LOCAL, STATE & NATION
THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2021
BAKER CITY HERALD — 5A
Oregon 65,000 shots shy of
lifting COVID-19 restrictions
By Gary A. Warner
Study: COVID-19
likely arrived in
U.S. in late 2019
Oregon Capital Bureau
By Mike Stobbe
Oregon needs just over
65,000 more people to get
their fi rst COVID-19 vaccina-
tion shot for the state to lift
most restrictions statewide.
“We are incredibly close to
achieving a 70% statewide
adult vaccination rate, bring-
ing us closer to returning to a
sense of normalcy,” Gov. Kate
Brown said in a statement
Tuesday, June 15.
The Oregon Health Author-
ity said 65,484 more shots
were needed, as of mid-day,
to pass 70% of eligible adult
residents having received one
shot.
OHA reported it was
averaging 13,484 shots per
day, which includes each shot
of the two-shot Moderna and
Pfi zer vaccines, as well as the
one-shot Johnson & Johnson
vaccine.
The daily totals are down
sharply from April, when the
state topped 50,000 shots on
its biggest vaccination days.
Demand for vaccinations
has slowed in the past month,
as those eager to be vaccinat-
ed against the virus have been
served. What’s left is residents
for whom vaccination is incon-
venient or who have doubts
about getting the shots.
Oregon Republicans have
been critical of Brown’s ap-
proach throughout most of the
pandemic, despite the state’s
low infection and death rates
compared to most of the rest of
the nation.
Critics say restrictions have
unnecessarily hamstrung
the Oregon economy as other
states had fewer or sometimes
no restrictions. Now Brown is
being cast as out of step even
with Democratic governors in
California and Washington.
House Minority Leader
Christine Drazan, R-Canby,
released a public letter to
Brown on Tuesday calling for
her to follow the example of
California, where Gov. Gavin
Newsom opened the state to
most activities on Tuesday.
“Oregon does not need to be
the most restrictive state on
the West Coast, or one of the
last states to reopen nation-
wide,” Drazan wrote.
Citing vaccines, improved
medical treatment for infec-
tions, and the “natural immu-
nity” of those who contracted
COVID-19 and survived, Dra-
zan said there were enough
safeguards to lift restrictions
immediately.
“If we include Oregonians
with natural immunity, then
we are well above the 70
percent threshold to reopen
the state,” Drazan wrote. “Or-
egonians have been through
enough. They do not need to
wait another day.”
The range of restrictions
differs from county to county
in Oregon as Brown has tak-
en steps to remove limits in
areas that have put at least
one shot into the arms of 65%
of eligible adult residents.
Eight counties have met
the standard and were moved
AP Medical Writer
Samantha O’Conner/Baker City Herald
Lisa Weichbrodt receives her second dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine during a
clinic Friday, March 26, at Baker High School. About 450 people got their second shot
during the clinic.
“We are incredibly
close to achieving a
70% statewide adult
vaccination rate, bringing
us closer to a sense of
normalcy.”
— Oregon Gov. Kate Brown
to the least restrictive lower
risk level, regardless of infec-
tion rates.
Washington, Benton, Hood
River, Multnomah, Lincoln,
Deschutes, Lane and Clacka-
mas counties are past the
65% mark. Polk County is
less than 1 percentage point
away from joining the group
as soon as OHA confi rms it
has met the qualifi cations.
Two counties in the north-
west could still see limits
lifted before the whole state.
Clatsop and Tillamook are
over 62% and if they keep up
the same rate of vaccination
could move to lower level next
week.
For many counties the
statewide 70% mark is likely
their only path out of the
restrictions on restaurants,
events, shops and socializing
that come with high risk
levels.
There are currently nine
counties at what is now
the state’s top risk status.
Marion, Jefferson and Linn
have given at least one shot
to more than half their popu-
lation. Umatilla and Malheur
are below 40%. Columbia,
Crook, Douglas and Klamath
are in between.
While the end of June
seems a likely time frame to
reach 70% with at least one
vaccine shot, the main goal
has been to reach President
Joe Biden’s hope for a nor-
malization of life by the July
4 holiday.
Oregon Health Author-
ity offi cials and vaccination
partners are making a more
assertive effort to get into the
community and offer shots
at workplaces, shops, schools
and shopping areas.
Two charged in vandalism
Baker City Police arrested two girls, ages 11 and 12, on
Tuesday, June 14, on criminal mischief charges during an
investigation of vandalism at Geiser-Pollman Park.
The girls, whose names were not released due to their ages,
will be charged in juvenile court with fi rst-degree criminal
mischief, a Class C felony, according to a press release from
Sgt. Wayne Chastain of the Baker City Police.
The investigation started June 10 when graffi ti was report-
ed at Geiser-Pollman Park. Offi cers found that someone had
used black markers on playground equipment, and spread
black paint on sidewalks. The estimated damage and cleanup
costs exceed $1,000, according to the press release.
The video cameras the city installed in the park earlier this
spring recorded the vandalism.
On June 14 police were dispatched to another report of
graffi ti behind the Dollar Tree store at 2300 Resort, just south
of Geiser-Pollman Park. During that investigation, police
detained three juvenile girls. A city employee who arrived
recognized two of the girls from the park video from June 10.
Chastain said the two girls were also suspected of the
graffi ti at the Dollar Tree, but that store offi cials didn’t press
charges in that case.
The girls were released to their parents after being cited.
Baker County vaccination
rate well below state average
Baker County’s vaccination rate — 43.6% of residents 16
or older — ranks 27th out of Oregon’s 36 counties.
As of Tuesday, June 15, 5,774 Baker County residents
were fully vaccinated, and 413 were partially vaccinated,
according to the Oregon Health Authority.
Although the county’s rate is well below the statewide
average of 68%, Baker County has the second-highest
vaccination rate among eight counties in Eastern Oregon,
trailing only Wallowa County’s 55.4% rate. Rates for other
counties in the region: Malheur, 35.2%, Umatilla, 39.2%,
Harney, 40.4%, Grant, 40.4%, Morrow, 41.4%, Union,
43.5%. In Baker County, vaccination rates among age
groups are: 80 and older, 67.2%; 75 to 79, 59.3%; 70 to 74,
67.6%; 65 to 69, 54.8%; 60 to 64, 46.4%; 50 to 59, 38.8%;
40 to 49, 35.9%; 30 to 39, 27.3%; 20 to 29, 25.8%; 16 to 19,
20.5%; 12 to 15, 11%.
— Jayson Jacoby
The state is also trying to
appeal to the wallets of those
who haven’t yet stepped up to
get inoculated.
Oregon will hold a draw-
ing on June 28 in which one
vaccinated resident will win
$1 million. One resident from
each of the 36 counties will
receive $10,000. Vaccines are
now available to all those age
12 and older. Though they are
not part of the 70% adult goal
announced earlier, the state
will give out fi ve $100,000
Oregon College Savings Plan
scholarships to vaccinated
youth.
OHA offi cials have said the
state is now experiencing two
different pandemics, one that
can affect the health of vacci-
nated people only moderately
at best. For the unvaccinated,
the virus that has killed
nearly 600,000 Americans is
still spreading to the unpro-
tected.
“If you are not vaccinated,
COVID-19 remains just as
dangerous as before,” Brown
said.
Until the 70% mark is
hit, Brown will continue to
announce revised COVID-19
county risk levels each week.
The current list goes into
effect June 18 to 24. Baker
County remains in the lowest
risk level, with the least-strin-
gent restrictions on businesses
and events.
NEW YORK — A new analysis of blood samples from
24,000 Americans taken early last year is the latest and
largest study to suggest that the new coronavirus popped
up in the U.S. in December 2019 — weeks before cases
were fi rst recognized by health offi cials.
The analysis is not defi nitive, and some experts remain
skeptical, but federal health offi cials are increasingly ac-
cepting a timeline in which small numbers of COVID-19
infections may have occurred in the U.S. before the world
ever became aware of a dangerous new virus erupting in
China.
“The studies are pretty consistent,” said Natalie Thorn-
burg of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“There was probably very rare and sporadic cases here
earlier than we were aware of. But it was not widespread
and didn’t become widespread until late February,” said
Thornburg, principal investigator of the CDC’s respira-
tory virus immunology team.
The pandemic coronavirus emerged in Wuhan, China
in late 2019. Offi cially, the fi rst U.S. infection to be identi-
fi ed was a traveler — a Washington state man who
returned from Wuhan on Jan. 15 and sought help at a
clinic on Jan. 19.
CDC offi cials initially said the spark that started the
U.S. outbreak arrived during a three-week window from
mid-January to early February. But research since then
— including some done by the CDC — has suggested a
small number of infections occurred earlier.
A CDC-led study published in December 2020 that
analyzed 7,000 samples from American Red Cross blood
donations suggested the virus infected some Americans
as early as the middle of December 2019.
The latest study, published Tuesday, June 15 online by
the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, is by a team in-
cluding researchers at the National Institutes of Health.
They analyzed blood samples from more than 24,000
people across the country, collected in the fi rst three
months of 2020 as part of a long-term study called “All Of
Us” that seeks to track 1 million Americans over years to
study health.
Like the CDC study, these researchers looked for anti-
bodies in the blood that are taken as evidence of corona-
virus infection, and can be detected as early as two weeks
after a person is fi rst infected.
The researchers say nine study participants — fi ve
from Illinois, and one each from Massachusetts, Mis-
sissippi, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin — were infected
earlier than any COVID-19 case was ever reported in
those states.
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EASTERN OREGON
2021
PHOTO CONTEST
Official Rules:
Photo Contest open now and closes at
11:59 pm Sunday, June 20, 2021.
Staff will choose the top 10. The public can
vote online for People’s Choice from 12:01
am Monday, June 21 through 11:59 pm
Thursday, June 30.
Digital or scanned photos only, uploaded
to the online platform. No physical copies.
Only photographers from Oregon may
participate.
The contest subject matter is wide open but
we’re looking for images that capture life
in Eastern Oregon.
Submit all photos
online at:
Entrants may crop, tone, adjust saturation
and make minor enhancements, but may
not add or remove objects within the
frame, or doctor images such that the final
product doesn’t represent what’s actually
before the camera.
The winners will appear in the July 8th
edition of Go Magazine; the top 25 will
appear online.
Gift cards to a restaurant of your choice
will be awarded for first, second and third
place.
bakercictyherald.com/photocontest