The Columbia Press
6
February 12, 2021
County’s COVID risk level reduced; another death recorded
The Columbia Press
Clatsop County drops today
from “Extreme Risk” to “High
Risk” for COVID-19, thereby
lessening some of the business
and social restrictions.
Bars, restaurants, gyms and
theaters can reopen, although
they’ll still have to follow vari-
ous safety protocols.
The designation runs through
Feb. 25, at which point the state
will review and could change
the county’s risk category.
The move was announced
Tuesday by the Gov. Kate
Brown as a result of the coun-
ty’s new case rate dropping
below 200 per 100,000 popu-
lation for the two-week period
between Jan. 24 and Feb. 6.
The state introduced the risk
level metric in November to
impose business and social re-
strictions based on each coun-
ty’s infection rates. Risk level
categories are low, moderate,
high and extreme, and the state
re-evaluates each county’s sta-
tus every two weeks.
Under the high-risk category,
eateries can offer indoor dining,
but at no more than 25 percent
capacity. The same restriction
is placed on indoor recreation
and fitness establishments and
indoor entertainment venues.
Indoor visits also are allowed at
long-term care facilities.
The case count
A sixth county resident has
died of the coronavirus, the
Clatsop County Public Health
Department reported Monday.
The 49-year-old man died at a
Portland hospital.
Clatsop County reported 12
cases in the past seven days
ending Wednesday, giving the
county a total of 763 cases since
March with 18 people hospital-
ized.
The rest have either recovered
or are recuperating at home.
As of Wednesday, 3,121 peo-
ple had received one or both
doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Both the Pfizer and Moderna
vaccines have been distributed
in the county.
Statewide, there had been
2,044 deaths and a total of
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE STATE OF OREGON
FOR THE COUNTY OF CLATSOP
In the Matter of the Estate of PAUL FERDINAND FLUES SR., Deceased
Case No.: 21PB00840
NOTICE TO INTERESTED PERSONS
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Paul Flues Jr. has been appointed
Personal Representative. All persons having claims against the Estate are
required to present them, with vouchers attached, to the Personal Repre-
sentative c/o Ashley Flukinger, Attorney at Law, LLC, 3645 Highway 101
N., Gearhart, Oregon 97138, within four months after the date of first pub-
lication of this notice or the claims may be barred.
All persons whose rights may be affected by the proceedings may obtain
additional information from the records of the Court, the Personal Repre-
sentative, or the lawyer for the Personal Representative, Ashley Flukinger.
Dated and first published on Feb. 5, 2021.
Ashley Flukinger, OSB No. 120864
Attorney for Personal Representative
Ashley Flukinger, Attorney at Law, LLC
3645 Highway 101 N.
Gearhart, Oregon 97138
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148,475 cases.
Statewide, 604,212 people
had been inoculated as of Tues-
day.
Doses for octogenarians
The state shipped 200 vaccine
doses to Clatsop County this
week earmarked for distribu-
tion to residents 80 and older.
Another 200 doses for re-
maining members of Phase 1a
groups and 100 doses for teach-
ers also were expected.
Under the State of Oregon’s
vaccine roll-out plan, individ-
uals age 80 and older were eli-
gible for vaccination beginning
Feb. 8.
Eligible local seniors who
have filled out the county’s vac-
cine planning survey will be
contacted and given instruc-
tions on how to register for a
vaccination clinic. These clinics
are open only to those with ap-
pointments.
To enable the county to con-
tact you about upcoming vacci-
nation events, sign up through
the survey, which can be found
on the county’s website, co.clat-
sop.or.us. You will be asked to
enter your name, age, contact
information and whether you
are part of a first-priority vacci-
nation group.
As has occurred through the
nation, the supply of vaccine in
Clatsop County hasn’t kept up
with demand.
While the Oregon Health Au-
thority has opened the state-
wide vaccination effort to se-
niors, the local vaccination
program has yet to inoculate all
people in the 1a and 1b groups
(health care workers, first re-
sponders, educators and child-
care providers).
Three dozen vaccination
events have been held in the
county. Please see the column
on Page 7 by vaccine task force
leader Chris Laman. Once vac-
cine shipments from the state
are confirmed, those doses
are earmarked for upcoming
clinics in Astoria or Seaside.
Almost all doses are “in arms”
within one week of their deliv-
ery to the county, he said.
“We have not ended a week
with any first doses still sitting
in the refrigerator,” Laman
said.
Inmates and COVID
U.S. Magistrate Judge Stacie
Beckerman recently ordered
Oregon to begin immediately
vaccinating adults in custody.
“The court’s decision is clear,
and the state has decided not
to appeal,” according to a state-
ment released by the Gover-
nor’s Office last week.
The ruling adds prisoners to
the phase 1a group in the vac-
cine rollout, giving them the
same priority access as those
living in nursing homes and
other long-term care facilities.
Previously, only correctional
employees were included, ac-
cording to the Oregon Health
Authority.
More than 3,486 Oregon
inmates
have
contracted
COVID-19 and 42 have died.
Another grim milestone
The state reached another
sad milestone late last week
in marking the 2,000th death
from COVID-19.
The 2,000th death was a
90-year-old woman in Yamhill
County who tested positive on
Feb. 1 and died on Feb. 2 at her
residence.
“At this stage of the pandem-
ic, many of us have seen family,
friends or neighbors die from
COVID-19, or we know peo-
ple who have lost loved ones,”
OHA Director Patrick Allen
said. “Many of us at OHA grieve
the loss of our own family or
friends. Every loss weighs on
us. I want to extend my deep-
est sympathies to every family
who’s mourned a parent, sib-
ling or child who died from a
COVID-19 infection.”
Lunch Buddy: Program will cease operations
Continued from Page 1
the name Lunch Buddy Men-
toring Program was adopted.
The backpack program
ceased a few years ago when
other groups began providing
backpacks full of school sup-
plies to students.
The COVID-19 pandem-
ic, which forced the group
to pause its activities, gave
board members the op-
portunity to turn inward,
board Chair Jill Quacken-
bush said.
The group began strength-
ening policies and proce-
dures, developing a more sta-
ble funding source, recruiting
new board members and
outlining a way forward that
would fit the program’s mis-
sion and meet the demands
of operating a nonprofit vol-
unteer group.
The board worked with lo-
cal districts to identify a vir-
tual mentoring platform for
students and mentors to roll
out in the spring.
“However, after careful con-
sideration the board mem-
bers determined that this was
prolonging the inevitable and
they made the decision to
work toward dissolution,” the
group wrote in a press release
announcing the decision.
“The board would like to
express its deepest gratitude
to all of whom LBMP has
been lucky enough to work
with throughout the years.
This program could not have
operated for as long as it
did without the hard work
of many community volun-
teers, donors, and stake-
holders.”
Natalie Dyroff, a school
counselor and Lunch Buddy
board member, expressed
sadness at the decision.
“I know it works,” she
said. “I’ve seen the positive
outcomes it has for our stu-
dents.”