The Columbia Press
June 11, 2021
County drops into low-risk
category for COVID-19
The Columbia Press
Clatsop County will remain
at “low-risk” for coronavirus
until at least June 17, accord-
ing to new state protocols.
There were 10 new COVID-19
cases during the two-week
reporting period that ended
June 5.
Under the low-risk designa-
tion, restaurants, gyms and
theaters can operate at 50 per-
cent capacity, and churches at
75 percent of capacity.
Restrictions imposed un-
der the risk-level metric, as
well as most requirements for
masking and social distancing,
will be lifted statewide once
70 percent of the population
age 16 and over receives at
least one dose of a COVID-19
vaccine, Gov. Kate Brown has
vowed. Counties can stay un-
der low-risk protocols once
they’ve reached a vaccination
rate of 65 percent.
As of Wednesday, Clatsop
County had vaccinated 20,034
people, or 61.1 percent of the
eligible population (ages 16
and older). To reach the goal
of 65 percent, just 1,268 more
people need to be vaccinated.
Calling all teens
An online presentation tar-
geting young people who may
have questions about the vac-
cine can be viewed on Clatsop
County’s Facebook page.
The presentation includes
a discussion with Dr. Shimi
Sharief of the Oregon Health
Authority and provides in-
formation and answers about
vaccination safety, efficacy and
related topics.
200,000 cases
The state has passed the
200,000 mark in confirmed
and presumptive cases of
COVID-19.
“This milestone is a grim re-
minder that, while case counts
are decreasing statewide in
large part due to vaccina-
tion, there remains a risk of
COVID-19 in Oregon, espe-
cially for those who are not yet
vaccinated,” Health Authority
Director Patrick Allen said.
The most effective tool to end
the pandemic is vaccinations,
he said. While the people who
are fully vaccinated are well
protected, the pandemic is far
from over.
Oregon residents 12 and old-
er now are eligible to receive
the vaccine.
Vaccine clinics
Seven vaccine clinics are
scheduled in Clatsop County
through July 1.
Saturday, June 12: 10
a.m. to 1 p.m. at Old Seaside
High School, 1901 N. Holladay
Drive. This is a second-dose
Pfizer clinic for ages 12 to 17
and immediate family mem-
bers only.
Tuesday, June 15: 5 to
7 p.m. at Old Seaside High
School. Available are first and
second doses of the Moderna
vaccine for ages 18 and older.
Thursday, June 17: 5 to
7 p.m. at the Clatsop County
Fairgrounds, 92937 Walluski
Loop. Available are first and
second doses of the Moderna
vaccine for ages 18 and older.
Tuesday, June 22: 5 to
7 p.m. at Old Seaside High
School. Available are first and
second doses of the Moderna
vaccine for ages 18 and older.
Thursday, June 24: 5 to
7 p.m. at Clatsop County Fair-
grounds. Available are first
and second doses of the Mod-
erna vaccine for ages 18 and
older.
Tuesday, June 29: 5 to
7 p.m. at Old Seaside High
School. Available are first and
second doses of the Moderna
vaccine for ages 18 and older.
Thursday, July 1: 5 to 7 p.m.
at Clatsop County Fairgrounds.
Available are first and second
doses of the Moderna vaccine
for ages 18 and older.
9
Here’s to Your Health
by Arna Vanebo with Felicia Struve
Prediabetes is warning to start healthy habits
You know that moment
when you’re driving and the
traffic light turns yellow?
You’ve got two choices:
Keep your foot on the gas
pedal and risk disaster, or
slow to a stop and enjoy the
song on the radio.
Getting a diagnosis of pre-
diabetes is like that.
If your blood sugar levels
are high, but not high enough
to be considered Type 2 di-
abetes, your doctor may tell
you that you have prediabe-
tes. When you hear that news,
you have a choice. You can
stay on a path that may lead
to Type 2 diabetes, and all
the potential complications
that come with it. Or you can
use the news as a catalyst for
making healthy changes in
your life.
Who’s at risk for prediabe-
tes?
Prediabetes typically does
not cause symptoms, so it
might go undetected. You
may want to talk to your
health care provider about
being tested if:
You’re overweight.
You’re at least 45 years old.
Your parent or sibling has
Type 2 diabetes.
You are physically active
fewer than three times a
week.
You gave birth to a baby that
weighed more than 9 pounds.
You had gestational diabe-
tes (diabetes during pregnan-
cy).
Turn it around
Building new healthy hab-
its can drop your blood sug-
ar levels to the normal range
and significantly lower your
risk of developing type 2 di-
abetes, heart disease and
stroke. And it’s easier than
you might think.
According to the Centers
for Disease Control, you can
reduce your risk by losing 7
percent of your body weight
through healthy eating and
increasing your activity to at
least 150 minutes a week.
Research shows that peo-
ple with prediabetes can cut
their risk of developing Type
2 diabetes by more than half
by taking part in a structured
lifestyle change program.
Diabetes
prevention program
Columbia Memorial Hospi-
tal’s new Diabetes Prevention
Program starts July 14. The
program is CDC-recognized
and based on research. It is
focused on healthy eating
and physical activity.
You are eligible for this pro-
gram if you:
Have been diagnosed with
prediabetes based on a blood
test completed in the last
year,
Are a woman and have been
diagnosed with gestational
diabetes during pregnancy,
or
Have a positive screening
for prediabetes based on the
CDC Prediabetes Screening
Test.
This lifestyle-change pro-
gram will be offered online
and in-person. The first year-
long cohort won’t be billed
for the classes, so this is a
good time to take advantage
of working to improve your
overall health and well-being.
Please contact me with any
questions at 503-338-7592.
Arna Vanebo is a regis-
tered dietitian at Columbia
Memorial Hospital. Here’s
to Your Health is brought to
you by CMH.
Comments sought on local land trust
Public comments are sought
on the North Coast Land
Conservancy’s application for
accreditation renewal.
The land trust accredita-
tion program recognizes land
conservation organizations
that meet national quality
standards for protecting im-
portant natural places and
working lands forever.
To learn more or submit a
comment, visit landtrustac-
creditation.org or email com-
ments to info@landtrustac-
creditation.org.
Comments are due by July
2.
Special columns in The Columbia Press
Every week: Senior Moments with Emma Edwards
Week 1: Financial Focus with Adam Miller
Week 2: Here’s to Your Health from CMH
Week 3: Off the Shelf by Kelly Knudsen
Final week: Mayor’s Message by Henry Balensifer