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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 3, 2021)
STATE MyEagleNews.com Wednesday, February 3, 2021 Brown orders vaccine redirected to Portland all Phase 1a individuals statewide before Feb. 8,” she said. The state will send second doses to the counties ahead of schedule so they can keep on a timeline for those who have already received their first shots. In a related development, the Oregon Health Authority said it would stop issu- ing specific information about COVID- 19 deaths in Oregon. Since March 2020, OHA has included the the age, home county, place of death, the date of infec- tion, the date of death and the existence of any underlying conditions. Statistics on overall deaths will be maintained, but specific case informa- tion will no longer be made public. OHA said the compilation of the daily death toll information was stretch- ing staff too thin. Critics and the media questioned the timing of the change, coming amid a debate over Brown’s decision to priori- tize teachers over the elderly. The daily reports showed that the deaths are over- whelmingly in the 70 and above age range. It also comes the day before the Oregon COVID-19 vaccination com- mittee is expected to issue ongoing pri- oritization for vaccines. As of Jan. 26, the committee was discussing whether minority communities that have seen higher infection rates and deaths should be specifically targeted. Other panel members have advo- cated to next move on to people with medical conditions that make them vul- nerable to severe illness or death from COVID-19. By Gary A. Warner Oregon Capital Bureau Gov. Kate Brown on Jan. 27 ordered 32,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines redirected to the Portland area instead of going to other parts of the state. The move came after news reports that health care workers in Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties were unable to be vaccinated because of a shortage of doses. At the same time, other counties were inoculating groups further down the priority list because of excess doses on hand. “Health care workers and Phase 1a individuals across the state have always been my top priority for vaccination,” Brown said The Portland area would receive 17,000 additional shots for health care workers and 15,000 for teachers and school staff. “That’s currently about 60% of the 53,000 first doses to be sent around the state next week, reflecting the large number of health care workers and indi- viduals from vulnerable populations in the region,” Brown said Brown did not say where the doses would come from, but her office pro- vided a list of 15 counties that are ahead of schedule on inoculating priority groups. Some of the doses will be from a new shipment authorized by the Cen- ters for Disease Control. The diversion was announced soon after news reports that Deschutes The Eagle/Steven Mitchell Rebekah Rand, director of emergency management services at Blue Mountain Hospital District, gets a vaccine shot ready Jan. 15 at the Grant County Fair- grounds pavilion. County and others were inoculat- ing senior citizens 75 year old and up. Under the current guidelines, those groups were to received shots as late as Feb. 14. The reason that the 15 counties are ahead of schedule was not mentioned in Brown’s statement or information from OHA. Grant County has moved down the list because of an unexpectedly high rate of eligible people declining to be vaccinated. Brown has made inoculating teach- ers and school staff a higher priority than vaccinations for those aged 65 and above who are most likely to get seriously ill and die from the virus. Oregon is the only state giving prior- ity to teachers over seniors. Brown praised counties that had moved more swiftly than expected through the early priority groups. “Other counties have done a fantas- tic job and have finished their first round of vaccines for Phase 1a populations,” Brown said. But she said the state’s priority is to get all counties through the Phase 1a group before a widespread move into lower priority groups. “We will push to give first doses to Some unemployment benefits will end Feb. 20 By Peter Wong Oregon Capital Bureau Oregon’s declining three- month unemployment rate will mean the end of benefits to some people under one federal program. But the acting director of the Oregon Employment Depart- ment said, after the program ends Feb. 20, some of them will be shifted onto another federal program that will con- tinue into the spring. David Gerstenfeld advises people to continue to file for their benefits weekly. What is ending in Oregon is the Extended Benefits pro- gram, which kicks in when a state’s three-month average David unemploy- Gerstenfeld ment rate is higher than 6.5% but below 8%. Although Oregon’s rate went up a notch, from 6% in November to 6.4% in December, Gersten- feld said the average has now fallen below the 6.5% average threshold. That program added 13 weeks of federal benefits onto regular state benefits of 26 weeks. What is continuing in Ore- gon is the Pandemic Emer- gency Unemployment Com- pensation program, which Congress recently extended by 11 weeks. Gerstenfeld said some people will be moved to this federal program when Extended Benefits end Feb. 20. Claimants will be paid ret- roactively. They may face delays because the switchover from one program to the other will require staff work. Gerstenfeld said, if Ore- gon’s average three-month unemployment rate increases to 6.5% or greater, the Employ- ment Department is empow- ered to restart the Extended Benefits program without wait- ing 13 weeks. Gov. Kate Brown has approved the required authorization in advance. Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensa- tion is scheduled to end its 11-week extension after March 13. (Some benefits may be paid through April.) President Joe Biden has proposed to extend that deadline to the end of the federal budget year on Sept. 30. That proposal is part of the $1.9 trillion economic recovery plan that is pending in Congress. Also part of Biden’s plan are extensions of federal unem- ployment benefits for self-em- ployed and gig workers in a program known as Pan- demic Unemployment Assis- tance, and continued federal support for Work Share pro- grams, under which partici- pating employers pay 60% or 80% of workers’ pay and the difference is made up through unemployment benefits. Work Share normally taps the state unemployment trust fund, but since the start of the pandemic 10 months ago, federal funds have gone to those payments instead. Oregon legislative panel starts hearing policing bills By Peter Wong Oregon Capital Bureau Five lawmakers on an Ore- gon House subcommittee will focus on the state’s policing practices and the people who carry them out. They already have started public hearings on more than a dozen bills, some of them overlapping, that propose var- ious changes to Oregon laws in the aftermath of last year’s death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer and the nationwide pro- tests it triggered. One hearing on two bills is scheduled Monday. The subcommittee chair is Rep. Janelle Bynum, a Dem- ocrat from Clackamas who also leads the full House Judi- ciary Committee. Her District 51 straddles Multnomah and Clackamas counties. Bynum, while canvass- ing her district in 2018, was reported as a “suspicious per- son” to the Clackamas County PMG file photo Oregon legislators are considering bills about policing. Sheriff’s Office. She is Black. Bynum said in opening the subcommittee’s work Jan. 25 that, while there is a need for a strong law enforcement pres- ence, “that is not the only way to keep the peace.” “I believe that our commu- nities need some healing and an update to our laws so that everyone can live and breathe freely,” she added. “That is the perspective I am bringing to this committee — a sense of fairness, a sense of balance and an opportunity to fix things that have been neglected for a long time — and make sure that all of us feel safer in our communities.” Bynum was the House co-leader of a joint interim committee that produced half a dozen bills lawmakers passed during a special session June 24 to 26. But the committee conceded in its final report that more work needs to be done. While several bills now before the subcommittee emerged from the interim committee, the committee never voted on its final report because it was unable to meet in person in December due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Legislature’s lawyers advised lawmakers that the Oregon Constitution and House rules bar remote voting, unless the governor invokes a “cata- strophic disaster” provision that has never been used since voters approved it in 2012. The two Republican mem- bers of the subcommittee are former police chiefs in small communities. Rep. Ron Noble of McMin- nville was police chief from 2006 to 2014, and was with Corvallis police for 18 years before that. He also was on the joint interim committee. Part of his District 24 goes into Wash- ington County. “I am looking always to ensure the highest profession- alism of the people that the Legislature asks to do their bidding to ensure a safe soci- ety,” Noble said in his opening statement. Rep. Rick Lewis of Silver- ton was police chief from 1988 until his retirement in 2012. He was elected mayor in 2014 and appointed to the House seat in 2017. He also has been chief in Blazing Fast Internet! ADD TO YOUR PACKAGE FOR ONLY 19 . 99 $ /mo. where available 2-YEAR TV PRICE GUARANTEE 64 99 S229320-1 $ MO. America’s Top 120 Package 190 CHANNELS Offer ends 7/14/21. All offers require credit qualification, 24-month commitment with early termination fee and eAutoPay. Prices include Hopper Duo for qualifying customers. Hopper, Hopper w/Sling or Hopper 3 $5/mo. more. Upfront fees may apply based on credit qualification. S228815-1 CALL US TODAY FOR A FREE ESTIMATE 15 REQUEST A FREE QUOTE! AND! YOUR ENTIRE PURCHASE * Promo Number: 285 S228817-1 Off er valid December 15, 2020 - March 1, 2021 % OFF 877-557-1912 7-Year Extended Warranty* A $695 Value! By Gary A. Warner Oregon Capital Bureau Gyms can reopen under tight guidelines to control COVID-19 infections, Gov. Kate Brown announced Jan. 26. The new rules for “indoor recreation” were included in an update of county risk levels. There was little move- ment among counties from their risk levels two weeks ago. Nearly all of the state’s most populous counties were among the 26 that remained in the extreme risk category. Under the four-tier risk ratings, counties are assigned a level based on COVID-19 spread: lower, moderate, high or extreme. As the levels go up, more health and safety mea- sures, along with business and activity restrictions, are required. Tillamook County was the big mover, dropping from extreme risk all the way to lower risk. Curry County went from moderate to lower. Grant rose from lower to moderate risk. All other counties remained in the current status. The levels will be in place from Friday through Feb. 11, with the next revi- sion announced Feb. 9 Brown said the state will issue new guidelines allow- ing for indoor activities that were previously banned in extreme risk counties. Beginning Friday, a maximum of six people can be indoors at facilities such as gyms that are over 500 square feet. The new rules do not include indoor dining. Facilities smaller than 500 square feet allow for one-to-one customer expe- riences, such as personal training. All facilities must follow guidelines on social distanc- ing, face coverings, hygiene and cleaning of surfaces. The full updated guidance has been posted to coronavi- rus.oregon.gov. Brown encouraged peo- ple to exercise outdoors whenever possible. “The science has shown us that outdoor activities are safer than indoor activ- ities when it comes to the spread of COVID 19,” she said. But a recent drop in infection rates and the lack of a major “spike” in COVID-19 cases over the winter holidays allowed for some limited indoor activ- ity during the colder winter months. “We have seen over the last several weeks that Ore- gonians have largely com- plied with risk levels to the point that we have not seen a surge in hospitalizations that would have jeopardized hospital capacity,” Brown said. Imagine The Difference You Can Make DONATE YOUR CAR 1-844-533-9173 FREE TOWING TAX DEDUCTIBLE Ask About A FREE 3 Day Vacation Voucher To Over 20 Destinations!!! S228816-1 NO MORE GUTTER CLEANING, OR YOUR MONEY BACK GUARANTEED! Prepare for unexpected power outages with a Generac home standby generator FREE Gyms can partially reopen under new COVID-19 rule Help Prevent Blindness Get A Vision Screening Annually Including Local Channels! CALL TODAY - For $100 Gift Card Promo Code: DISH100 for 12 Mos. 1-866-373-9175 Union and Bandon, and worked in Umatilla. Part of his District 18 goes into Clackamas County. “I want to ensure that what we do is workable, not only for law enforcement, but also addresses the concerns of our citizens,” he said. Lewis also sat on the interim committee. The other Democrats on the subcommittee are Maxine Dex- ter of Portland, a physician with Kaiser Permanente — she rep- resents District 33 in Northwest Portland and part of Washing- ton County — and Marty Wilde of Eugene, a lawyer who also has spent 25 years with the Ore- gon National Guard, both Army and Air, with overseas service. All legislative panels are taking testimony virtually or in writing because the Capitol has been closed to the public since March 18, 2020, at the start of the pandemic. They are not expected to amend or advance bills until the midpoint of the session in April, when they will start meeting in person. 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