A6 BAKER CITY HERALD • SATURDAY, JANUARY 22, 2022
LOCAL & STATE
Omicron wave is close to cresting
in Oregon, new forecast says
20 — 204 more than the week
before.
The omicron variant wave
Protective measures against
of COVID-19 will peak over
COVID-19 continue to suppress
the next two weeks and begin
seasonal flu cases. There were
a steep decline, according to a
38 cases reported last week,
new Oregon state forecast.
compared with 1,461 in a simi-
The Oregon Health & Sci-
lar week in 2020, just before the
ence University late Thursday,
pandemic reached Oregon.
Jan. 20, projected hospitaliza-
Other findings:
tions will likely peak on Feb. 1 at
• Case counts and test pos-
1,553 COVID-19 patients.
itivity remain at record levels.
“Oregon appears to be flat-
The percentage of cases re-
tening the curve of hospitalized ported as positive was 27% on
patients,” the report said. “In-
Thursday, Jan. 20.
fections are likely to peak in the
• While new infections were
next week and hospitalizations still rising quickly, the percent-
the week after.”
age of the most severe cases held
The forecast came as the state steady. As of Jan 18, 25% of Or-
continues to see key numbers
egon’s occupied ICU beds had
climb. The number of peo-
COVID-19 patients, similar to
ple in Oregon hospitals with
the week before.
COVID-19 was 981 as of Jan.
• The number of children in
BY GARY A. WARNER
Oregon Capital Bureau
Oregon hospitals remains “vola-
tile and high,” with 23 as of Jan.
18. Oregon has a low rate of pe-
diatric cases compared to the
majority of states.
The New York Times said
Thursday, Jan. 20, that state and
local health agencies reported
753,990 new cases, up 29% from
two weeks ago. Hospitals had
158,638 COVID-19 positive pa-
tients, up 48% from two weeks
ago, the newspaper reported.
Oregon ranked 11th lowest
in cases per 100,000 residents
among the 50 states.
The Institute for Health Met-
rics and Evaluation at the Uni-
versity of Washington, another
key COVID-19 forecaster in
the Pacific Northwest, says the
number of infections in Oregon
likely peaked Jan. 11. It forecasts
CDC/Contributed Photo
A COVID-19 particle is pictured in
this image provided by the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention.
that hospitalizations will top out
on Feb. 1. Daily deaths would
start declining on Feb. 4.
Oregon residents decry ‘permanent’
mask mandate proposed by OHA
BY SARA CLINE
Associated Press/Report for America
PORTLAND — Hundreds of Oregon
residents claimed government overreach on
Thursday, Jan. 20, as officials at the state’s
health authority consider indefinitely ex-
tending the current indoor mask require-
ment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Oregon Health Authority held a pub-
lic hearing about the proposed “permanent”
mask rule for public indoor spaces, regardless
of people’s vaccination status. Although the
word “permanent” is used, officials say the
rule can be rescinded when it is deemed “no
longer necessary” by health authority officials.
However, currently there is no set expira-
tion date or specific metrics outlining when
the rule could be lifted if OHA makes it
permanent.
Any person who violates the proposed
rule will be subject to civil penalties of up
to a $500 fine per day per violation.
More than 350 people — ranging from
stay-at-home parents, registered nurses, a
speech language pathologist, teachers and
business owners in rural and urban areas —
attended the virtual public hearing and ve-
hemently opposed the rule.
“We don’t believe that you’re going to
take into account the best interest of Orego-
nians and we don’t believe that you’re going
to repeal this,” Elizabeth Moore, a Portland
resident, said during the hearing. “I think
it’s high time at this stage of the pandemic...
to let Oregonians be adults and make deci-
sions for themselves.”
Many people testifying cited studies, anec-
dotes and quotes against masking. Most were
frustrated and some threatened officials.
“Remove this and don’t push it through,”
said Angela Todd, the chief communica-
tions officer for a grass-roots group called
Free Oregon. “And I promise you, if you
push this through, we’re coming for you.”
Oregon Health officials and the federal
Centers for Disease Control and Preven-
tion say wearing masks indoors can help re-
duce the spread of COVID, especially as the
highly contagious omicron variant is caus-
ing a spike in cases.
The proposed permanent rule has
emerged to address a technicality in state
law that requires the current temporary
rule to expire in early February — after the
projected peak of the omicron wave.
The temporary rule was adopted in Au-
gust 2021 in response to the rapid spread
of the delta variant. Oregon law gives the
health authority the power to implement
public health rules such as the mask man-
date, but the agency is only allowed to leave
temporary rules in place for 180 days.
“Up until now, masking was a temporary
measure re-examined and renewed every
It’s
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180 days. This puts a forcing function of
time into each mask mandate requiring you
to look at current evidence and hear public
opinion,” Aden Nepom, a West Linn resi-
dent, said in opposition.
This is not the first time there has been
public outcry over a “permanent” mask rule.
In May 2021, Michael Wood, the admin-
istrator of the state’s department of Occu-
pational Safety and Health, indefinitely ex-
tended a workplace rule requiring masks
and social distancing in all businesses.
The Oregon Health Authority is sched-
uled to hold two more administrative
rulemaking hearings on Monday, Jan. 24.
The first will be on a masking requirement
in schools and COVID-19 vaccination re-
quirements for teachers and school staff.
The second will be on masking and vacci-
nation requirements in health care settings.
Oregon has had some of the most strin-
gent COVID-19 restrictions and safety
measures throughout the pandemic. State
officials have attributed the state’s success
in lower COVID-19 case counts, hospital-
izations and deaths — when compared to
other states — to the safety measures.
At least nine other states — including
California, New York and Washington —
require most people to wear masks in in-
door public places, whether or not they
have been vaccinated against COVID-19.
Lawsuit: Governor
unlawfully commuting
prison sentences
PORTLAND — Two
medically vulnerable,
Oregon district attorneys had completed at least
and the relatives of three half their sentences and
homicide victims have
weren’t serving time for
filed a lawsuit accusing
crimes against people.
Gov. Kate Brown of un-
Brown also com-
lawfully freeing nearly
muted the sentences of
1,000 incarcer-
41 people who
ated people.
fought the La-
The law-
bor Day 2020
suit was filed
wildfires, ac-
Wednesday, Jan.
cording to the
19, in Marion
June letter,
County Circuit
which is cited
Court, The Ore-
in the lawsuit.
gonian/Oregon-
Those released
Brown
Live reported.
didn’t “present
District attorneys Pa- an unacceptable safety,
tricia Perlow of Lane
security, or compliance
County and Doug Mar- risk to the community,”
teeny of Linn County are the letter said.
among the parties alleg-
Forty-four incarcer-
ing Brown has violated
ated people and three
clemency procedures
jail employees have died
that require victim noti- of COVID-19 since the
fication. The lawsuit also pandemic began, state
asks a judge to stop the
records show.
Democratic governor
The lawsuit says
from allowing those con- Brown broke rules re-
victed of crimes as mi-
quiring individual com-
nors from applying for
mutation applications
commutation.
and unlawfully delegated
“We are asking that
her responsibilities to
the court compel the
state agencies.
governor to follow the
“This lawsuit is not
laws that are already in
personal on my part,”
place,” said Monique
Marteeny said in a state-
DeSpain, a lawyer for
ment. “I believe our laws
the Kevin L. Mannix
put limits on (Brown’s)
Salem-based law firm,
actions. I am working to
which filed the case with enforce those limits.”
Common Sense for Ore-
Perlow, in a statement,
gon on behalf of Perlow, said Brown was ignoring
Marteeny and the homi- crime victims’ statutory
cide victims’ relatives.
and constitutional rights.
Kevin Mannix, a for-
Aliza Kaplan, a Lewis
mer chair of the Oregon & Clark Law School pro-
Republican Party, leads
fessor who helps people
both the law firm and
in custody prepare clem-
the organization, The
ency applications, said
Register-Guard reported. the governor’s actions
A spokeswoman for
were in line with histori-
the governor said the of- cal standards.
fice “generally does not
“She’s using it in the
comment on matters of
exact way it should be
pending litigation.”
used,” Kaplan told The
Brown commuted
Oregonian/OregonLive.
the sentences of 912
“These people have
people in custody who
been punished signifi-
were deemed at height-
cantly, and even in a
ened risk of contracting place like prison, they
COVID-19, according
have managed to reha-
to a June 2021 letter she bilitate themselves, and
sent to state lawmak-
the governor is offering
ers. Those freed were
them mercy.”
Rich, poor,
old, young.
Compassion
doesn’t
discriminate.
Our calling is you.