A10 The BulleTin • Monday, april 12, 2021
Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2021
TODAY
TUESDAY
TONIGHT
HIGH
57°
LOW
31°
Plenty of sunshine
Abundant sunshine
ALMANAC
FRIDAY
58°
30°
Intervals of clouds and
sunshine
Sunshine
Yesterday Normal
Record
54°
56° 80° in 1978
30°
30° 16° in 1905
PRECIPITATION
24 hours through 5 p.m. yesterday
0.00"
Record
0.66" in 1926
Month to date (normal)
0.00" (0.27")
Year to date (normal)
1.18" (3.62")
Barometric pressure at 4 p.m.
30.15"
SUN, MOON AND PLANETS
Today
Tue.
6:27am/7:46pm 6:25am/7:47pm
7:02am/8:34pm 7:24am/9:36pm
6:20am/7:06pm 6:20am/7:13pm
6:43am/8:06pm 6:42am/8:08pm
9:23am/1:03am 9:22am/1:02am
4:24am/2:41pm 4:20am/2:38pm
3:49am/1:32pm 3:45am/1:29pm
7:09am/9:11pm 7:05am/9:07pm
Full
Last
New
Apr 19
Apr 26
May 3
May 11
Tonight's sky: Auriga, the charioteer, drives
across the western evening sky this month.
Source: Jim Todd, OMSI
UV INDEX TODAY
10 a.m.
Noon
2 p.m.
4 p.m.
4
6
6
4
The higher the AccuWeather.com UV Index ™ number,
the greater the need for eye and skin protection. 0-2 Low,
3-5 Moderate; 6-7 High; 8-10 Very High; 11+ Extreme.
ROAD CONDITONS
For web cameras of our passes, go to
www.bendbulletin.com/webcams
I-84 at Cabbage Hill: Mostly sunny today.
Overcast evening, then partly cloudy.
US 20 at Santiam Pass: Plenty of sunshine
today. Mainly clear tonight.
US 26 at Gov't Camp: Plenty of sunshine
today. Clear tonight.
US 26 at Ochoco Divide: Plenty of sun today.
Partly cloudy and cold tonight.
ORE 58 at Willamette Pass: Plenty of sun
today. Clear to partly cloudy tonight. Sunshine
Tuesday.
ORE 138 at Diamond Lake: Plenty of sunshine
today. Mainly clear tonight.
SKI REPORT
67°
33°
Mostly sunny, pleasant and
warmer
EAST: Partly to mostly
sunny across the re-
gion. Mainly clear and
chilly tonight. Mostly
sunny on Tuesday.
Astoria
62/42
Warm with periods of
clouds and sunshine
Hood
River
NATIONAL WEATHER
-0s
0s
10s
20s
30s
40s
50s
60s
Base
80-80
0-95
42-62
92-111
0-205
66-91
0-189
0-45
46-66
45-75
0-100
45-53
38-69
70s
80s
90s
100s
110s
NATIONAL
EXTREMES
YESTERDAY (for the
Shown are today’s noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.
Rain
Showers
Snow
Flurries
Ice
Warm Front
Stationary Front
Cold Front
Source: OnTheSnow.com
Yesterday
City
Hi/Lo/Prec.
Abilene
93/49/0.00
Akron
63/56/0.63
Albany
70/51/0.02
Albuquerque
78/39/0.00
Anchorage
30/14/Tr
Atlanta
75/57/0.01
Atlantic City
60/51/0.47
Austin
87/38/0.00
Baltimore
81/59/0.54
Billings
46/29/0.09
Birmingham
75/52/0.00
Bismarck
47/35/0.25
Boise
52/29/0.00
Boston
49/47/0.00
Bridgeport, CT 53/50/0.11
Buffalo
67/60/0.69
Burlington, VT
72/47/0.01
Caribou, ME
57/28/0.00
Charleston, SC 77/61/0.00
Charlotte
76/59/0.12
Chattanooga
75/56/0.00
Cheyenne
47/27/0.00
Chicago
56/45/Tr
Cincinnati
52/50/0.08
Cleveland
63/57/0.45
Colorado Springs 65/35/0.00
Columbia, MO
71/46/0.15
Columbia, SC
79/56/Tr
Columbus, GA
79/57/0.04
Columbus, OH
58/51/0.28
Concord, NH
61/47/0.00
Corpus Christi
82/57/0.00
Dallas
87/49/Tr
Dayton
53/50/0.25
Denver
56/41/0.00
Des Moines
64/39/0.02
Detroit
59/51/0.56
Duluth
45/39/0.34
El Paso
86/59/0.00
Fairbanks
35/8/0.00
Fargo
59/30/0.00
Flagstaff
67/26/Tr
Grand Rapids
61/46/0.65
Green Bay
57/46/0.58
Greensboro
75/60/0.13
Harrisburg
73/56/0.64
Hartford, CT
65/51/0.01
Helena
40/29/Tr
Honolulu
79/64/0.07
Houston
88/51/0.00
Huntsville
72/47/Tr
Indianapolis
52/47/0.20
Jackson, MS
78/48/0.00
Jacksonville
70/57/0.97
Today
Hi/Lo/W
76/50/pc
59/45/c
53/39/r
74/45/pc
38/30/c
81/58/s
52/46/sh
86/61/c
62/47/sh
42/24/pc
82/56/s
37/20/sn
57/35/s
48/42/sh
51/43/r
58/45/sh
62/44/c
53/38/c
83/59/s
80/53/s
81/54/s
39/21/pc
62/42/pc
65/44/pc
60/46/sh
52/30/pc
63/43/pc
83/54/s
83/55/s
62/44/pc
52/38/sh
83/72/pc
81/56/t
62/42/pc
51/29/pc
60/35/pc
63/43/sh
42/31/sh
86/57/c
41/22/pc
39/23/sn
66/35/pc
59/39/c
54/38/sh
76/52/s
58/47/c
53/40/c
44/24/pc
81/68/pc
86/69/pc
81/54/s
65/43/pc
85/55/pc
83/56/s
Amsterdam
Athens
Auckland
Baghdad
Bangkok
Beijing
Beirut
Berlin
Bogota
Budapest
Buenos Aires
Cabo San Lucas
Cairo
Calgary
Cancun
Dublin
Edinburgh
Geneva
Harare
Hong Kong
Istanbul
Jerusalem
Johannesburg
Lima
Lisbon
London
Madrid
Manila
46/34/pc
66/52/s
74/63/r
82/58/pc
93/80/sh
69/49/pc
62/51/sh
47/33/c
67/50/c
68/41/pc
71/59/s
80/63/s
73/51/s
38/22/pc
88/78/pc
46/34/sh
49/27/pc
48/34/r
81/55/s
81/73/pc
54/44/pc
59/46/s
81/55/s
72/64/pc
68/55/c
48/32/pc
62/39/s
94/79/pc
Tuesday
Hi/Lo/W
64/51/t
65/45/pc
61/44/pc
71/46/pc
41/34/pc
82/60/pc
57/47/pc
74/62/t
63/48/c
36/20/c
83/58/pc
32/21/c
60/33/c
52/44/pc
58/45/pc
57/42/pc
63/46/pc
53/31/c
82/58/s
78/53/pc
78/54/pc
35/23/sn
58/37/pc
67/47/pc
64/45/s
43/31/c
61/42/pc
81/55/s
86/58/pc
66/47/pc
61/41/pc
84/74/r
73/55/t
65/45/pc
45/31/c
54/32/c
64/41/pc
38/31/c
85/56/pc
41/26/pc
34/27/sn
61/37/s
56/35/c
49/32/c
75/51/pc
63/47/pc
61/43/pc
41/24/c
81/69/pc
83/69/t
78/55/pc
64/43/s
80/60/t
84/60/pc
City
Juneau
Kansas City
Lansing
Las Vegas
Lexington
Lincoln
Little Rock
Los Angeles
Louisville
Madison, WI
Memphis
Miami
Milwaukee
Minneapolis
Nashville
New Orleans
New York City
Newark, NJ
Norfolk, VA
Oklahoma City
Omaha
Orlando
Palm Springs
Peoria
Philadelphia
Phoenix
Pittsburgh
Portland, ME
Providence
Raleigh
Rapid City
Reno
Richmond
Rochester, NY
Sacramento
St. Louis
Salt Lake City
San Antonio
San Diego
San Francisco
San Jose
Santa Fe
Savannah
Seattle
Sioux Falls
Spokane
Springfi eld, MO
Tampa
Tucson
Tulsa
Washington, DC
Wichita
Yakima
Yuma
Yesterday
Hi/Lo/Prec.
37/22/Tr
76/40/0.00
60/49/0.38
87/62/0.00
55/48/0.03
70/29/0.00
80/46/0.00
74/58/0.00
59/55/0.15
56/48/0.61
74/50/0.00
91/72/0.61
56/42/0.37
55/42/0.00
73/50/0.00
81/67/0.00
57/54/0.43
58/52/0.92
81/64/0.21
82/37/0.00
69/34/0.00
70/63/1.40
95/66/Tr
52/45/0.27
69/56/0.82
93/65/0.00
66/58/0.43
50/43/0.00
54/53/0.07
79/61/0.21
50/36/0.01
68/41/0.00
80/57/0.11
62/58/1.04
84/44/0.00
69/49/0.20
54/40/0.00
90/53/0.00
67/57/Tr
68/48/0.00
73/43/0.00
75/36/0.00
74/57/0.00
54/35/0.01
64/29/0.00
49/23/0.00
75/40/0.00
76/67/2.14
91/58/0.00
84/42/0.00
79/61/0.19
83/37/0.00
56/22/Tr
93/66/0.00
Today
Hi/Lo/W
39/37/r
62/38/c
62/40/sh
87/62/pc
66/45/s
61/31/s
82/55/pc
72/57/pc
71/50/pc
56/37/c
81/58/pc
86/67/t
60/41/c
49/33/sh
79/53/s
83/66/pc
50/45/r
50/45/r
72/52/s
64/46/c
60/34/s
84/59/pc
93/62/s
62/39/pc
53/46/sh
91/65/s
60/46/sh
50/42/c
51/41/c
77/53/s
45/24/s
66/39/s
72/50/s
53/43/sh
82/49/s
67/46/pc
57/39/s
90/66/c
66/59/pc
67/51/pc
73/48/pc
71/38/pc
84/59/s
60/40/s
53/29/pc
52/34/s
64/46/pc
84/63/pc
89/58/s
66/50/c
65/50/pc
63/40/c
61/40/s
90/59/s
Tuesday
Hi/Lo/W
42/39/r
60/38/pc
59/35/pc
85/56/s
66/48/c
58/30/pc
69/50/pc
66/55/sh
69/52/pc
50/32/c
73/54/c
84/67/s
54/36/pc
40/32/c
71/53/c
77/69/r
62/50/pc
63/49/pc
62/47/c
64/44/c
56/31/pc
88/64/pc
87/56/s
59/38/s
62/48/pc
88/62/s
66/46/pc
56/40/pc
56/43/pc
75/51/pc
42/19/pc
56/36/pc
69/47/c
59/41/pc
76/47/s
64/45/pc
57/40/c
79/66/t
64/56/sh
62/51/pc
67/46/pc
63/38/c
83/59/pc
64/41/s
44/25/pc
53/35/s
59/42/pc
87/68/pc
87/55/pc
64/46/c
65/51/c
60/40/c
62/38/s
88/51/s
96/72/0.00
85/59/0.00
64/45/Tr
63/39/0.00
77/59/0.01
84/72/0.00
99/68/0.00
68/41/0.00
45/21/0.10
68/46/0.00
45/41/0.16
88/70/0.00
63/52/0.26
82/44/0.00
82/66/0.00
63/32/0.00
70/41/0.02
64/57/1.33
91/79/0.12
48/27/0.46
64/53/0.00
83/64/0.03
65/55/0.00
62/49/0.00
63/55/0.41
48/32/0.00
65/45/0.00
68/43/0.06
94/69/s
80/59/s
59/44/c
62/48/c
77/60/pc
82/68/t
101/72/pc
74/57/pc
40/34/pc
60/43/sh
52/34/pc
91/75/s
59/48/r
84/51/s
82/64/s
60/43/pc
61/51/sh
65/57/sh
88/77/sh
46/33/r
67/53/s
84/68/s
66/55/pc
65/57/pc
51/44/sh
56/41/s
64/36/pc
62/37/c
93/69/s
79/57/pc
62/43/s
71/51/pc
77/61/r
82/68/s
102/76/pc
67/59/r
44/25/s
60/44/pc
53/33/pc
79/72/t
59/40/r
86/50/s
68/60/t
55/38/sh
62/38/s
70/51/pc
89/77/t
44/28/s
71/56/s
87/69/r
68/55/s
65/61/c
56/41/sh
57/41/s
40/36/r
44/36/r
INTERNATIONAL
48 contiguous states)
National high: 101°
at Death Valley, CA
National low: 8°
at Daniel, WY
Precipitation: 2.52"
at Crystal River, FL
T-storms
Partly sunny
NATIONAL
Yesterday
Today
Tuesday
Yesterday
Today
Tuesday
Yesterday
Today
Tuesday
City
Hi/Lo/Prec. Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W
City
Hi/Lo/Prec. Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W
City
Hi/Lo/Prec. Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W
Astoria
53/30/0.00 62/42/s 64/41/s
La Grande
48/24/0.02 55/29/s 56/28/s
Portland
60/32/0.00 67/42/s 69/41/s
Baker City
48/21/0.00 55/26/s 56/25/pc
La Pine
51/28/0.00 55/27/s 48/27/s
Prineville
52/27/0.00 61/29/s 48/30/s
Brookings
68/39/0.00 62/46/s 64/47/s
Medford
68/32/0.00 74/38/s 69/37/s
Redmond
53/30/Tr
58/27/s 56/27/s
Newport
50/32/0.00 59/44/s 61/45/s
Roseburg
61/34/0.00 69/38/s 68/37/s
Burns
54/17/0.00 55/27/s 54/26/pc
Eugene
59/30/0.00 66/38/s 66/37/s
North Bend
52/36/0.00 58/43/s 61/43/s
Salem
58/29/Tr
66/41/s 67/38/s
Klamath Falls
60/20/0.00 63/29/s 56/27/s
Ontario
56/32/0.00 61/33/s 65/37/c
Sisters
58/41/0.00 58/31/s 55/31/s
Lakeview
56/25/0.00 59/25/s 52/26/pc
Pendleton
53/23/0.00 59/32/s 62/31/s
The Dalles
60/29/0.01 64/40/s 67/37/s
Weather(W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice, Tr-trace, Yesterday data as of 5 p.m. yesterday
-10s
76°
35°
TRAVEL WEATHER
Umatilla
63/45
Rufus
Hermiston
62/42
63/44
63/44
Arlington
Hillsboro Portland
Meacham Lostine
63/42
66/38 67/42
53/29
Wasco
53/27 Enterprise
Pendleton
The Dalles
CENTRAL: Sunshine
Tillamook
50/24
60/41
59/32
Sandy
64/40
McMinnville
64/41
will give way to
Joseph
Heppner
La
Grande
64/43
Maupin
Government
66/46
some clouds during
55/29
50/25
Camp
58/37 Condon 53/33
Union
Lincoln City
the afternoon hours.
52/31
49/32
55/29
Salem
59/49
Spray
Mainly clear and chilly
Granite
Warm Springs
66/41
Madras
59/30
Albany
49/25
tonight.
Newport
Baker City
60/34
61/31
Mitchell
59/44
64/42
55/26
WEST: Partly to mostly
Camp Sherman
55/28
Redmond
Corvallis
John
Yachats
Unity
sunny today. Mainly
57/32
58/27
63/41
Day
Prineville
54/26
clear and cool tonight. 57/48
Ontario
Sisters
61/29
Paulina
55/27
61/33
Sunshine and a few
Florence
Eugene 58/31
Bend Brothers 54/28
Vale
clouds on Tuesday.
60/45
66/38
57/31
52/26
Sunriver
61/32
Nyssa
55/28
Hampton
Cottage
La Pine
61/31
Juntura
Oakridge
Grove
55/27
53/28
OREGON EXTREMES Coos Bay
Burns
57/30
68/37
68/37
Fort
Rock
60/44
55/27
Riley
YESTERDAY
Crescent
56/28
55/26
High: 68°
55/26
Bandon
Roseburg
Christmas Valley
Jordan Valley
at Medford
Beaver
Frenchglen
Silver
58/45
69/38
56/27
52/31
Low: 17°
Marsh
Lake
55/29
Port Orford
57/28
56/26
at Burns
Grants
Burns Junction
Paisley
59/45
Pass
57/31
Chiloquin
59/24
76/42
Rome
Medford
62/30
Gold Beach
74/38
59/32
59/47
Klamath
Fields
Ashland
McDermitt
Lakeview
Falls
Brookings
55/31
72/38
63/29
55/31
62/46
59/25
Seaside
60/45
Cannon Beach
59/46
SUNDAY
72°
32°
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
In inches as of 5 p.m. yesterday
Ski resort
New snow
Anthony Lakes Mtn
0
Hoodoo Ski Area
0
Mt. Ashland
0
Mt. Bachelor
0
Mt. Hood Meadows
2
Mt. Hood Ski Bowl
0
Timberline Lodge
0
Willamette Pass
0
Aspen / Snowmass, CO
0
Mammoth Mtn. Ski, CA
0
Squaw Valley, CA
0
Park City Mountain, UT
0
Sun Valley, ID
0
SATURDAY
OREGON WEATHER
TEMPERATURE
Rise/Set
Sun
Moon
Mercury
Venus
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
First
THURSDAY
53°
29°
54°
32°
Mainly clear
Bend Municipal Airport through 5 p.m. yest.
High
Low
WEDNESDAY
46/37/0.69
64/43/0.00
71/64/0.12
75/59/0.00
95/79/0.74
68/54/0.00
63/53/0.19
68/44/0.05
70/52/0.09
59/37/0.13
70/61/0.74
90/63/0.00
70/54/0.00
41/23/0.00
88/79/0.00
46/28/0.25
45/26/0.16
61/46/0.44
78/54/0.00
81/69/0.00
55/36/0.00
57/44/0.00
83/60/0.00
77/66/0.00
65/55/0.02
48/34/0.02
59/50/0.34
93/77/0.00
49/33/pc
66/53/s
71/60/pc
82/55/pc
93/81/t
62/40/s
65/54/s
49/31/c
69/51/c
48/34/sh
71/63/s
82/62/s
76/55/s
43/22/pc
87/76/pc
51/38/pc
52/31/pc
50/34/r
80/56/s
83/74/s
61/50/s
62/48/s
81/59/s
71/65/pc
70/56/pc
52/35/pc
67/43/c
97/80/pc
Mecca
Mexico City
Montreal
Moscow
Nairobi
Nassau
New Delhi
Osaka
Oslo
Ottawa
Paris
Rio de Janeiro
Rome
Santiago
Sao Paulo
Sapporo
Seoul
Shanghai
Singapore
Stockholm
Sydney
Taipei City
Tel Aviv
Tokyo
Toronto
Vancouver
Vienna
Warsaw
Hesitancy
Vaccine
Continued from A1
Continued from A1
As Oregon prepares to open the
vaccine floodgates to everyone 16
and older April 19, state health offi-
cers and rural leaders in some coun-
ties face a potential issue: What to do
with the not-insignificant portions of
the population who apparently aren’t
clamoring for a shot.
It’s a question that’s hummed in the
background for months until finally
reaching a crescendo last week, when
Oregon Health Authority Director
Patrick Allen said seven counties had
vaccinated less than half their seniors.
The problem, health officials warned,
would likely grow as younger and
healthier Oregonians become eligi-
ble and any possible late-adopters get
crowded out.
Allen told lawmakers during a leg-
islative hearing Wednesday that Or-
egon will change how it distributes
vaccines to a more “demand-based
model” instead of directing largely
on per-capita eligibility. That would
seemingly spell bad news for Uma-
tilla County and other locales where
demand has been tepid. Allen said
the change is “so that we don’t
over-allocate to places where we can’t
administer those doses efficiently.”
The policy change could create a
self-fulfilling prophecy, where early
hesitancy prompts fewer doses in
the community and helps keep some
counties under vaccinated. Fewer
people vaccinated makes it easier for
the virus to continue spreading and,
potentially, mutate.
Some people who’ve received John-
son & Johnson’s vaccine have posted
giddy and celebratory Tweets under
the popular hashtag #OneandDone.
Gov. Kate Brown received a John-
son & Johnson dose in early March.
The one-dose vaccine also has been
a valuable resource for states eager to
immunize hard-to-reach or mobile
populations, such as individuals who
are homeless, jail inmates, migrant
workers or college students.
Overall, the hit to Oregon’s John-
son & Johnson allocation will result
in an overall 20% reduction in total
vaccines received — from 258,190 last
week to 205,830 this week — because
shipments of the Pfizer and Moderna
vaccines are staying relatively consis-
tent and Johnson & Johnson alloca-
tions have been comparatively small,
according to numbers from the state.
Those numbers, however, don’t
include doses sent to pharmacies
through the federal retail pharmacy
program. The number of doses sent
to the program weren’t yet available,
as of Friday.
Allen said he predicts the Johnson
& Johnson production problems will
amount to only a slight delay to Ore-
gon’s goal of inoculating 70% of resi-
dents 16 and older by the end of May
with at least one dose of one of the
three available vaccines.
“That may shift a week or two based
on what we’re currently beginning to
see, but not by months or months or
anything like that,” Allen said.
The number of Johnson & Johnson
vaccines shipped to Oregon and other
states since the federal government
granted emergency use authorization
in February has seesawed from week
to week because of production chal-
lenges overseas, where all doses of the
vaccine are currently manufactured.
Two weeks ago, the federal govern-
ment sent nearly 2 million Johnson
& Johnson doses to states. Last week,
it was nearly 5 million. This week, it’s
just 700,000.
Washington is seeing its allocation
drop from 109,000 to 12,900. Califor-
nia’s is going from 572,700 to 67,600.
Although Allen said the reduction
might delay Oregon’s overall vaccina-
tion efforts by a week or two, the tim-
ing of Johnson & Johnson’s produc-
tion difficulties is unfortunate. New
COVID-19 cases are up 44% and
hospitalizations 46% over the past
two weeks, as the state battles a fourth
surge that started weeks ago. Nation-
wide, new known cases are up 13%
and hospitalizations up 7% over the
same time period.
Infections vs. vaccinations
The scale of the challenge in parts
of rural Oregon remains difficult
to enumerate. Some of the counties
hardest hit by COVID-19 appear to
be among the least vaccinated. But
rural leaders question if there are un-
knowns behind those numbers, like
how many residents were vaccinated
by tribes, the federal government or
in neighboring states.
Umatilla County previously ranked
near or at the top in state data for most
infections per capita and at the bottom
in vaccines administered per capita —
a problem that health officials, busi-
ness leaders and politicians acknowl-
edge likely reflects reality.
As of Friday, Umatilla still had the
lowest vaccination rate in the state,
with about 21% of people at least par-
tially inoculated, and Malheur was
second worst at 22%, according to
the state’s recently updated database.
The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, which calculates rates
based on full vaccinations, ranks
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian file
The Pendleton Round-Up Arena sits empty on what would have been the third day of the Round-Up in September. Instead, it was
canceled for 2020. This year’s massive event is scheduled for Sept. 11-18.
both better.
tion “unconscionable” and decrying
Umatilla County officials think the the “embarrassing contradiction” in
figures are slightly better than what
the state’s vaccine plans by not fun-
shows up in Oregon’s database, par-
neling more shots to Morrow, Mal-
ticularly among people 65 and older.
heur and Umatilla counties.
“We think perhaps 60% of our
“We have several things in com-
seniors have probably gotten a vac-
mon with both of those counties in
cine,” said George Murdock, chair of
that we have collectively suffered from
the Umatilla County Commission.
the highest rates of infection and we
“But when you realize that 75% of
are three of the five counties with the
the deaths are among that age group, highest Latino population,” Murdock
it’s mind-boggling why that number
and the other commissioners wrote.
wouldn’t be considerably higher.”
Murdock said he is now concerned
In fact, as of Friday,
the county, which typi-
only about 55% of the
cally has a low percent-
county’s seniors had
age of people who get
“I can’t fathom
received at least one
flu shots, will miss out
dose of vaccine. That’s
on its coveted summer
why somebody
significantly below the
events — fairs, rodeos,
wouldn’t. I got
statewide average for
the iconic Pendleton
seniors of more than
Roundup and more
mine on the first
70%.
— because the state
day (of eligibility).”
“I can’t fathom why
will not authorize large
somebody wouldn’t,”
gatherings due to low
— George Murdock,
Murdock, 78, said of
vaccination rates or
78, who chairs the
getting the vaccine. “I
perceived COVID-19
Umatilla County
got mine on the first
risks.
Commission
day” of eligibility.
Over in Hermiston,
The hesitancy is
Kristina Olivas, the
frustrating, Mur-
new executive director
dock said, because he’s adamant the
of the local chamber of commerce,
county should have received more
said she’s not surprised by the low
doses in the first place. County offi-
adoption rate and high infection rate.
cials were particularly steamed when
Olivas, who was born and raised
doses from many rural parts of the
in Hermiston, said her 87-year-old
state were funneled toward the metro grandmother is one of those locals
area in late January to help inocu-
who is doing well, as is, and is unin-
late healthcare workers and teachers
terested in a vaccine.
there. That anger lingered.
“I don’t leave the house anyway,”
The commission sent a blister-
she said of her grandmother’s think-
ing letter to Gov. Kate Brown’s office
ing, “I’m not getting it.”
March 3 calling the vaccine distribu-
When asked if Olivas tried to con-
vince her to take the shot, Olivas de-
murred: “She’s a real strong woman,
she’s going to do what she wants.”
Early intervention
Where Umatilla has struggled even
in recent weeks, Morrow County got
a shoutout from the governor and
health officials for its successes last
week. Melissa Lindsay, a county com-
missioner, said the county raised its
hand two months ago to partner with
Federal Emergency Management
Agency to reach agricultural workers
in the rural area.
The mobile clinics brought shots
directly to people at their workplaces.
It was a pain to get the program off
the ground, she said, but ultimately
the county administered 1,000 doses
in the span of four days.
Despite that success, Lindsay is
concerned there’s still reluctance
from some quarters in the county,
where about 25% of the population
has received at least one vaccine dose.
Some calls to big employers are met
with reluctance, with people saying
they would wait and see what re-
strictions, if any, will meet those who
don’t opt for a vaccine.
Some express concern about the
long-term effects of the new vaccines,
Lindsay has heard, a concern scien-
tists say isn’t an issue. She’s worried
that while the mobile clinics were a
success, other agricultural workers
are already in the fields and may not
be reachable.
“The spring has sprung, and ev-
eryone is going full speed ahead,” she
said.