STATE
MyEagleNews.com
Wednesday, November 25, 2020
A7
Oregon at ‘tipping point’ as COVID-19 surge swamps hospitals
142% increase in
hospitalizations
since Nov. 1
TWO-WEEK FREEZE
Gov. Kate Brown ordered a
two-week “freeze” on busi-
nesses and activities to try to
cut the rapidly rising rate of
COVID-19 infections.
By Gary A. Warner
Oregon Capital Bureau
Oregon’s hospitals are in
imminent danger of being
overwhelmed by a rapid rise
in the number of COVID-19
cases, state health officials
said Friday.
Oregon is at a “tipping
point,” said Oregon Health
Authority Director Pat-
rick Allen at a Friday press
briefing. The steep increase
in infections is due primar-
ily to community spread
driven by informal get-to-
gethers in private residences.
Allen pleaded with Orego-
nians to follow mandates to
wear masks, limit get-togeth-
ers to six people, wash their
hands frequently and avoid
travel during the upcoming
holidays.
“We all want this pan-
demic to be over,” Allen said.
“We all have the power to end
this nightmare.”
Not following the guide-
lines will “feed the virus what
it needs” to spread, escalating
hospitalizations and deaths.
Statewide as of Friday,
412 people are hospitalized
with COVID-19, a 142%
increase since Nov. 1.
OHA reported 1,174
new COVID-19 cases and
six deaths on Monday. The
death toll was down from the
record-breaking 20 reported
Thursday.
Since the pandemic hit
Oregon at the end of Febru-
ary, there have been 66,333
cased of COVID-19 and 826
deaths. Nationwide, there
have been 12.5 million cases
and 258,827 deaths.
At least two vaccines
against
COVID-19
are
expected to start becom-
ing available in very limited
amounts around Jan. 1. But
Allen said the timeline for
The freeze, which runs from
Nov. 18 to Dec. 2 in most of
the state, includes:
• Limiting social get-togeth-
ers (indoors and outdoors)
to no more than six people,
total, from no more than two
households.
• Limiting faith-based organi-
zations to a maximum of 25
people indoors or 50 people
outdoors.
• Closing zoos, gardens,
aquariums, outdoor entertain-
ment activities and outdoor
pools.
• Limiting grocery stores and
pharmacies to a maximum of
75% capacity and encourag-
ing curbside pickup.
• Limiting retail stores and
retail malls (indoor and out-
door) to a maximum of 75%
capacity and encouraging
curbside pickup.
• Closing venues (that host or
facilitate indoor or outdoor
events).
• Closing gyms and fitness
organizations.
• Requiring all businesses to
mandate work-from-home to
the greatest extent possible
and closing offices to the
public.
• Closing indoor recreational
facilities, museums, indoor en-
tertainment activities and indoor
pools and sports courts.
• Prohibiting indoor visiting
in long-term care facilities
(outdoor visitation permitted
for supporting quality of life).
• Limiting eating and drinking
establishments to takeout and
delivery only.
when most Oregonians might
get the vaccine is “completely
unknown.”
Oregon has been under a
COVID-19 “state of emer-
gency” since March 8, allow-
ing Gov. Kate Brown to issue
executive orders with restric-
tions necessary to control the
virus.
Brown implemented a
two-week “freeze” that began
Nov. 18, which caps pri-
vate get-togethers to six peo-
ple from no more than two
households. Other restric-
tions include closing gyms
and entertainment venues,
and requiring restaurants to
restrict sales to takeout only.
Allen said that oppo-
nents of the more stringent
COVID-19 restrictions under
the “freeze” have argued that
Oregon’s relatively low total
case numbers and deaths
compared to other states
should be evidence Brown
should be opening up busi-
nesses and schools.
Republican lawmakers, a
coalition of local officials and
the association of the state’s
restaurant owners have all
written letters asking Brown
to revoke some or all of the
restrictions.
“I have heard frequently
from those who have refused
to believe this pandemic is
serious if we aren’t seeing
hospitalizations and deaths,”
Allen said. “Those hospital-
izations and deaths are here,
and are only likely to go up.”
Among the critics on Fri-
day was President Donald
Trump.
At a Friday press brief-
ing — the first since Oct.
1 — White House spokes-
woman Kayleigh McEnany
specifically singled out Ore-
gon’s two-week “freeze” for
criticism.
McEnany called the
freeze and other restrictions
around the country “Orwel-
EOMG file photo
Hospitals are at risk of being overwhelmed by COVID-19 in Ore-
gon, according to state health officials.
lian,” a reference to the book
“1984” by George Orwell set
in a society under strict state
control.
Her comments came after
the White House coronavirus
task force, led by Vice Presi-
dent Mike Pence, said it sup-
ported state efforts to sup-
press infection rates.
The Oregon officials Fri-
day defended the state’s test-
ing for COVID-19.
“Oregon tests at a level
that is comparable to most
other states,” Allen said.
“We’re right in line with
other states per capita.”
Oregon is changing the
way it reports test results,
switching from people tested
to number of tests. The new
method is in line with how
the Centers for Disease Con-
trol reports infection, as well
as several other states.
The new formula drops
Oregon’s 12.9% rate of posi-
tive tests to 6.7%
“Case counts have sky-
rocketed,” Allen said, but the
current measuring system
inflates the rate.
The new metric will
include people who receive
multiple tests, such as resi-
dents and staff at long-term
care facilities.
Dr. Melissa Sutton, a senior
advisor to OHA, said 966,000
Oregonians have been tested
for COVID-19, or roughly
1-in-4 of the state’s estimated
4.2 million residents.
Because of the Thanksgiv-
ing holiday, OHA said there
would be no press briefing
this week. The next ques-
tion-and-answer
session
with media will not be until
Dec. 4.
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Grace Chapel (EMC )
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541 820-4437
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10:45-12:00
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Redeemer
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For more information,
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Everyone Welcome • 541-932-2861
P rairie
B aptist C hurch
238 N. McHaley St., Prairie City
Sunday School (all ages) .......9:00 a.m.
Sunday Morning Worship .10:30 a.m.
Awana (Oct.-Apr.) ................3:00 p.m.
Youth Group .........................5:30 p.m.
St. Elizabeth of Hungary
Catholic Church
Corner of S Canyon Blvd and SW 2 nd
Mon. - Fri. Mass - 12:05 pm
Saturday Mass - 5:00 pm
Sunday Mass - 9:00 am
Holy Days Mass: Noon & 6 pm
Confession: Saturday 4:00-4:45 pm
Anytime by appointment
541-974-8638
St. Anne
Monument -
2nd & 4th Sundays at 12:30 pm
Office Hours
Monday - Friday 9 am - 12 Noon
Sunday Worship • 9AM
2 Corinthians 5:17
Every Sunday in the L.C.
Community Center
(Corner of Second & Allen)
Contact Paster Ed Studtmann at
541-421-3888 • Begins at 4:00pm
FIRST
BAPTIST
CHURCH
Sunday School ...................... 9:30 a.m.
Sunday Morning Worship .. 10:50 a.m.
Sunday Morning Worship .. 10:50 a.m.
No Mid-week Services
Pastor Jesse Gosnell
300 W. Main, John Day
541-575-1355
627 SE Hillcrest, John Day
1 st Sunday Worship/Communion ..................10am
3 rd Sunday Worship/Communion/Potluck ...4:30pm
2 nd , 4 th & 5 th Sunday Worship .........................10am
Wednesday Evening Bible Study .....................6pm
For information: 541-575-2348
Community Church
SUNDAY SERVICE..............9 am
SUNDAY SERVICE ...........9 am
541-932-4800
EVERYONE WELCOME
(541) 575-1326
johndayUMC@gmail.com
126 NW Canton, John Day
Food Pantry Friday 3-4PM
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FIRST CHRISTIAN
CHURCH
541-820-3696
www.prairie-baptist-church.com
Pastor David Hoeffner
Pastor Keith DeHart
JOHN DAY
UNITED
METHODIST
CHURCH
MT. VERNON
PRESBYTERIAN
Sunday School ..................... 9:45 am
Sunday Worship ...................... 11 am
Fox Community Church ............. 3 pm
Sunday Evening Bible Talk ......... 6 pm
Saturday Men’s Study ............... 6 pm
Full Gospel- Come Grow With Us
541-575-1202 Church
311 NE Dayton St, John Day
Pastor Al Altnow
Cornerstone
Christian
Fellowship
139 N.E. D AYTON S TREET , J OHN D AY
541-575-2180
Sunday Worship Service 10 am
Sunday Youth Group 3 pm
Thursday Celebrate Recovery 6 pm
Pastor Levi Manitsas
cornerstonejohnday@gmail.com
ccfjd.org
CHURCH OF THE
NAZARENE
Sunday School .......................... 9:30 am
Sunday Worship Service......... 10:45 am
Sunday Evening Service ...........6:00 pm
Children & Teen Activities
SMALL GROUPS CALL FOR MORE INFO
Weekdays: Sonshine Christian School
St. Thomas
Episocopal
Church
Join us on Facebook
live Sunday 10am
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Pastor Randy Johnson
521 E. Main • John Day • 541-575-1895
www.johndaynazarene.com
59357 Hwy 26 Mt. Vernon
Seventh-Day
Adventist
Church
SATURDAY SERVICES
Celebration of Worship
JOHN DAY
110 Valley View Dr.
541-575-1216
Head Elder ..........................541-575-2914
Bible Classes (all ages) .................9:30 am
Worship ...........................................11 am
LONG CREEK
E. Main Street
541-421-3033
Head Elder .................................421-3468
Bible Classes (all ages) ......................2 pm
Worship .............................................3 pm
Jr./Sr. High
Youth Connection
Sundays 5:30pm
Youth: 0-6th Grade
Midweek Service
Thursdays 6:30pm
Youth: 0-6th Grade
Wednesdays at 6:30pm
Overcomer’s Outreach
Mondays at 6pm at
LWCC
A Christ-Centered, 12-Step
Recovery Support Group
Pastor Sharon Miller
541-932-4910
www.livingwordcc.com
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