — about 24% — are
Previous monthly totals and people in their 40s, while the
April 4. The county will
tion period.
daily averages:
remain at the lowest risk
The alternative — the
second-largest — about 21%
• January: 106 — 3.4/day
through April 22. Its risk level county moving to extreme risk
— are in their 70s, Staten
• December: 196 — 6.3/day said.
starting April 23 will be based for the fi rst time since Feb.
• November: 141 — 4.7/day
on its case count and positivity 4 — would have been a major
The Health Department
Nancy Staten, director of
rate during the caution period, blow to already beleaguered
didn’t have a percentage
the Baker County Health
April 4-17.
businesses, Bennett said.
breakdown for other age
Department, said the trend
Baker County Commission-
The differences in restric-
groups.
Governor: ‘We are back on alert’
ARRESTED
ing before moving to the north side,
where they forced open a door using a
Continued from Page 3A
wrench. A detention memo from As-
Jonathanpeter Klein’s defense
sistant U.S. Attorney Paul T. Maloney
attorney, Michelle Sweet, did not re-
states law enforcement were then
spond to email requests for comment “tasked with protecting the Capitol
prior to press time.
and its inhabitants prepared to fend
In late December 2020, the broth- off yet another wave of attacks from
ers bought plane tickets using cash
the unruly crowd.”
and fl ew from Portland to Pennsylva-
“The defendants’ actions created
nia two days prior to the riot, accord- a dangerous scenario that directly
ing to an indictment unsealed and
interfered with law enforcement’s ef-
reported by news outlets last week.
forts to secure the building,” Maloney
A photo taken on Jan. 5 in Wash-
wrote in the memo. “That they did
ington, D.C., shows Jonathanpeter
so as part of a second or third wave
Klein wearing a shirt saying “Proud
of attacks — with knowledge of the
Boys PDX,” according to the FBI.
mayhem that had already unfolded
Prosecutors say the brothers were at the Capitol — shows their reckless
among the initial groups to breach
disregard for others and the danger
the Capitol around 2 p.m., as reported posed by these two actors.”
by The Oregonian/OregonLive. Court
Two days later, the two brothers
documents describe how the brothers fl ew back to Portland, according to
also helped other rioters gain access
court records.
to the Capitol Building’s Upper West
On March 19, a grand jury in
Terrace.
Washington, D.C., indicted both
Prosecutors allege the brothers
brothers, accusing them of conspiracy
then entered and exited the build-
to defraud the United States, aiding
tions between the lowest
risk and extreme are, well,
extreme.
For instance, with Baker
County at the lowest risk,
restaurants and bars can have
indoor dining up to 50% of
capacity.
For counties at extreme
risk, indoor dining is prohib-
ited.
Capacity for outdoor events,
including high school sports, is
300 for counties at the lowest
risk, and 50 for counties at
extreme risk.
and abetting in the obstruction of an
offi cial proceeding, obstruction of law
enforcement during civil disorder, de-
struction of government property, and
entering and remaining and disor-
derly conduct in a restricted building
or grounds.
Court documents fi led by federal
prosecutors also show that the two
brothers have been involved previ-
ously in protests with the Proud Boys
in Salem and Portland, for which
Matthew Klein has pending gun
possession charges in Multnomah
County.
In the indictment, photos show
Jonathanpeter Klein wearing body
armor and wielding a baseball bat
and a paintball gun during violent
protests at the Oregon Capitol on
Sept. 7, 2020.
Prosecutors also say Jonathanpeter
Klein shot at “unidentifi ed targets”
with the paintball gun amid a fi ght
with Black Lives Matter protesters,
as fi rst reported by Willamette Week.
Videos from news outlets that day
“We’re seeing cases spread
across all ages, but people in
their 40s and their 70s have
been most affected over the
last week and a half,” Staten
said.
She said Health Depart-
ment offi cials don’t know of
any situations in which a
county resident who is par-
tially or fully vaccinated has
tested positive.
The county did not have
a breakdown of how many
of the 62 cases since March
23 involve people who tested
positive, and how many are
what OHA designates as “pre-
sumptive” cases — people who
are identifi ed through contact
tracing as a close contact of
someone who tested positive,
and who have had symptoms
consistent with COVID-19,
but who have not tested posi-
tive.
According to OHA statistics,
Baker County reported 19
positive tests (and 161 nega-
tive tests) from March 21-27,
and 16 positive tests (and 396
negative tests) from March
28 through April 1. Those
numbers include only positive
tests, not presumptive cases.
by The Oregonian/OregonLive.
“Kids think different at that age,”
Flynn said. “They’re not totally ma-
ture. They have different thoughts
and ideas about life and I just
(wanted to) infl uence him with my
opinion.”
Flynn said that, had the judge not
denied the request for Klein’s release,
he would have accepted the role as
third-party guardian. To Flynn, Klein
was just in need of some positive
infl uence.
“From what’s transpired, obviously
the kid potentially made some bad
choices,” he said.
While chatting with the FBI on
his property, Flynn said an arresting
Back at the ranch
offi cer told him that Klein seemed
Jonathanpeter Klein’s attorney
like a “very nice kid, very polite kid,”
had previously urged that her client and that he would put in a good word
be released to work at Ruggs Ranch with the prosecuting attorney.
back in Morrow County pending
“I was sitting there when he called
trial. Flynn would serve as a third-
the prosecuting attorney,” Flynn said.
party guardian, the attorney said,
“I watched him on the phone and he
adding he had helped Klein “kind of told him that he was a very nice kid,
straighten his mind out,” as reported very polite, very genuine.”
also show Klein appearing to chase
a Black Lives Matter protester, and
prosecutors allege that Matthew
Klein was also there at the protest,
according to Oregon Public Broad-
casting.
On Saturday, March 27, a federal
magistrate judge ordered the Kleins
be held in custody pending trial.
They are currently being held at
the Multnomah County Detention
Center, where they are expected to
remain until their next scheduled
hearing on Thursday, April 1, with a
federal district judge in Washington,
D.C., which will be conducted by
video.
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