COVID-19
MyEagleNews.com
Wednesday, June 16, 2021
A7
Grant County reports seventh COVID-19-related death
“mess around with.”
“I’m very grateful that our num-
bers have been low,” she said. “The
end of March, April and early May
were hell.”
She said there were many deaths,
and the surge impacted both senior
and health care facilities in the area.
Lindsay said many people were
air-fl ighted out of the county for
treatment during that time.
Prairie City resident Frances
Preston said that she was fully vac-
cinated in February.
“I didn’t have to worry about any
of that hell,” she said.
Preston, in a “personal testi-
mony” to the court, said she wanted
people who are apprehensive about
getting vaccinated, because of the
“horror stories” swirling around that
it cause damage to the body, that she
feels “perfectly normal.”
“I’m not possessed by anything,”
she said. “I don’t feel like there’s
something within me that is destroy-
ing me.”
Preston said some people still
believe the vaccine is “illegitimate”
and could severely damage their
health.
Lindsay said the county had
not had any bad outcomes from
vaccinations other than fl u-like
symptoms that lasted no longer
than a week.
As of June 10, Oregon Health
Authority reports that COVID-19
has claimed the lives of roughly
2,700 Oregonians since the begin-
ning of the pandemic. Nationwide,
the CDC reports that 600,000 Amer-
icans have died.
At 40% vaccination rate,
county administering nine
shots per day on average
By Steven Mitchell
Blue Mountain Eagle
A seventh Grant County resident
died after contracting COVID-19.
A 68-year-old man with no known
underlying medical conditions who
resided in Grant County tested pos-
itive for COVID-19 on May 9,
according to Kimberly Lindsay, the
county’s public health administrator.
Lindsay said after various medi-
cal interventions the person died May
27 at an out-of-state hospital, but the
health department did not receive the
report until June 8.
Lindsay said the family believed
that the cause of death was
COVID-19.
Despite the news of the death and
fi ve people testing positive on June 9,
she felt “very good” about the coun-
ty’s overall COVID-19 numbers. She
said the county is seeing an average
of only a few cases a week.
Grant County’s vaccination rate
of 40% for people 16 and older is the
highest in Eastern Oregon, accord-
ing to the Oregon Health Authority.
As of June 9, Harney and Mal-
heur counties were both at 38% for
those 16 and older while Lake and
Gillam Counties vaccinated 37%
and 34%.
Grant County’s seven-day vacci-
nation average as of June 9 was nine
doses per day, according to OHA’s
website.
Eagle fi le photo
Grant County Health Department
staff member reviews a COVID-19
rapid test in November.
Grant County Public Health Administrator Kimberly Lindsay
Lindsay said, when the statewide
vaccination rate hits 70%, Gov. Kate
Brown will remove the COVID-19
restrictions.
She told the court that counties
that reach 65% before then could
see mask guidance and other restric-
tions go away, but she said Grant
County would not get to that per-
centage based on current trends.
“No judgment on that,” she said.
“That is just a fact.”
She said the county would need
to wait for the state to hit the 70%
rate. As of June 10 Oregon Health
Authority reported the state was at
67%.
Lindsay said she does not know if
the virus variant B.1.526 that health
offi cials identifi ed last month is
still at play in the county. However,
Lindsay said the variant greatly fac-
tored into the “havoc” of the coun-
ty’s second surge of infections in
April and early May. She said the
fi rst occurred in the fall.
At one point during the second
surge, the county’s infection rate
was among the highest nationwide,
according to the Centers for Disease
Control.
However, it appears that the
county dodged a signifi cant worst-
case scenario with the virus variant.
An analysis published with the
CDC found that the virus variant
B.1.526, which emerged rapidly in
New York City, did not lead to infec-
tions and re-infections at a higher
rate than other virus forms.
Additionally, two independent
laboratory studies out of New York
demonstrated that antibodies stim-
ulated by the Pfi zer-BioNTech and
Eagle fi le photo
County off ering $50 gift certifi cates
for COVID-19 vaccinations
Owens introduces bill to ban vaccine passports
Face coverings would
not be required for those
who refuse to disclose
vaccination status
By Steven Mitchell
Blue Mountain Eagle
Grant County’s state repre-
sentative introduced legislation
that would ban vaccine pass-
ports in Oregon.
Mark Owens, R-Crane,
introduced House Bill 3407 last
week to “protect the privacy and
rights of Oregonians,” accord-
ing to a press release.
The legislation would pre-
vent any public body — state,
local or special government
— from issuing a requirement
for proof of vaccination from
COVID-19.
Owens said in the release
that the bill is not an argument
over COVID-19 or the vaccine.
Instead, he said the bill is about
people’s rights.
“I believe
the choice to
get a vaccine is
a personal, pri-
vate
medical
decision
that
should
be
made
Mark Owens,
between
an
R-Crane
individual and
their medical provider,” he said.
“And that Oregonians should
be free to make that choice for
themselves.”
The bill forbids a person
or public body from requir-
ing someone to disclose if they
have been immunized before
accessing credit, insurance,
education, facilities, medical
services, housing or accommo-
dations, travel, entry into the
state, employment or to pur-
chase goods or services.
The press release said these
entities would not be able to
require someone to wear a face
covering should someone refuse
to disclose their vaccine status.
The bill applies only to the
COVID-19 vaccinations and
Moderna vaccines work against the
“New York” virus variant.
Lindsay estimated that less than
1% of the people in Grant County
who contracted COVID-19 had
died.
She said the number could poten-
tially be lower due to positive cases
that go unreported. County Com-
missioner Sam Palmer added that he
knew of “several” cases that went
unreported.
Lindsay noted, while treatment is
“helpful” when someone contracts
the virus, the person who died last
month went through treatments that,
in the end, did not save his life. She
said, when one does recover, they
typically have immunity for roughly
90 days.
Lindsay told the court that
COVID-19 is not something to
would not change any current
laws regarding other immu-
nizations for other diseases
for schools and children’s
facilities.
Gov. Kate Brown announced
last month that fully vaccinated
people are not required to wear
a mask indoors in public set-
tings where vaccination status
is checked.
Still, the state mandates busi-
nesses, employers and churches
to continue requiring masks
unless they review people’s
vaccination cards.
The state epidemiologist,
Dean Sidlelinger, recently said
that requiring someone to dis-
close their vaccination status
does not violate patient privacy
laws when given the option.
Masks are still required in
health care settings, jails, K-12
schools, planes, buses and
airports.
The bill was requested
in partnership with the
Eastern
Oregon
Counties
Association.
Other prizes also available
By Steven Mitchell
Blue Mountain Eagle
With COVID-19 vaccination rates
lagging behind the statewide average,
Grant County leaders are off ering $50
gift certifi cates and other prizes to people
who roll up their sleeves to get the shot.
Kimberly Lindsay, Grant Coun-
ty’s public health administrator, said
every county in the state received vac-
cine incentive dollars based on popula-
tion to educate residents and promote the
vaccine.
County Court Judge Scott Myers said
the county received roughly $80,000
in incentive dollars. Each new person
who is vaccinated will receive $50 in
Greenbacks.
With help from Court Appointed Spe-
cial Advocates, the county purchased
$8,000 in Grant County Chamber of
Commerce Greenbacks — redeemable
vouchers at participating local busi-
nesses that are members of the chamber
— that went to attendees at the mobile
vaccination unit that came through the
county May 24-28, according to Lindsay
Rausch, CASA’s COVID-19 response
program manager.
County Judge Scott Myers said
Wednesday the county is also looking to
reward people already vaccinated.
“We’re going to try and go back ret-
roactively to those who already received
their shot,” he said, “whether they do it
in chamber bucks, or however to do it so
that the money can only be spent at local
small businesses.”
Lindsay said every county in the state
is looking at ways to spend the money,
and most counties are going beyond edu-
cation to encourage people to roll up their
sleeves and get the shot.
She said the county could opt to put
up billboards and posters, but most are
implementing gift cards, drawings and
scholarships.
Rausch said a resident won a YETI
cooler fi lled with picnic and outdoor
supplies at last month’s vaccine event.
She said the county would raffl e another
YETI Hopper Flip at a future vaccine
event.
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