Pandemic: What happened this week
Continued from Page 1
Street to the Turnaround on
Saturday morning until the
rally disperses.
Ironically, the Seaside City
Council voted this week to re-
open beaches to the public on
Monday, May 18. An item on
the agenda to reopen lodging
in the city was rejected, but
will be reconsidered at the
council’s May 20 meeting.
As of Wednesday, there were
3,416 cases of the virus in Ore-
gon and 134 deaths.
The first case of pediatric
inflammatory syndrome was
found in a child in Portland.
s eafood workers
Twenty-eight workers at
two Bornstein Seafood plants
in Astoria tested positive for
COVID-19 last week. And this
week, Pacific Seafood in War-
renton got bad news.
Ten active cases of coro-
navirus were reported at the
May 15, 2020
T he C olumbia P ress
4
Warrenton processing plant,
Clatsop County Public Health
reported. Another case in-
volves a contact of a Pacific
Seafood worker.
Pacific Seafood carried out
testing of its Warrenton staff
through a private health-care
provider last weekend.
It brought the total cases in
Clatsop County to 34 (workers
who live in Washington state
are not included in the county
total).
None of the positive cases
among the Bornstein and Pa-
cific Seafood employees have
been hospitalized and all are
reported to be convalescing at
home.
Six other cases reported
in Clatsop County between
March 23 and April 9 have re-
covered.
C ounty ’ s reopening plan
Clatsop County submitted its
reopening plan to the Gover-
nor’s Office this
week.
The plan fol-
lows the state’s
framework
– released by
Gov. Brown late
last week – for a
phased reopen-
ing of businesses
Brown
and other public
spaces. It includes careful mon-
itoring to ensure each stage of
the process doesn’t lead to a re-
surgence in COVID-19 illness.
Brown’s stay-at-home and
essential travel orders remain
in effect through July 6. But
counties that meet certain
guidelines can begin reopening
businesses such as hair salons
and restaurants with reduced
capacities.
The ability to reopen is based
on COVID-19 cases, testing,
and other criteria. The county
asked the governor to allow re-
opening steps to begin today,
May 15.
All but four of the state’s 36
counties have submitted plans.
C hurChes get CreatiVe
The governor’s orders re-
garding large gatherings and
social distancing have meant
churches must get creative to
meet the needs of their flocks.
But a parking-lot service
at Warrenton’s First Baptist
caught some attention.
While responding last week-
end to reports of churches
holding in-house services, an
officer found all but one church
in compliance, according to his
report. The Baptist church’s
parking lot was full, side doors
were open to the building and
people were gathered inside in
close contact, he wrote.
His
observations
were
passed along to Public Health
authorities.
Church member Terry Ste-
vens disputed the report.
“We weren’t enclosed; we
were in cars doing a radio
thing,” Stevens said. “We had
a few people running in and
out only to run the electrici-
ty and get the signal right. …
We quickly set up an amplifier
outside.”
d riVe - through testing
Clatsop County Public Health
Department began drive-
through testing for COVID-19
this week.
On the first day, 59 county
residents were tested.
Testing will take place Mon-
days, Tuesdays and Wednes-
days at the county’s Household
Hazardous Waste disposal fa-
cility, 1780 Williamsport Road,
next to the Recology waste
transfer station in Astoria.
Testing is open to Clatsop
County residents who are 15 or
older.
To receive a test, make an
appointment by calling 503-
325-8500. Have insurance in-
formation available.
Those getting tests also
will get a health screening.
To avoid crowds and lengthy
waits, callers will be assigned a
specific day and time to appear
at the testing site.
The program involves the na-
sal swab test; no antibody tests
are available. Public Health
expects to conduct 100 tests a
day. Results should be avail-
able within five days.
There is no charge for the
test, but a lab processing fee
may be charged to partici-
pants. The First Presbyteri-
an Church in Astoria donated
$2,000 to cover testing costs
for people in need.
n o County fair
County commissioners can-
celled the 2020 Clatsop Coun-
ty Fair, usually held in June,
due to the governor’s orders
banning fairs, festivals, and
large events until at least Sep-
tember.
Organizers of the 4-H/Fu-
ture Farmers of America ani-
mal auction are making plans
for a virtual auction.