SATURDAY, APRIL 24, 2021
BAKER CITY HERALD — 5A
LOCAL & STATE
STATEWIDE COVID-19 HOSPITALIZATIONS NEAR 300, WHICH WOULD TRIGGER CHANGE IN RISK LEVELS
Baker County could return
to ‘extreme’ risk on April 30
By Jayson Jacoby
jjacoby@bakercityherald.com
and Gary A. Warner
Oregon Capital Bureau
A sharp increase in COV-
ID-19 cases could push at least
12 Oregon counties, including
Baker, into the extreme risk
level April 30, requiring the
most severe restrictions the
state can impose on busi-
nesses and activities, Gov. Kate
Brown said Friday, April 23.
Those restrictions include a
ban on indoor dining at restau-
rants and bars.
Baker County hasn’t been
in the extreme category since
Feb. 4.
The county moved into the
high risk category on Friday,
April 23.
Baker County previously
would have qualifi ed for the
extreme risk category, starting
that day, based on the 79 new
cases it reported during the
last two-week measuring pe-
riod, April 3-17. The threshold
for extreme risk is 60 cases
over two weeks.
But Brown changed the
system so that no county,
regardless of its case counts,
would move into the extreme
risk category so long as fewer
than 300 COVID-19 patients,
statewide, were being treated
in hospitals.
With case rates increas-
ing across much of the state,
the number of people being
treated in hospitals has risen
as well. As of Thursday, April
22, a total of 283 people state-
wide were hospitalized with
the virus.
In response, Brown an-
nounced that Baker and other
counties could move into the
extreme risk level if statewide
hospitalizations exceed the
300-person threshold.
Baker County Commission-
Centers for Disease Control
An illustration of a COVID-19 particle.
“I hate to see us go back to high risk, and
I’m concerned it will be worse next week.
The spike in cases we’ve experienced
over the last four weeks has sickened
and quarantined many people, and will
also hurt our businesses, especially the restaurants.”
— Mark Bennett, Baker County commissioner
er Mark Bennett addressed
the possibility of the county
moving to extreme risk.
“The spike in cases we’ve
experienced over the last
four weeks has sickened and
quarantined many people, and
will also hurt our businesses,
especially the restaurants,”
Bennett said. “I hate to see us
go back to high risk, and I’m
concerned it will be worse next
week. Thank you to the Health
Department staff for their
tireless work to provide good
information to those who have
come down with symptoms
or been exposed, and to keep
providing vaccines. We’re try-
ing to make getting vaccinated
as easy as possible.”
What was not clear, as of
Friday afternoon, is whether a
decrease in new cases in Baker
County before April 30 could
potentially keep the county at
high risk rather than moving
to extreme risk.
Baker County’s rate of new
cases has more than tripled
over the past month or so.
Through the fi rst 22 days of
April, the county averaged 6.1
cases per day, up from 3.1 per
day during March, 2.5 per day
in February and 3.4 per day
in January.
The county’s worst month
was December 2020, when the
daily average was 6.3 cases.
Oregon reported more than
1,000 new infections on Fri-
day, April 23, a mark that puts
the state second in the nation
for the rate of increase of new
COVID-19 cases.
The counties that could
move to extreme risk, other
than Baker, are Clackamas,
Columbia, Crook, Deschutes,
Jackson, Josephine, Klamath,
Linn, Marion, and Polk.
The restrictions would
go into effect Friday, April
30. There will be no “warn-
ing week” as is usual with
changes in risk levels, which
delayed restrictions for a
week.
“This is your warning,”
Brown said.
The differences in restric-
tions on businesses are
signifi cant between high
risk and extreme risk, most
notably for restaurants, bars
and theaters.
Those businesses can have
indoor capacities of 25% while
a county is at high risk.
But when a county is at
extreme risk, indoor dining
is prohibited in restaurants
and bars, and theaters have
signifi cant limits on capacity,
as well as a ban on consump-
tion of food and drink.
The “fourth surge” of the
pandemic will be different,
offering some hopeful news
to state residents and busi-
nesses.
There is now enough
Moderna and Pfi zer two-shot
vaccine for most people in
the state. The vaccination
has reached three out of four
people 65 and older, which
means that the current spike
will lead to fewer deaths
among the most vulnerable
age group in the population.
House panel ponders combining gun bills
■ Proposal would make changes to legislation banning firearms in public buildings
By Peter Wong
Oregon Capital Bureau
— Rep. Rachel Prusak,
Democrat from West Linn
“No one is under the il-
lusion that enacting a safe
storage law will stop all gun
violence,” Prusak said. “Many
responsible gun owners
already lock up their guns.
The goal of this safe-storage
fi rearms bill is to change the
behavior of the portion of gun
owners whose careless actions
lead to death and injury of
others.”
Split view of changes
The Rules Committee
proposes to combine it with
a narrower version of Senate
Bill 554, which passed the
Senate on a 16-7 vote March
25. All votes for it came from
Democrats; one Democrat
joined six Republicans against
it, and the rest were excused
or absent.
The original bill stated all
fi rearms would be barred
from state buildings, includ-
ing the Capitol, and local
governments would have
the option of barring them
from their own buildings. In
essence, the ban would apply
to the estimated 300,000
holders of concealed-handgun
licenses, who are now exempt
from weapons bans in public
buildings.
The proposed amendment
would narrow the scope of the
Senate bill.
The proposed ban would
apply to the Capitol, but not
other state buildings. (State
courts, which are often in
buildings maintained by
counties, already ban weap-
ons by orders on the presiding
judges.)
It would allow boards of the
seven state universities, 17
community college districts
and 197 school districts to bar
fi rearms from their buildings,
but not their grounds. Unlike
the Senate-passed bill, cities,
counties and special districts
would not be allowed to bar
fi rearms borne by concealed-
handgun licensees.
Sen. Ginny Burdick, a
Democrat from Portland
and a longtime supporter of
fi rearms regulation, said the
proposed change goes too far.
“I’ve been in this process a
long time, and I understand
the necessity for compro-
mise,” she said at a Rules
Committee hearing. “But the
amended version goes way
too far in terms of weakening
the bill.”
Though the proposal would
still bar fi rearms inside the
Capitol, she said, “In the
climate we live in, state build-
ings need to be included.”
She also said if school
boards have discretion to bar
fi rearms from their build-
ings, their grounds need to
be included, “because sports
activities can get pretty hot,
as we all know, and they need
to be covered.”
As passed by the Senate,
public sidewalks and streets
are excluded from regulation.
Sen. Floyd Prozanski, a
Democrat from Eugene who
leads the Senate Judiciary
Committee, offered substitute
language.
“It only seems appropriate
for us to give local control to
school boards, community
colleges and universities to
make the determination
what is best for them and
their properties, not just their
buildings,” he said.
The House committee is
considering other amend-
ments, including one by Rep.
Brian Clem, D-Salem, that
would enable local govern-
ments to regulate fi rearms
in public parks. He also
proposed an amendment that
would do away with state
preemption of most local
fi rearms ordinances — a law
that dates to 1995 — but con-
ceded it would go nowhere.
AGE RANGE
70 and older
60 to 69
50 to 59
40 to 49
30 to 39
20 to 29
10 to 19
9 and younger
3/23 TO 4/2
17.5% (of cases)
10.5%
24.6%
19.3%
10.5%
8.8%
7%
1.8%
4/3 TO 4/21
9.9%
13.2%
11%
11%
26.4%
4.4%
16.5%
7.7%
COVID
Continued from Page 1A
Staten said the trends also show that the virus con-
tinues to spread among people who aren’t vaccinated.
She hopes to see a signifi cant change in that number
today.
The Health Department is having its fi rst drive-thru
vaccination clinic at the Fairgrounds, with the potential
to inoculate 1,160 people, and potentially more depend-
ing on how many people show up, Staten said.
Although the rise in cases started
around March 23, the spread of the virus,
based on age range, has changed substan-
tially in the latter part of the period.
Between March 23 and April 2, about
17.5% of new cases in the county were
Staten
among people 70 and older, Staten said.
But since April 2 the rate of infections
among people 70 and older has dropped to 9.9%.
The difference between the two periods is much
greater when the comparison involves cases among
county residents 50 and older.
From March 23 through April 2, that age range ac-
counted for almost 53% of the county’s cases.
But since then infections among that age group have
dropped to 34% of total cases.
Over the past three weeks the proportion of cases
among county residents younger than 50 has increased
from 47% to 66%.
The age range with the biggest change has been
among people in their 30s. That group accounted for
just 10.5% of cases from March 23 to April 2. Since then,
more than one in four cases in the county — 26.4% —
has been a person between 30 and 39. That’s the highest
percentage of cases, by almost 10%, of any age range.
Cases among residents younger than 20 have also
increased, from 8.8% from March 23 to April 2, to 24%
since.
Younger people are much less likely to become seri-
ously ill after being infected. Statewide, 90% of deaths
attributed to COVID-19 were people 60 or older, accord-
ing to the Oregon Health Authority. Of the 2,467 deaths,
just seven were younger than 30.
But Staten said some Baker County residents
younger than 30 have had severe symptoms.
“It’s unpredictable,” she said. “Even younger kids can
still get very sick.”
Staten also pointed out that when it comes to the
county’s risk level, and the associated restrictions on
businesses and events, all cases “count the same” re-
gardless of the person’s age.
“The choices people make, about mask-wearing and
vaccinations, are going to affect our schools and our
businesses,” she said.
Starting Friday, April 23, Baker County’s risk level
moved from the lowest of the state’s four categories
to the second-highest. That forced restaurants, bars,
fi tness centers and theaters to reduce their indoor
customer limit from 50% of capacity to 25%, with a
maximum of 50 people, including staff.
Effects of vaccinations
Staten said the declining rate of infections among
older residents is to be expected, considering that group
has been eligible for vaccinations longer and has the
highest rate of inoculations.
As of Thursday, April 22, a total of 5,410 Baker Coun-
ty residents — 32.2% of the county’s population — had
been either fully vaccinated (4,251 people) or partially
vaccinated (1,159). Almost 64% of county residents who
are fully or partially vaccinated are 60 or older.
Staten said the county has had a few “breakthrough”
cases — people who tested positive after being fully
vaccinated.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU !
I-84:Upper Perry to Richland Interchange Bridge Repairs
In 2022, we will be repairing six Interstate 84 bridges at various
interchanges in eastern Oregon. The bridges are located between the Exit
256 Upper Perry Interchange (five miles west of La Grande) and the Exit
302 Oregon Highway 86 / Richland Interchange (two miles north of Baker
City). To collect feedback about the upcoming project we are holding a
virtual open house.
ONLINE OPEN HOUSE
April 26 through May 7
https://odotopenhouse.org/openhouse/i-84-upper-perry-to-richland-interchange-improvements
Please take a few minutes to visit the site during this time to review our
plans, pictures and traffic impacts information, and then let us know if you
have any comments.
Overview: Each bridge requires repairs and upgrades to fix a variety of
deficiencies. We will repair bridge decks and joints, seal cracks, replace
bridge and approach rails, and install protective screening. We will design
the project this year and construct it in 2022.
We appreciate your review and feedback. It will help us construct a better,
safer project.
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device
Legislation that combines
proposed requirements for
fi rearms locks and safe stor-
age with a narrower ban on
fi rearms in public buildings is
gaining political momentum
in the Oregon House.
The House Rules Com-
mittee heard a proposal to
combine elements of two bills,
one awaiting a vote of the full
House and a second that has
already passed the Senate. If
it happens, the House would
have to take only one vote,
instead of two, on a fi rearms
regulation bill — and the Sen-
ate would have to vote only
on whether to accept the fi nal
version.
“In this legislation we
kind of mash them together,”
House Republican Leader
Christine Drazan of Canby,
who sits on the committee,
said during a presentation
Wednesday, April 21.
Republicans were already
dead set against House Bill
2510, which awaits a vote
of the full House scheduled
April 26. The House Health
Care Committee advanced it
March 30 on a party-line vote.
That bill would require
the storage of fi rearms with
trigger or cable locks, in a
locked container or in a gun
room. An offense is a Class
C violation, which carries a
maximum fi ne of $500, unless
someone under age 18 obtains
access, in which case it is a
Class A violation with a maxi-
mum fi ne of $2,000. No jail
time is imposed for violations.
Its chief sponsor is Rep.
Rachel Prusak, D-West Linn,
who has advocated for it on
behalf of a constituent since
her election in 2018. She said
she would support it becom-
ing part of a broader bill.
“The goal of this safe-
storage fi rearms bill is to
change the behavior of
the portion of gun owners
whose careless actions
lead to death and injury.”
Baker County COVID-19 cases
ODOT is pleased to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you need
special accommodations or alternate language formats to participate in this open house
event, please contact us (contact information below). Alternate formats available upon
request, or call statewide relay at 711.
For more information, please contact Tom Strandberg, ODOT Public Information Officer
at 541-663-6261, or email thomas.m.strandberg@odot.state.or.us