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Staff photo by Ben Lonergan
Signs advise people arriving at the hospital not to enter the
parking lot unless they are seeking medical services.
Hospital
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getting low, but not criti-
cally low,” she wrote, add-
ing that they could draw on
the state’s emergency stock-
pile if needed.
In addition to protec-
tive equipment, one of the
concerns of a COVID-19
outbreak is that a wave of
critically ill patients will
overwhelm resources such
as ventilators, as has hap-
pened in epicenters such as
China and Italy. Burke said
the hospital currently has
nine respiratory therapists
and 15 ventilators, but could
end up getting more from
other hospitals in the state if
Hermiston became a major
hot spot for the virus, or,
by the same token, Hermis-
ton could lend its equipment
if things got bad in another
part of the state.
The Oregon Health
Authority is gathering infor-
mation on what resources
hospitals across the state
have on hand to be ready
to mobilize those resources
depending on how the out-
break spreads.
In addition to cancel-
ing some procedures and
appointments, the hospital
has also changed its visiting
policies to reduce potential
exposures.
No visitors are allowed
other than one parent
accompanying a minor child
in need of care, one care
partner for the duration of a
mother’s stay at the Family
Birth Center, one care part-
ner for patients requiring
one for “self management”
or to make medical deci-
sions on their behalf, and no
more than two visitors in a
12 hour period for patients
receiving end of life care
where a physician has deter-
mined death is “imminent.”
Visitors in all of those situ-
ations must be over 18 and
free from fever or other fl u
and cold-like symptoms.
Patient access to the hos-
pital and clinics is limited
to specifi c doors, with all
doors other than the emer-
gency room entrance locked
between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m.
All patients and vendors
are directed to enter the
campus through the Elm
Street entrance and will be
screened briefl y for symp-
toms, including having their
temperature taken.
Cozad said if a patient
“meets criteria” they are
tested for COVID-19, with
specimens sent to their con-
tracted laboratory or the
Oregon State Public Health
Laboratory. She didn’t spec-
ify how many tests had been
conducted so far, but said it
takes three to fi ve days for
results to return.
She said the hospital sup-
ports the efforts of the Ore-
gon Association of Hospitals
and Health Systems to urge
the governor to take stronger
social distancing measures.
Although people are
still welcome to use city
trails and the open spaces
in parks, Smith said play-
grounds and basketball
courts where people are
more likely to come into
contact with germs will
be closed off with caution
tape.
In answer to a ques-
tion about how Hermiston
police might enforce the
governor’s order to stay
home unless necessary,
Smith said enforcement
will “come as we can.”
“We’re not going to
send police out specifi cally
to look for that,” he said.
Chief Jason Edmiston
said he was encouraging
his offi cers to be “reason-
able” in their enforcement,
with a focus on educating
people.
Drotzmann said he had
been on multiple calls with
the governor and he appre-
ciated her willingness to
listen, engage and ask ques-
tions of Eastern Oregon
public offi cials as she tries
to protect public health.
During the meeting, the
council passed a resolution
allowing the city to reim-
burse itself for expenses
related to building a new
city hall, should the city
end up going forward with
a plan to sell bonds for
money to build the proj-
ect. Smith said the resolu-
tion did not mean the city
has to sell the bonds. But if
it does, the money can be
used to pay the city back for
costs it has already incurred
for design work.
Eff ect on businesses
A week after the state
closed dine-in restaurants
and two weeks after the
governor closed schools,
local businesses are try-
ing to adjust to the new
requirements.
Cherice Clayton was
putting the fi nal touches on
Lisa Hagerman’s freshly
colored magenta hair
on Monday afternoon at
Ellig’ance in Hermiston.
Hargerman’s
original
appointment was Tues-
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020
BUSINESSES
CLOSED
Eff ective Tuesday, Gov.
Kate Brown has ordered
the following businesses
to close. Other businesses
must operate remotely or
within social distancing
guidelines.
Amusement parks
Aquariums
Arcades
Art galleries, except by
appointment
Barber shops, hair salons
Bowling alleys
Cosmetic stores
day, but Clayton was able
to squeeze her in Monday
because come Tuesday, the
salon would be closed per
the governor’s orders.
“It’s a little scary,” Clay-
ton admitted about clos-
ing her salon for an unde-
termined amount of time.
“When you are self-em-
ployed, you don’t get
unemployment. I’m for-
tunate my husband works
at the prison, so we still
have an income. But others
don’t.”
Including Clayton, there
are fi ve beauticians at the
salon, and as many as 40
clients come through the
salon on any given day. The
salon is open six to seven
days a week depending on
appointments.
“I worked Sunday
because I knew this was
coming,” said Clayton,
who has been in the busi-
ness for 38 years.
Governor’s orders
Brown on Monday
directed most Oregonians
to stay home except for
getting groceries, going to
work or handling important
activities that cannot wait.
She said she was act-
ing because many Orego-
nians had failed to heed
her directives to prac-
tice “social distancing” to
decrease the transmission
of COVID-19.
“I was very, very clear.
I asked and urged Orego-
nians to stay home. On Fri-
day night, I frankly directed
them to stay home, and now
I am ordering them to stay
home,” she said in a con-
Dance studios
Esthetician practices
Fraternal organization
facilities
Furniture stores
Gyms and fi tness studios,
including climbing gyms
Hookah bars
Indoor and outdoor malls
except for businesses
allowed to remain open,
including food (takeout or
delivery), grocery, health
care, medical, pharmacy or
pet store services.
Indoor party places, includ-
ing jumping gyms and laser
tag
ference call with reporters
Monday afternoon.
“As I’ve said a zillion
times in the last couple
weeks, this is an instance
where each one of us can
make a difference and each
one of our actions can have
an impact and truly save
lives.”
Brown ordered more
than two dozen types of
businesses to close as of
Tuesday, primarily ones
that cannot operate without
close personal contact.
Other
businesses,
including farmers markets
and auto repair shops, may
stay open if they maintain
at least six feet of social dis-
tance between people, or if
they can operate remotely.
She applauded stores
that already have marked
off spots six feet apart for
individuals to stand in line
or have converted solely to
curbside pickup.
“I am not interested in
taking someone’s job or
shutting down a business if
they can practice social dis-
tancing at work,” Brown
said.
“I’ve been really clear:
If businesses are not com-
plying with this order, we
will shut them down.”
Among
businesses
allowed to stay open are
grocers, pharmacies, bars
and restaurants for takeout
or delivery, banks and gas
stations.
Key
provisions
of
Brown’s far-reaching order
include:
• Oregonians should stay
home whenever possible.
• Violating the order
Jewelry shops and bou-
tiques unless exclusively
through pick-up or delivery
Medical spas, facial spas,
day spas and non-medical
massage therapy services
Museums
Nail and tanning salons
Non-tribal card rooms
Skating rinks
Senior activity centers
Ski resorts
Social and private clubs
Tattoo/piercing parlors
Tennis clubs
Theaters
Yoga studios
Youth clubs
could be a Class C
misdemeanor.
• Except for members
of the same residential
household, all non-essen-
tial social and recreational
gatherings of individuals
are prohibited immediately,
regardless of size, unless
people can stay at least six
feet apart.
• Businesses not on the
closure list may operate
via telework or by imple-
menting social-distancing
policies “consistent with
guidance from the Oregon
Health Authority.” Brown
said OHA still was working
on those guidelines.
• Playgrounds, sports
courts, skate parks and
some other outdoor recre-
ation facilities are closed.
Facilities
allowed
to
remain open, including
golf courses, must strictly
follow social distancing
guidelines.
• Child care facilities are
restricted to “stable groups
of 10 or fewer children,”
meaning that the children
must be in the same group
each day.
• Public and private
campgrounds are closed,
although veterans and
camp hosts can remain in
state parks. RV parks and
other housing may remain
open.
• State agencies gener-
ally are closed to the pub-
lic, except by appointment
in some circumstances,
and state employees should
work remotely if possible.
Brown urged local, tribal
and federal offi ces to do the
same.
PAID ADVERTISEMENT
Eastern Oregon students
leading school district’s
effort to cut energy use
Umatilla School District
Superintendent Heidi Sipe accepts
a check from Energy Trust of Ore-
gon
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Students in eastern Oregon are
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economy and helps their school dis-
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In the Umatilla School Dis-
trict, students take an active role
in making their schools more en-
ergy efficient. The students are
part of the district’s energy team,
which works with Energy Trust of
Oregon, a nonprofit created to make
sure Oregonians have access to
clean, affordable energy and renew-
able power.
Through an effort called Stra-
tegic
Energy
Management,
Energy Trust provides energy coach-
es who work with Umatilla students
and staff to find no-cost or low-cost
ways to cut energy usage. Eastern
Oregon customers of Pacific Pow-
er, Cascade Natural Gas and Avista
can access these energy coaches and
the Strategic Energy Management
effort.
The students are working on
other major efficiency improve-
ments as well. With an approved
$10 million bond measure, plus
$70,000 in incentives from
Energy Trust, the Umatilla School
District recently completed renova-
tions and energy upgrades at each of
its three schools.
These upgrades are now sav-
ing the school district an estimated
$30,000 per year in energy costs.
And because students are leading
the energy efficiency work, the su-
perintendent says they get to weigh
in on where the dollars go.
“If funds can be freed up
from energy expenditures
and invested in learning,
that’s a huge gain for
students.”
– Heidi Sipe, Umatilla School
District Superintendent.
“We’re always looking for ways
to increase opportunities for learn-
ing,” said Heidi Sipe, the district
superintendent. “Energy efficiency
dovetails with this objective and if
funds can be freed up from energy
expenditures and invested in learn-
ing, that’s a huge gain for students.”
Students and teachers are realiz-
ing that these improvements reach
beyond savings. For example, the
new heating and cooling systems
and new LED lighting create a more
comfortable learning environment.
To see more ways energy effi-
ciency and renewable energy are
creating better futures and com-
munities across Oregon, visit
energtrust.org/this-is-oregon.