(Salem) – Open enrollment – the time to sign up for health insurance for 2022 – has been extended this year. It runs from Nov. 1, 2021, to Jan. 15, 2022.

More than 75 percent of Oregonians who enrolled through the Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace for 2021 qualified for financial help, which lowered their monthly premium to as low as $1 per month. The Marketplace estimates that thousands of Oregonians throughout the state could see significant savings by enrolling in health coverage through the Marketplace for 2022.  

Trained health coverage experts are available to help with applying for financial assistance and choosing health plans. This help comes from licensed insurance agents and community groups, and is completely free to you. 

You can prepare for open enrollment by going to OregonHealthCare.gov/WindowShop to browse plans and find out how much savings for which you are eligible. This year, the tool has significant enhancements to help consumers wade through plan options, including:

• A new provider and facility search option that allows users to see which plans cover their preferred providers or hospitals.
• A new prescription drug formulary search that helps users see which plans will cover their prescription drugs and the estimated out-of-pocket costs for covered prescriptions.
• A full tool translation into Spanish, which will be available at CuidadoDeSalud.Oregon.gov by Nov. 1.

If you do not get health insurance through your job or a program such as the Oregon Health Plan or Medicare, you may qualify for help paying for 2022 coverage through OregonHealthCare.gov. Even if you are temporarily uninsured or enrolled in COBRA coverage, you can sign up for a new plan by the Jan. 15 deadline to get health insurance for 2022. In order for coverage to begin Jan. 1, you must enroll by Dec. 15, 2021.

To start, go to OregonHealthCare.gov before Jan. 15 and answer a few questions to preview plans and savings available to you. You can find help by clicking “Get Help” on the site to find a health insurance expert who can help you complete the application and enroll. Insurance agents and community partners provide local, one-on-one assistance at no charge to you. This help is available virtually and over the phone, and in person following COVID-19 safety protocols.

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The Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace, a part of state government, helps people get health insurance when they do not have job-based coverage, and do not qualify for the Oregon Health Plan or another program. The Marketplace is the state-level partner to HealthCare.gov. For more information, go to OregonHealthCare.gov.

SALEM, Ore. - Fire season has now ended on all 16 million acres of Oregon forestland protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry. The last three districts - Klamath-Lake, Northeast Oregon and the Walker Range Forest Patrol Association - ended their fire seasons Friday morning, Oct. 22 at 12:01 a.m.

The 2021 wildfire seasons in ODF's districts and forest protective associations lasted an average of 131 days, tying it with 2018 for fifth longest average fire season since 2000. The longest fire season average was 147 days back in 2002. The shortest was 99 days in 2019.

Individual districts had shorter or longer fire seasons depending on local fire conditions.

The longest wildfire season this year was ODF's Southwest Oregon District, which was the first district to declare fire season back on May 12. That district, which protects Jackson and Josephine counties, was in fire season for 161 days - their third longest since 2000.

Almost as long were the fire seasons in ODF's Klamath-Lake District and Walker Range Forest Patrol Association. Their fire seasons started on May 15 and lasted a total of 160 days. That makes 2021 the third longest fire season for both since 2000.

The shortest fire season this year was the North Cascade District, which protects Clackamas, east Multnomah, eastern Marion and northern Linn counties. It's season lasted 98 days from June 25 to Oct. 1, about 12 days shorter than last year.

Statewide more than 800,000 acres burned in wildfires this year - fewer than in 2020 but above the 10-year average. A single fire, the 413,717-acre Bootleg Fire, accounted for about half the acres wildfires have burned so far this year. That fire was the third largest Oregon has experienced since 1900.

While wetter conditions, cooler temperatures and shorter days have reduced fire danger, ODF reminds Oregonians that wildfires can and do occur at any time of the year. Exercise caution when engaging in any activity involving burning outdoors, whether from a campfire or burning a debris pile. Check with your local fire jurisdiction as well before burning outdoors, as there may be restrictions in various places to protect air quality.

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October 22, 2021

Contact: Jonathan Modie, 971-246-9139, PHD.Communications@dhsoha.state.or.us

Rules Advisory Committee (RAC) meets Oct. 28

What: Rules Advisory Committee (RAC) will provide input to Oregon Health Authority on state rules regarding school exclusion, public health and safety requirements for childcare providers and youth programs, masking in schools, and vaccination requirements in schools (Oregon Administrative Rules 333-019-0010, 333-019-1005, 333-019-0015, and 333-019-1030).

Agenda: Provide input on the following rules:

• 333-019-0010: Disease Related School, Child Care, and Worksite Restrictions: Imposition of Restrictions https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/DISEASESCONDITIONS/COMMUNICABLEDISEASE/REPORTINGCOMMUNICABLEDISEASE/Documents/rules/2021/COVID-July-Immunity/PH_27-2021TrackedChanges.pdf
• 333-019-1005: Public Health and Safety Requirements for Child Care Providers and Youth Programs

https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/DISEASESCONDITIONS/COMMUNICABLEDISEASE/REPORTINGCOMMUNICABLEDISEASE/Documents/rules/2021/COVID-July-Immunity/PH_27-2021TrackedChanges.pdf

• 333-019-1015: Masking Requirements in Schools

https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/DISEASESCONDITIONS/COMMUNICABLEDISEASE/REPORTINGCOMMUNICABLEDISEASE/Documents/rules/2021/School%20masking/PH_44-2021.pdf

• 333-019-1030: COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements for Teachers and School Staff

https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/DISEASESCONDITIONS/COMMUNICABLEDISEASE/REPORTINGCOMMUNICABLEDISEASE/Documents/rules/2021/Vaccination-Schools/PH_39-2021.pdf  

The purpose of the RAC meeting is to "to seek input from committee members during the development or amendment of a rule, including the projected burden and fiscal impact of the rule and suggestions for alternative language. The general public is invited to attend the RAC meeting in listen-only mode. After the rule is formally proposed, a written comment period and public hearing will be announced to solicit input from the public. If you would like to receive information about this opportunity when it is available, please contact lichealth.rules@dhsoha.state.or.us">publichealth.rules@dhsoha.state.or.us to be added to the interested parties list.

When: Thursday, Oct. 28, 1-3:30 p.m.

Where: Register for this meeting to receive meeting login information:

Attendee listen-only phone number: 657-615-349

https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7219673042470050060

Background: The COVID-19-related rules around school exclusion, public health and safety requirements for childcare providers and youth programs, masking in schools, and vaccination requirements in schools were amended or adopted via the temporary rulemaking process in mid-2021; they are planned to be made permanent. Oregon Health Authority is seeking input on this permanent rulemaking process.

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Everyone has a right to know about and use the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) programs and services. OHA provides free help. Some examples of the free help OHA can provide are:

• Sign language and spoken language interpreters
• Written material in other languages
• Braille
• Large print
• Audio and other formats

If you need help or have questions, please contact Angela Phan, lichealth.rules@dhsoha.state.or.us">publichealth.rules@dhsoha.state.or.us at least 48 hours before the meeting.

Oct. 22, 2021

Contact: OHA External Relations, covid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us">orcovid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us

Oregon reports 1,517 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 10 new deaths

PORTLAND, Ore. — There are 10 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 4,284, Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

OHA reported 1,517 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 357,526.

Booster doses for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccine recommended by CDC

Yesterday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) endorsed the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) recommendation for booster shots of Moderna’s and Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccines.

CDC recommended that anyone 65 and older, and those between 18 and 64 who received the Moderna vaccine, should receive a booster dose of the Moderna vaccine at least six months after their second dose. Those groups include people 18 and older in long-term care settings, who have underlying medical conditions, and who work or live in high-risk settings. The CDC also recommended that anyone 18 and older who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine should receive a booster dose at least two months after their first dose.

The Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup, including Oregon, Washington, California and Nevada, met last night to discuss recommendations for COVID-19 booster doses for fully vaccinated people. Today, the workgroup announced its support for the CDC recommendations.

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown today praised the decision. “Whether you received the Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson vaccine, everyone eligible who wants a booster will be able to get one and the extra layer of protection a booster dose provides,” she said.

Some people may have a preference for the vaccine type they originally received and others may prefer to get a different booster. The workgroup supported CDC’s decision that individuals eligible for a booster may receive either the same or a different COVID-19 vaccine as a booster dose, depending on advice from a health care provider, individual preference, availability or convenience

Additional information on vaccine boosters and third doses can be found on this web page.

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 537, which is 30 fewer than yesterday. There are 128 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is five fewer than yesterday.

There are 45 available adult ICU beds out of 703 total (6% availability) and 280 available adult non-ICU beds out of 4,097 (7% availability).

The total number of patients in hospital beds may fluctuate between report times. The numbers do not reflect admissions per day, nor the length of hospital stay. Staffing limitations are not captured in this data and may further limit bed capacity.

Note: Please do not visit an emergency department for COVID-19 testing, unless you require emergency care for your symptoms.

Emergency departments in Oregon are under significant strain responding to the current surge in COVID-19. You can find a test here.

If you have a medical condition that doesn’t require emergency care, contact your provider. An urgent care center may also help you get the care you need and will save emergency departments from added strain.

More information about hospital capacity can be found here.

Vaccinations in Oregon

Today, OHA reported that 13,526 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry on Oct. 21. Of that total, 842 were initial doses; 922 were second doses and 3,477 were third doses and booster doses. The remaining 8,203 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on Oct. 21.

The seven-day running average is now 9,133 doses per day.

Oregon has now administered 3,219,167 doses of Pfizer Comirnaty, 1,937,297 doses of Moderna and 224,324 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.

As of today, 2,796,331 people have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 2,583,129 people have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series.

These data are preliminary and subject to change. Updated vaccination data are provided on Oregon’s COVID-19 data dashboards and have been updated today.

Cases and COVID-19 deaths

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (10), Benton (28), Clackamas (119), Clatsop (12), Columbia (29), Coos (25), Crook (44), Curry (6), Deschutes (126), Douglas (53), Gilliam (1), Harney (2), Hood River (8), Jackson (80), Jefferson (36), Josephine (36), Klamath (54), Lake (15), Lane (120), Lincoln (19), Linn (134), Malheur (20), Marion (118), Morrow (6), Multnomah (153), Polk (37), Sherman (2), Tillamook (5), Umatilla (42), Union (11), Wasco (14), Washington (110), Wheeler (1), and Yamhill (41).

Oregon’s 4,146th COVID-19-related death, reported on Oct. 15, was determined to have been an out-of-state resident. Because of this update, OHA is renumbering the reported deaths, starting with 4,275 today.

Oregon’s 4,275th COVID-19-related death is a 96-year-old man from Washington County who tested positive on Oct. 15 and died on Oct. 19. Place of death and underlying conditions are being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,276^th COVID-19-related death is a 50-year-old woman from Multnomah County who tested positive on Aug. 17 and died on Sept. 1. Place of death and underlying conditions are being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,277th COVID-19-related death is an 81-year-old man from Multnomah County who tested positive on Sept. 12 and died on Sept. 24 at Providence Portland Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,278th COVID-19-related death is a 72-year-old man from Klamath County who tested positive on Oct. 12 and died on Oct. 20 at Sky Lakes Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,279th COVID-19-related death is a 69-year-old man from Harney County who tested positive on Oct. 17 and died on Oct. 20 at Harney District Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,280th COVID-19-related death is a 70-year-old man from Washington County who tested positive on Oct. 2 and on died Oct. 16 at OHSU Hillsboro Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,281th COVID-19-related death is a 71-year-old woman from Multnomah County who tested positive on Aug. 9 and died on Oct. 16 at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,282nd COVID-19-related death is an 86-year-old man from Marion County who tested positive on Oct. 18 and died on Oct. 20 at Salem Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,283rd COVID-19-related death is a 52-year-old man from Linn County who tested positive on Sept. 28 and died on Oct. 21 at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

-Oregon’s 4,284th COVID-19 related death is a 78-year-old man from Malheur County who tested positive on Oct. 8 and died on Oct. 20 at St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Idaho. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations  

To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine situation in Oregon, visit our web page (English or Spanish), which has a breakdown of distribution and other information.

October 22, 2021

Contact: Philip Schmidt, 503-383-6079, Philip.schmidt@dhsoha.state.or.us , (media inquiries)

Sarah Bartelmann, 971-283-8107, ah.e.bartelmann@dhsoha.state.or.us">sarah.e.bartelmann@dhsoha.state.or.us (meeting information or accommodation)

Sustainable Health Care Cost Growth Target Implementation Committee meets October 26, 2021

What: A public meeting of the Sustainable Health Care Cost Growth Target Implementation Committee.

When: October 26, 2021 from 9:00 am – 11:00 am

Where: Virtual meeting only. The public can join remotely via Zoom or conference line.

To join by Zoom: https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1611849485?pwd=U3Zsdi8vN2V5bE1Sazl0d2FqVWpVZz09 To join by Phone: 1-669-254-5252,,1611849485#,,,,225362#

Agenda: Welcome. Implementation Updates. Initial Public Hearing Planning. Review 2013-2019 Cost Trends Data. Public Comment.

Public comment will be heard at 10:45 AM.

Please submit any public comment in writing prior to the meeting at  e.CostTarget@dhsoha.state.or.us">HealthCare.CostTarget@dhsoha.state.or.us

For more information, please visit the committee’s website at https://www.oregon.gov/oha/HPA/HP/Pages/Sustainable-Health-Care-Cost-Growth-Target.aspx

# # #

Everyone has a right to know about and use Oregon Health Authority (OHA) programs and services. OHA provides free help. Some examples of the free help OHA can provide are:

• Sign language and spoken language interpreters
• Written materials in other languages
• Braille
• Large print
• Audio and other formats

If you need help or have questions, please contact Sarah Bartelmann at 971-283-8107, 711 TTY, ah.e.bartelmann@dhsoha.state.or.us">sarah.e.bartelmann@dhsoha.state.or.us, at least 48 hours before the meeting.

Prairie City, Ore. — A proposed ATV Highway Access Route designation would allow ATVs on a ½ mile segment of US-26 (also known as John Day Highway and Front Street) in Prairie City, east of John Day. 

The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department’s (OPRD) All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) Highway Access Routes Advisory Committee is soliciting public comments about the proposed access route, which stretches from approximately Dixie Creek to NE Buchanan St. (milepost 174.96 to 175.58). If designated, the segment would provide ATV access to local businesses as well as Malheur National Forest lands to the north and south of Sumpter. 

Public comments about the proposed designation may be submitted through Nov. 10 via email to ATV.highway@oregon.gov.

A public conference call/webinar is scheduled for 6 - 7 p.m. Nov. 8 and will feature an overview of the proposed access route and more information about the ATV Highway Access Routes program.

The public is invited to listen to the call at 253-215-8782 or view the presentation on Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83897308456?pwd=NFNIcVhLc1ZwWmtvT2ZQbzN6QWlSZz09

• Zoom Webinar ID: 838 9730 8456
• Passcode: 395989

Individuals who need special accommodations to listen to the call, or need information in alternative formats, should contact Ian Caldwell, OPRD grants and community programs representative, at 541-410-5512 or ian.caldwell@oregon.gov. 

More information about the Oregon ATV Program is at www.OregonOHV.org.

Oct. 22, 2021 (Salem, OR) — The Oregon Employment Department is announcing the new membership of the Employment Advisory Council. The advisory council has oversight of the agency’s unemployment insurance and workforce programs.

The virtual advisory council meeting is scheduled from 1-5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 5, 2021. This will be the first advisory council meeting since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. Members of the public are invited to attend and should register via Zoom. 

“This council plays a vital role in shaping how our organization evolves. Their input is critical to ensuring our agency works proactively and is responsive to the needs of all Oregonians,” said David Gerstenfeld, acting director of the Employment Department. 

The council has been in place since 1997, and members are appointed by the Governor for a term of two years as provided in ORS 657.695. Members may be considered for reappointment to serve additional terms up to a maximum of four terms, or eight years of service, on the advisory council.

For more information, visit our Employment Advisory Council webpage. 

Members of the Employment Advisory Council 

• Haley Alves, Union Carpenter – Employee Representative
• Kurtis Barker, Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians – Public Representative
• Robert Camarillo, Oregon State Building and Construction Trades – Employee Representative
• Marc Chrismer, Tillamook Creamery – Employer Representative
• Tom Cusack, Oregon Housing Blog – Public Representative
• Kenechi Onyeagusi, Professional Business Development Group – Employer Representative
• Paloma Sparks, Oregon Business and Industry – Employer Representative
• Catie Theisen, Oregon AFL-CIO – Employee Representative
• Laurie Westenberg, Madden Industrial Craftsmen – Employer Representative
• Royce Williams, Attorney at Law – Employee Representative
• David Gerstenfeld, Acting Director; Oregon Employment Department – Ex-Officio Member

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Equal Opportunity program — auxiliary aids and services available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Contact: 971-673-6400. For people who are deaf or hard of hearing, call 711 Telecommunications Relay Services.

October 22, 2021

Contact: Jonathan Modie, 971-246-9139, PHD.Communications@dhsoha.state.or.us

Northwest Regional Newborn Bloodspot Screening Advisory Board meets Nov. 1

What: The Northwest Regional Newborn Bloodspot Screening (NWRNBS) Advisory Board is holding a public meeting. The meeting is accessible by a webinar link or conference line.

Agenda: Welcome, introductions, housekeeping; information from the Department of Justice and Oregon Health Authority Government Relations on board processes; community birth provider Medicaid reimbursement; public comment; statute review; wrap-up and next steps.

When: Monday, Nov. 1, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. A 15-minute public comment period is scheduled at about 11:30 a.m.; comments are limited to one to three minutes depending on the number of people providing comments.

Where: Remote access only. Zoom access: https://pdx.zoom.us/j/88965026032

Dial by your location:         +1 971 247 1195 US (Portland)

        +1 720 928 9299 US (Denver)

        +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)

        +1 602 753 0140 US (Phoenix)

Meeting ID: 889 6502 6032

Background: The Northwest Regional Newborn Bloodspot Screening (NWRNBS) Program screens newborns for endocrine, hemoglobin, cystic fibrosis, immunodeficiency and metabolic disorders that may not be clinically evident in the first few days or weeks of life. Detecting these conditions early allows the infant to be referred for diagnosis and appropriate treatment to prevent death or disability. For more information, visit www.healthoregon.org/nbs.

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Everyone has a right to know about and use Oregon Health Authority (OHA) programs and services.  OHA provides free help.  Some examples of the free help OHA can provide are:

• Sign language and spoken language interpreters
• Written materials in other languages
• Braille
• Large print
• Audio and other formats

If you need help or have questions, please contact Nicole Galloway at 503-693-4172, 711 TTY or NBS.AdvisoryBoard@dhsoha.state.or.us at least 48 hours before the meeting.

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October 22, 2021

Contact: OHA External Relations, covid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us">orcovid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us

Newest COVID-19 modeling report projects decrease in daily cases and hospitalizations

Today, the Oregon Health Authority released its latest COVID-19 forecast showing a continued decline in daily cases and hospitalizations through early November.

According to the report, the effective reproduction rate – the expected number of secondary cases that a single case generates – was estimated at .90 on Oct. 6, which is slightly lower than last week’s projection.

At that level of transmission, the report estimates 255 cases per 100,000 people, or an average of 770 daily cases and 45 hospitalizations for the two-week period between Oct. 27 and Nov. 9.

The report also estimated the potential impact from the projected spread of the disease from Sept. 30 through Oct. 2, which had a reproductive rate that averaged .82.

At that rate of transmission, new daily cases and hospitalizations are expected to decline more steeply, with an estimated average of 185 per100,000 people, projecting an average of 555 new cases and 31 hospitalizations over the same period.

The report also identified a “significant contrast” in adherence to the recommended public health protocols between unvaccinated and vaccinated persons.

Mask wearing among unvaccinated people is about half the rate of vaccinated people. Unvaccinated people are also more likely to attend large events outdoors.

Vaccinations and booster doses remain the most effective shield against COVID-19. Oregonians should wear masks when in indoor public spaces and when outdoors among crowds.

To date more than 2.79 million Oregonians have received at least one dose of the safe and highly effective vaccine and 2.58 million people have completed a vaccine series.

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The FBI has received several reports through its Internet Complaint Center (www.ic3.gov) of a new threat that businesses and agencies across the state of Oregon are receiving. The language in every case appears to be very similar.

The threat message says that the bad actor has planted bombs in the organization and that if anyone contacts police, the bombs will be detonated remotely. There is a demand for a payment of $5,000 - $20,000 to be made through an email or cryptocurrency address.  

The messages also include death threats to the recipients and their families.  

So far, the threats are targeting internet service providers, education institutions, and health care providers.    

If you receive such a threat, the FBI recommends that you do NOT pay the ransom and that you notify us at www.ic3.gov.  

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Oct. 21, 2021

This news release is an updated version to include case and death information.

Contact: OHA External Relations, covid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us">orcovid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us

Oregon reports 1,407 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 40 new deaths

PORTLAND, Ore. — There are 40 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 4,275, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 1,407 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 356,061.

State health officials to add more than 500 COVID-19 deaths due to technical error

Over the coming weeks, OHA will begin reporting approximately 550 deaths among people who died with COVID-19 but whose deaths only became recently known to state epidemiologists due to a technical computer error. 

This will result in higher death totals as the backlog is resolved.

More details can be found here.

COVID-19 Disease Severity Dashboard update highlights hospitalizations

Today, OHA is publishing a revamped Disease Severity Dashboard. In addition to case demographic data, the dashboard now features new data that highlights COVID-19-related hospitalizations and deaths in Oregon. Due to the nature of newly added visualizations, all data on this dashboard will be published weekly on Thursdays with data from the most recent full week.

The dashboard has three tabs: Case Demographics, Disease Severity and Severity Trends.

• The Case Demographics tab shows COVID-19 cumulative hospitalizations and deaths by sex, age group, race, and ethnicity.
• The Disease Severity tab shows factors related to COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths.
• The Severity Trends tab looks at hospitalization trends and death trends, including graphs on the following:
  • A comparison between trends of new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths.
  • Hospitalization trends by intensive care unit categories, presence of underlying condition, length of stay categories, age categories, race, and ethnicity.
  • Deaths trends by hospitalization status, presence of underlying condition, congregate settings, age categories, race, and ethnicity.

The visualization showing trends among new cases, hospitalizations and deaths reveals that cases and hospitalizations tend to rise before deaths. The visualizations also show that COVID-19 cases who were hospitalized or died have higher prevalence of all types of underlying conditions compared with COVID-19 cases who were not hospitalized or survived.

This updated dashboard can be found on the dashboard page.

OHA releases new COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough report

OHA’s most recent update on COVID-19 breakthrough cases, released today, found that 76.5% of the 6,446 reported COVID-19 cases between Oct. 10 through Oct. 16, occurred in people who were unvaccinated.

There were 1,977 breakthrough cases, accounting for 23.5% of all cases.

The average age of the breakthrough cases during that period was 48. Thirty-five breakthrough cases involved residents of care facilities, senior living communities or other congregate care settings. There were 88 cases in people ages 12 to 17.

To date, there have been 32,954 COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough cases in Oregon. The average age of all cases is 48. Breakthrough cases have been reported in all 36 counties.

Cases of COVID-19 are far more common in unvaccinated people. The report shows that the rate of COVID-19 in unvaccinated people is currently four times higher than in vaccinated people.

To date, 4.4% of all vaccine breakthrough cases have been hospitalized and 1% have died. The average age of vaccinated people who died was 80.

Vaccination remains the most effective tool to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

The number of vaccine breakthrough cases identified in Oregon remains very small when compared to the more than 2.79 million Oregonians who have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

The latest breakthrough report can be found here.

Last week OHA added three new features to the breakthrough report. Data is now available by vaccine manufacturer, including the number of breakthrough cases and their severity. This report also shows the number of Oregonians who received each vaccine, as well as the number of breakthrough cases per 100,000 vaccinated people.

OHA also expanded demographic data to include race and ethnicity for breakthrough cases, hospitalizations, and deaths and a map showing cumulative breakthrough cases for each county. In general, breakthrough case totals correspond with population size, vaccination rates, and overall case counts.

Pediatric weekly dashboard update

Today, OHA published its latest dashboard report of pediatric COVID-19 case data in Oregon.

This dashboard replaces the previous report and is published weekly on Thursdays with the most recent full week’s data.

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 567, which is one fewer than yesterday. There are 133 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is seven more than yesterday.

There are 48 available adult ICU beds out of 706 total (7% availability) and 265 available adult non-ICU beds out of 4,115 (6% availability). 

The total number of patients in hospital beds may fluctuate between report times. The numbers do not reflect admissions per day, nor the length of hospital stay. Staffing limitations are not captured in this data and may further limit bed capacity.

Note: Please do not visit an emergency department for COVID-19 testing, unless you require emergency care for your symptoms.

Emergency departments in Oregon are under significant strain responding to the current surge in COVID-19. You can find a test here.

If you have a medical condition that doesn’t require emergency care, contact your provider. An urgent care center may also help you get the care you need and will save emergency departments from added strain.

More information about hospital capacity can be found here.

Vaccinations in Oregon

Today, OHA reported that 14,240 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry on Oct. 20. Of that total, 871 were initial doses; 933 were second doses and 3,558 were third doses and booster doses. The remaining 8,835 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on Oct. 20.

The seven-day running average is now 9,309 doses per day.

Oregon has now administered 3,208,051 doses of Pfizer Comirnaty, 1,935,312 doses of Moderna and 223,943 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.

As of today, 2,793,594 people have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 2,580,142 people have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series.

These data are preliminary and subject to change. Updated vaccination data are provided on Oregon’s COVID-19 data dashboards and have been updated today.

"Magic" team brings vaccination confidence to Oregon — and the world

As a refugee services provider Catholic Charities Oregon has a mission — to create trusting relationships with the families and communities they serve.   

Through a partnership with the Oregon Health Authority, Catholic Charities hired a team of COVID-19 Community Engagement Specialists in early 2021. This team rapidly took on the work of supporting their communities.

“We are a group of individuals from different backgrounds and nationalities who work for Catholic Charities with pride,” said Chomba Kaluba, who is originally from Zambia and serves the Congolese- and Swahili-speaking communities. “The power of numbers is what each one of us brings as a strength. And that strength is from all backgrounds; our values, beliefs and passion.”

He came up with the idea of making language- and culturally-specific videos about the vaccine to amplify vaccination confidence. Clackamas County Public Health provided a producer to film and edit the work.

Chomba Kaluba

Two other team members, Abidah Jamaluddin and Lung Wah Lazum both originally came from the same country, Myanmar (formerly known as Burma), but they represent different cultures. The pair decided to make videos in both Burmese and Rohingya to broaden their reach.

The group felt it was essential to meet people where they are.  

“It is because we are immigrants,” said Kaluba. “We are coming from backgrounds which might have lacked a health education, might have lacked access to health care, might have different political systems or economic systems.”

“We have been able to reach the world because someone in Burma, they'll see that video on YouTube and they'll go, 'Wow - I can get vaccinated.’ So maybe somehow, we are trying to do what they say is teaching in time saves nine. So maybe we are saving lives somewhere else,” he said.

You can read more at Oregon Vaccine News and watch the videos in Burmese, English, French, Rohingya, Somali and Swahili.

Cases and COVID-19 deaths

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (10), Benton (29), Clackamas (108), Clatsop (1), Columbia (16), Coos (31), Crook (40), Curry (2), Deschutes (146), Douglas (46), Gilliam (1), Grant (5), Harney (16), Hood River (5), Jackson (75), Jefferson (15), Josephine (15), Klamath (67), Lake (6), Lane (113), Lincoln (8), Linn (49), Malheur (22), Marion (98), Morrow (4), Multnomah (190), Polk (37), Tillamook (5), Umatilla (50), Union (11), Wallowa (3), Wasco (10), Washington (144) and Yamhill (29).

Oregon’s 4,236th COVID-19 related death is an 89-year-old man from Linn County who tested positive on Sept. 7 and died on Sept. 15 at his residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,237th COVID-19 related death is a 68-year-old man from Lincoln County who tested positive on Sept. 8 and died on Oct. 8 at Portland VA Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,238th COVID-19 related death is a 55-year-old woman from Lane County who tested positive on Oct. 17 and died on Oct. 20 at Mckenzie Willamette Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,239th COVID-19 related death is a 64-year-old man from Lane County who tested positive on Oct. 1 and died on Oct. 19 at Peacehealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at Riverbend. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,240th COVID-19 related death is a 45-year-old woman from Klamath County who tested positive on Oct. 2 and died on Oct. 14 at Renown South Meadows Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,241st COVID-19 related death is a 57-year-old man from Klamath County who tested positive on Oct. 3 and died on Oct. 20 at Sky Lakes Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,242nd COVID-19 related death is an 83-year-old woman from Jackson County who tested positive on Oct. 9 and died on Oct. 20 at Ashland Community Hospital. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,243rd COVID-19 related death is an 81-year-old woman from Jackson County who tested positive on Aug. 24 and died on Sept. 14 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,244th COVID-19 related death is a 50-year-old woman from Columbia County who first became symptomatic on Oct. 3 and died on Oct. 20 at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,245th COVID-19 related death is a 26-year-old man from Clackamas County who tested positive on Sept. 25 and died on Sept. 28 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,246th COVID-19 related death is an 81-year-old man from Clackamas County who tested positive on Sept. 2 and died on Sept. 18 at Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,247th^h COVID-19 related death is a 61-year-old woman from Baker County who tested positive on Sept. 21 and died on Oct. 19 at St Alphonsus Regional Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,248th COVID-19 related death is a 56-year-old woman from Linn County who tested positive on Oct. 6 and died on Oct. 11 at Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,249th COVID-19 related death is an 85-year-old man from Linn County who tested positive on Sept. 16 and died on Sept. 20 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,250th COVID-19 related death is a 79-year-old woman from Umatilla County who tested positive on Aug. 31 and died on Sept. 21 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,251st COVID-19 related death is a 70-year-old woman from Umatilla County who tested positive on Aug. 31 and died on Sept. 10 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,252nd COVID-19 related death is an 80-year-old man from Tillamook County who tested positive on Aug. 29 and died on Sept. 10; location of death is being confirmed. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,253rd COVID-19 related death is a 38-year-old man from Tillamook County who tested positive on Aug. 22 and died on Sept 111; location of death is being confirmed. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,254th COVID-19 related death is a 50-year-old woman from Tillamook County who tested positive on Aug. 17 and died on Sept. 1 at Providence Portland Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,255th COVID-19 related death is a 41-year-old woman from Multnomah County who tested positive on Oct. 1 and died on Oct. 11 at Adventist Health Portland. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,256th COVID-19 related death is an 87-year-old man from Multnomah County who tested positive on Sept. 21 and died on Oct. 8 at Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,257th COVID-19 related death is a 69-year-old man from Multnomah County who tested positive on Sept. 16 and died on Sept. 21 at his residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,258th COVID-19 related death is an 88-year-old man from Multnomah County who tested positive on Aug. 22 and died on Oct. 11 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,259th COVID-19 related death is a 62-year-old man from Marion County who tested positive on Oct. 14 and died on Oct. 18 at Salem Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,260th COVID-19 related death is a 93-year-old man from Marion County who tested positive on Oct. 4 and died on Oct. 14 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,261st COVID-19 related death is a 61-year-old man from Marion County who tested positive on Oct. 3 and died on Oct. 16 at Salem Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,262nd COVID-19 related death is a 74-year-old man from Marion County who tested positive on Sept. 26 and died on Oct.16 at Santiam Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,263rd COVID-19 related death is an 83-year-old man from Marion County who tested positive on Sept. 23 and died on Oct. 18 at Salem Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,264th COVID-19 related death is a 76-year-old man from Marion County who tested positive on Sept. 23 and died on Oct. 15 at Salem Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,265th COVID-19 related death is a 78-year-old man from Umatilla County who tested positive on Sept. 3 and died on Sept. 23 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,266th COVID-19 related death is an 86-year-old woman from Umatilla County who tested positive on Aug.6 and died on Aug. 20 at her residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,267th COVID-19 related death is an 84-year-old woman from Union County who died on Sept. 25 at his residence. The death certificate listed COVID-19 disease or SARS-CoV-2 as a cause of death or a significant condition contributing to death. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,268th COVID-19 related death is a 79-year-old man from Yamhill County who tested positive on Oct.14 and died on Oct. 19 at Willamette Valley Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,269th COVID-19 related death is an 87-year-old man from Yamhill County who tested positive on Oct. 4 and died on Oct. 17 at Providence Newberg Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,270th COVID-19 related death is a 97-year-old woman from Washington County who first became symptomatic on Oct. 3 and died on Oct. 19 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,271st COVID-19 related death is a 66-year-old man from Washington County who tested positive on Sept. 24 and died on Oct. 19 at OHSU Hillsboro Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,272nd COVID-19 related death is a 73-year-old man from Washington County who tested positive on Sept. 21 and died on Oct. 10 at OHSU Hillsboro Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,273rd COVID-19 related death is a 76-year-old woman from Washington County who tested positive on Sept. 16 and died on Oct. 11 at OHSU Hillsboro Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,274th COVID-19 related death is a 44-year-old man from Washington County who tested positive on Aug. 22 and died on Sept. 29 at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,275th COVID-19 related death is a 78-year-old man from Wasco County who tested positive on Oct. 15 and died on Oct. 19 at Mid-Columbia Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations  

To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine situation in Oregon, visit our web page (English or Spanish), which has a breakdown of distribution and other information.

During Cybersecurity Awareness Month, observed each October, the FBI and its partner agencies remind you to do your part and #BeCyberSmart all year long.

As the premier cyber investigative agency, the FBI works to keep you safe online, but there are many simple steps you can take to help protect yourself and your family. If you do become a victim, contact us at the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (www.ic3.gov) to report online crime.

This week's focus is on ransomware - what it is and how to stay safe. A video version of this release is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rN10oCBe_ZA

The speaker is Supervisory Special Agent Gabriel Gundersen. SSA Gundersen supervises the Oregon Cyber Task Force.

What is ransomware?

Ransomware is a form of malicious software that targets your data. If ransomware infects your device or network, the ransomware actors behind that attack have the ability to lock you out of the data stored on your device or network. They will demand you pay a ransom – usually by cryptocurrency. They claim they will give you the “key” to recover your data if you pay, but there are no guarantees.

Who is most at risk for ransomware attacks?

There are three basic groups who can suffer ransomware attacks:

• Businesses – both big and small
• Individuals; and
• Public agencies and public service providers

What’s the risk to individuals?

When these kinds of attacks first started, ransomware actors often targeted regular people at home. The majority of attacks now go after larger targets, but individuals still need to take precautions. The loss of wedding photos or videos of your newborn are irreplaceable. 

What’s the risk to businesses?

Any business can be vulnerable, but we are particularly concerned about small and medium-sized companies. They often don’t have the expertise or, they think, the funds to invest in the robust security they need. If you are a business owner, please take the time to learn about some simple steps you can take to protect your business. Otherwise, one bad ransomware attack can cause you to shut your doors for good.

What’s the risk to public agencies and service providers?

We are seeing attack after attack targeting hospitals, health care providers, government agencies, and schools. Not only do these organizations risk a loss of money, they also hold sensitive information that the attackers can pull out and re-sell on the dark web. Beyond that, there are real world consequences of a hospital that is unable to care for patients.

How do ransomware attacks usually start?

Ransomware actors will often send ransomware through email phishing campaigns. Once anyone on your network clicks on an infected file or link, the fraudsters can have access to all of your devices and data. They encrypt the system, effectively locking you out. 

How much can a ransomware attack cost?

The ransom demands may range from a few hundred dollars for an individual to millions of dollars for a big company, hospital, or utility. But the ransom is only the start. Organizations risk loss of productivity, legal fees, and the need to purchase credit-monitoring services for employees and customers. 

Even if you manage to get your system back up online, it is likely that the attacker left other malware hidden on your system—requiring a remediation team to completely wipe the computers and restore everything from clean, off-line backups.

What are some basic steps to take to avoid a ransomware attack?

To avoid a ransomware attack, you should:

• Educate yourself and your employees as to how to identify and manage phishing lures.
• Back up your data often and keep back-ups segregated and offline from normal operations.
• Make sure that all devices on your network are using the most current versions of operating systems and applications; and
• Keep your anti-malware software up-to-date.

What should I do if I think my device or network is infected with ransomware?

• If you get a pop-up or other message that says you are infected, disconnect the device from the Internet and your network immediately to try to prevent the spread.

• Then, call the FBI right away. If we are called in early enough, we can sometimes assist with remediation.

Should I pay to unlock my system? 

The FBI recommends that victims do NOT pay a hacker’s ransom demand. The payment only encourages more criminal activity, and, even if you do pay, there is no guarantee that the hacker will unlock your data, hasn’t already downloaded your data for re-sale, or won’t return for another round of ransom.

###

Note to media: The previous Oregon FBI Cybersecurity Awareness Month videos are available for download from YouTube as well.

Week 1: Cybersecurity Basics (FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Eliza Odom) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WU63yNub3I

Week 2: The ABC's of Cryptocurrency (FBI Forensic Accountant Brandon) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkZe5vRAHF8

What qualities do Oregonians look for when choosing a place to work?

ECONOMY AND JOBS, ORGANIZATIONAL IMAGE AND BRANDING

From September 14-22, 2021, the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center conducted a statewide survey of Oregonians’ values and beliefs, including what is important to them about their place of work. The questions were intended to gather preliminary data to inform more in-depth research in the months ahead.

The online survey consisted of 1,124 Oregon residents ages 18+ and took approximately 15 minutes to complete. This survey’s margin of error, for the full sample, ranges from ±1.8% to ±2.9% depending on how the response category percentages split for any given question. Due to rounding, numbers may not add up to 100%.

Respondents were contacted by using professionally maintained online panels. In gathering responses, a variety of quality control measures were employed, including questionnaire pre-testing, validation, and real-time monitoring of responses. To ensure a representative sample, demographic quotas were set, and data weighted by area of the state, gender, age, and education.

This survey uses aggregated data to analyze the opinions of BIPOC residents in comparison to the opinions of residents who identify as white and not another race. BIPOC residents are not a monolith; the grouping represents a wide diversity of races and ethnicities. The findings included in this memo should not be construed such that all people of color are believed to share the same opinions. Disaggregated race data will be provided when sample sizes permit reliability.

The question numbers in this document correspond with the survey questionnaire, available at the bottom of the page (Q12-28, Q29-44).

Workplace Characteristics

Respondents were provided a list of things people often feel are important in what they do as work or employment. They were then asked to rate, selectively, the importance of each item if they were choosing a place to work (Q12-28). Nearly all of the workplace features or outcomes were viewed as very or somewhat important by a strong majority of Oregonians.

• Only being in a leadership position (37%) and having people admire my accomplishments (47%) were viewed as very/somewhat important by less than 50% of Oregonians (Q20,Q24).
   
• Interestingly, the percentage of those who say it is very/somewhat important having people admire my accomplishments declined with age, from 61% among those ages 18-29, to 33% among those ages 65-74 (Q20).

How Important Each Workplace Quality is to Oregonians

When examining responses of “very important,” several priority tiers emerge.

• Tier one includes features or outcomes that receive “very important” scores of 60% or higher. There is only one feature within this tier: Having a work-life balance (63%) (Q27).
  
  
  • This feature is rated highly by all major demographic groups. Notably, more than 60% of Oregonians with and without school-aged children rate this feature as “very” important.”
  • This priority placed on healthy work-life balance corresponds with recent research showing high levels of employee burnout and work-related stress during the COVID-19 pandemic[1].
     
• Tier two includes features or outcomes that receive “very important” scores between 50-60%:
  
  
  • Obtaining health insurance benefits (58%) (Q21)
  • Being with people I respect (51%) (Q16)
  • Earning a good salary (50%): The percentage of Oregonians who view this feature of their work as “very” important is higher among renters than homeowners (57% vs. 45%) (Q12).
     
• Tier three includes features or outcomes that receive “very” important scores between 40-50%:
  
  
  • Being in control of my own destiny (48%) (Q25)
  • Having a job I can be proud of (47%) (Q13)
  • Enjoying work, having fun (47%) (Q15)
  • Feeling appreciated by leadership and coworkers (44%) (Q19)
  • Developing my skills (42%): A notable 55% of Oregonians ages 18-29 rate this feature as “very” important. This is perhaps unsurprising as this age group is newer to the workforce (Q17).
  • Proximity to where I live (40%): Ratings of “very” important were higher among those making less than $50K per year compared to those making $100K or more (44% vs. 31%), perhaps indicating the latter group is more likely to be able to work from home (Q26).
     
• Tier four includes features or outcomes that receive “very important” scores between 20-40%. It is worth noting that many of these features still receive high overall (very/somewhat) importance ratings from Oregonians.
  
  
  • Flexible hours (38%): Oregonians with school-aged children are more likely to view this work feature as “very” important than those without kids (44% vs. 36%) (Q22).
  • Learning new things, having new experiences (36%) (Q18)
  • Contributing to society’s benefit (32%) (Q14)
  • Involvement in important decisions (21%): Interestingly, men are more likely than women to rate this feature as “very” important for their place of work (25% vs. 18%) (Q23).

“Other” Answers

Respondents were also given the opportunity to list other characteristics, an option which many people selected. Often these were similar to the listed characteristics, but with more specific detail or elaboration.

Other job features important to Oregonians include quality and characteristics of employer leadership; impacts on physical and mental health; family; and the workplace climate:

“Integrity - of the company and the people there.”
- Male, age 65-74, Crook County, white or Caucasian

“Having a 32-hour workweek to balance mental health and work.”
- Female, age 18-29, Washington County, Hispanic/Latina/x

“Not soul-sucking.”
- Female, age 30-45, Jackson County, white or Caucasian

“Sustainable practices as a part of the workplace and products.”
- Female, age 65-74, Lincoln County, more than one race or ethnicity

A significant number of Oregonians listed a response related to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the “Other” category:

“Not feeling discrimination.”
- Female, age 18-29, Washington County, Hispanic/Latina/x

“Equal pay, irrespective of gender.”
- Female, age 65-74, Washington County, white or Caucasian

“Respect and equality for all in the workplace.”
- Male, age 30-44, Multnomah County, Black or African American

“Environments of equity, diversity, and inclusion.”
- Non-binary or gender non-conforming, age 45-54, Yamhill County, white or Caucasian

Ranking the Most Important Employment Considerations

Next, Oregonians were asked to rank the same list of work features/outcomes in terms of the top five most important things to have if they were choosing a place to work (Q29-44). When combining ratings of 1-5, a top tier emerges, all receiving combined scores of 40% or higher. These results largely correspond with the higher-tier priorities from Q12-28:

• Earning a good salary (64%). This feature is especially important to Oregonians ages 30-54 (72%). 20% of Oregonians rank this as their number one priority (Q29).
   
• Having a good work-life balance (50%). This feature is slightly more important for Oregonians with school-aged children compares to those without kids (53% vs. 48%) (Q44).
   
• Enjoying work, having fun (46%). Compared to the previous feature, this is more of a priority for Oregonians without school-aged children than those with kids (48% vs. 39%) (Q32).
   
• Obtaining health insurance benefits (44%). Among age groups, this priority was most important for those 45-54 (53%) and least important for those ages 18-29 (36%). This is perhaps unsurprising, as many in the youngest group are able to remain on their parents’ health insurance (Q38).

It is interesting to compare these results to a 2013 Oregon Values and Beliefs statewide survey, which did not test the importance of having a good work-life balance, but did show that salary, benefits, and enjoying work/having fun were all top-tier priorities then, as well². However, it should be noted that salary appears to be a stronger priority now than in 2013.

Demographic Trends

Identifying What Unites Us, Understanding What Divides Us

Reported below are statistically significant subgroup differences between BIPOC and white Oregonians, and urban and rural Oregonians.  Many of these differences are not major and are presented to inform public education and communications initiatives. 

Oregonians of color and whites show consistent alignment on what is important about where they choose to work. Most priorities show only a few percentage points of difference between the two groups. For example, when combining the ratings of their top 1-5 priorities, both groups selected earning a good salary as their clear choice, at an identical 64% (Q29). However, there are a few statistical differences worth point out:

• Oregonians of color are more likely than whites to think developing my skills is a “very” important part of the work environment (54% vs. 41%) (Q17).
   
• Oregonians of color are more likely than whites to think flexible hours are a “very” important part of the work environment (44% vs. 37%) (Q22).
   
• BIPOC Oregonians provide slightly higher “very” important scores for feeling appreciated by leadership and coworkers than whites (48% vs. 43%) (Q19).

Urban and rural Oregonians also show strong agreement on what is important about where they choose to work, with mostly marginal differences between these groups. Here are a few datapoints that stand out:

• Urbanites are more likely than their rural counterparts to think contributing to society’s benefit is a “very” important part of the work environment (38% vs. 28%) (Q14).
   
• Lastly, urban and rural Oregonians place equal importance on proximity to where I live¸ with an identical 42% both groups seeing this feature as “very” important (Q26).

This research was completed as a community service by the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center, an independent and non-partisan organization. OVBC is an Oregon charitable nonprofit corporation (www.oregonvbc.org).

For more information, please see the OVBC September 2021 Survey Annotated Questionnaire and Crosstabs, visit Oregonvbc.org, or contact us.

For information about the panel, please visit About the Panel - Oregon Values and Beliefs Center (oregonvbc.org)

[1]https://www.oregonlive.com/topworkplaces/2021/09/survey-of-4000-companies-shows-loyalty-to-employers-is-down.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=theoregonian_sf

[2]2013 OREGON VALUES & BELIEFS PROJECT STATEWIDE AND REGIONAL RESULTS; DHM Research | PI Research; Oregon General Population Age 18+; N= 1,958;

Condon, Ore. -- The Bureau of Land Management, Central Oregon Field Office, invites public comment through Nov. 24, on recreation and travel management planning for the Thirtymile planning area. The planning area is located about ten miles southwest of Condon, Ore., on the east side of the John Day River. 

This 30-day public scoping period provides an open process to get input from the public, government agencies, tribal governments, and other interested stakeholders on the issues and environmental impacts to be addressed during the planning process. Public input will help the BLM develop a range of alternatives to provide access to outdoor recreation opportunities while protecting the natural and cultural resources in the planning area. 

As part of the 30-day public scoping period, the BLM will host a virtual public meeting via Zoom Nov. 4th, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. During this meeting, the BLM will provide a brief presentation regarding natural resources and uses in the area and an overview of the travel and recreation management planning process. There will an opportunity for the public to ask questions about the project or scoping materials. 

People interested in participating in the virtual public meeting must register through Zoom at https://tinyurl.com/hd9fpy4p. After registering, participants will receive a confirmation email with instructions, a link to join the meeting and phone number for those unable to join online. 

During the 30-day public scoping period, comments may be submitted electronically to the project ePlanning website; via email to BLM_OR_PR_Thirtymile@blm.gov; or in writing by mail to: BLM Prineville District, Attn: Thirtymile Project, 3050 NE Third Street, Prineville, OR 97754. For specific questions, contact Chris Ryan, Planning and Environmental Coordinator at BLM_OR_PR_Thirtymile@blm.gov or (541) 416-6743; or contact the BLM office at (541) 416-6700. 

More information about the planning effort, including scoping material, actions that will be considered, and maps of travel routes and proposed recreation improvements, can be found on the project’s ePlanning website at https://go.usa.gov/xsbsG.

−BLM–

This year, we invite everyone to reimagine your public lands as we celebrate 75 years of the BLM’s stewardship and service to the American people. The BLM manages approximately 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The agency’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

SALEM, Ore. — The Oregon Board of Forestry will hold a virtual meeting starting at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 3. The meeting will be livestreamed on the department’s YouTube channel.

The board’s business agenda includes:

• Urban and Community Forestry Assistance Program and Oregon Community Trees

• Annual forest practices monitoring update
• Forest health status update
• State forests metrics
• Forest Trust Land Advisory Committee testimony
• State Forest Management Plan and Habitat Conservation Plan update
• Department of Forestry Climate Change and Carbon Plan

View the agenda and board meeting details.

Live testimony will be available for item #1 and #9, and decision item #8 – Department of Forestry Climate Change and Carbon Plan. Sign-up is required and instructions to provide live testimony are available online. Sign-up closes Friday, Oct. 29 at 5 p.m. Written public testimony will also be accepted. Written comments can be submitted before or up to Nov. 17 to oardofforestry@oregon.gov">boardofforestry@oregon.gov, with the appropriate agenda item included with the submission.

Accommodations for people with disabilities, and special materials, services, or assistance can be arranged by calling ODF’s Public Affairs Office at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting at 503-945-7200 or by email at estryinformation@oregon.gov">forestryinformation@oregon.gov.

The Oregon Board of Forestry consists of seven citizens nominated by the Governor and confirmed by the Oregon Senate. Responsibilities include appointing the State Forester, setting management direction for state-owned forests, adopting rules governing timber harvest and other practices on private forestland, and promoting sustainable management of Oregon’s 30-million-acre forestland base. Read more information about the board.

October 21, 2021

Contact: OHA External Relations, covid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us">orcovid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us

CDC advisory panel recommends COVID-19 booster shots for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines 

Today a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advisory panel recommended booster doses of Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines for persons who have already completed their vaccination series.

A booster is a vaccine dose that may be given to someone whose immune response from the primary vaccine series has waned over time.  

The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are currently authorized for use to prevent COVID-19 for persons 18 years of age and older. The only approved booster authorized for use for some groups is for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, known as Comirnaty. 

The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) concluded its two days of meetings today. The ACIP recommended the use of booster doses for Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine for some persons 18 and older and booster doses of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine for persons 18 years and older.

The committee voted unanimously to recommend the use of boosters six months after a Moderna primary vaccination series and two months after a J and J vaccination series for eligible populations as outlined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Emergency Use Authorization.

The guidance will allow Moderna’s booster dose to be given six months after completing the original series for those 65 years and older and some groups of persons 18 years and older with certain health conditions and occupations, and as soon as two months for all persons 18 years and older who have received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.  

The committee also considered heterologous doses or a “mix and match” approach to booster doses. This would mean people eligible to receive the Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson booster dose could use any COVID-19 vaccine as their booster dose. This would allow people to get a booster dose at any location that provides COVID-19 vaccines.

• The committee’s final vote did not formally endorse the mix and match approach.
• The CDC still needs to issue official recommendations and update their clinical considerations after review of the committee’s recommendations.
• This topic will be reviewed more closely in the Western States Scientific Safety Review Group as well.

The Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup, including Oregon, Washington, California and Nevada, will assess the recommendations next. The group meets later today, and it should make its recommendation in one to two days. OHA would then issue guidance regarding the administration of booster shots in Oregon.  

At that point, eligible Oregonians could seek booster shots through their health care provider or local pharmacy.  

"Oregonians can have confidence in the rigorous scientific review undertaken by the panels of scientists, medical experts and health officials to assess the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines,” said Dr. Paul Cieslak, Medical Director, Communicable Diseases and Immunizations. “Following this authorization, it may still take a little time for Oregonians eligible to get a Moderna or Johnson & Johnson booster to schedule their shots. Those who become eligible will get one, and we appreciate everyone's patience. The good news is, all vaccines continue to protect vaccinated Oregonians from COVID-19."

Eligible residents in long-term care facilities, including seniors, should receive their boosters through vaccination plans developed by their homes and pharmacies. State officials are also planning ways to reach home-bound seniors, people with disabilities and other vulnerable populations. 

Vaccines will continue being made available to Oregonians through their health care provider or local pharmacy. OHA has enrolled hundreds of vaccine providers in the state, and these sites are already vaccinating adults. We anticipate these sites will provide widespread access to booster doses so eligible persons who previously received the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines as well as those not yet vaccinated.

"Those most at risk, however, remain persons who have not yet received a primary series of COVID-19 vaccines," said Cieslak. “We strongly encourage everyone eligible to take advantage of this preventive measure."

OHA estimates that more than 632,000 adult Oregonians could soon be eligible to receive the added benefit provided by boosters for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.  

SALEM, Ore. — The Oregon Board of Forestry will hold a virtual special meeting starting at 9 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 29. The meeting will be livestreamed on the department’s YouTube channel.

The amended agenda includes hearing from the public on what aspects of the skills, attributes, and qualifications are key for the next state forester and an executive session. The board will deliberate on the final candidates for the state forester position and will vote to determine who will be appointed Oregon’s next state forester.

There will be an opportunity for the public to provide live testimony. Sign up to provide live testimony is required. Registration is available online and closes Monday, Oct. 25 at 11:59 p.m. Written public testimony submitted by Oct. 25 to oardofforestry@oregon.gov">boardofforestry@oregon.gov will also be accepted.

The board will meet in executive session starting at 9:50 a.m. for the purpose of considering the employment of a chief executive officer, pursuant to ORS 192.660(2)(a).

The executive session will also be conducted virtually. Members of the news media who want to attend this portion of the meeting can email Public Affairs Director Joy Krawczyk at awczyk@oregon.gov">joy.p.krawczyk@oregon.gov for information.

Accommodations for people with disabilities, and special materials, services, or assistance can be arranged by calling ODF’s Public Affairs Office at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting at 503-945-7200 or by email at estryinformation@oregon.gov">forestryinformation@oregon.gov.

The Oregon Board of Forestry consists of seven citizens nominated by the Governor and confirmed by the Oregon Senate. Responsibilities include appointing the State Forester, setting management direction for state-owned forests, adopting rules governing timber harvest and other practices on private forestland, and promoting sustainable management of Oregon’s 30-million-acre forestland base. Read more information about the board.

EUGENE, Ore.—A federal grand jury in Eugene returned an indictment today charging an Oregon restauranteur with tax evasion and hiding cash from his businesses.

Meeraali Shaik, a Corvallis, Oregon resident and the owner of Evergreen Indian Cuisine, has been charged with one count of tax evasion.

According to court documents, Shaik owned and operated Evergreen Indian Cuisine locations in Eugene and Corvallis. From before 2013 and continuing until 2017, Shaik is alleged to have willfully attempted to evade the assessment of personal income taxes by, among other illegal acts, providing his tax preparer with incomplete bank and income records and false information regarding the cash receipts of his restaurants. Shaik used a portion of the underreported cash receipts to pay mortgage payments on properties in Eugene, Corvallis, and Chandler, Arizona and made wire transfers to a bank account in India.

Shaik will make his initial appearance in federal court before a U.S. Magistrate Judge on November 2, 2021. During his first appearance, Shaik will be arraigned, and a jury trial date will be set.

If convicted, Shaik faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison, three years’ supervised release, and a $100,000 fine.

Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.

This case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation with assistance from the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gavin W. Bruce is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

# # #

October 21, 2021

Contact: Jonathan Modie, 971-246-9139, PHD.Communications@dhsoha.state.or.us

Dental Pilot Project Program accepting applications to serve on advisory committee for Pilot Project #300

What: The OHA Dental Pilot Projects Program is seeking applicants to serve on the Advisory Committee for Dental Pilot Project #300, “Dental Therapist Project: Dental Hygiene Model.”

When: Applications due by 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 22.

Where: Application information and submission instructions can be located at the Dental Pilot Project Program Website at http://healthoregon.org/dpp.

All committee meetings will be held virtually. The first advisory committee meeting will be on Jan. 31, 2022, from 9-11 a.m. If you have questions, contact the OHA Dental Pilot Project Program at ah.e.kowalski@dhsoha.state.or.us">sarah.e.kowalski@dhsoha.state.or.us.

Background: Dental Pilot Projects are intended to evaluate the quality of care, access, cost, workforce, and efficacy by teaching new skills to existing categories of dental personnel; developing new categories of dental personnel; accelerating the training of existing categories of dental personnel; or teaching new oral health care roles to previously untrained persons.

Program contact: Sarah Kowalski, ah.e.kowalski@state.or.us">sarah.e.kowalski@state.or.us.

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Everyone has a right to know about and use Oregon Health Authority (OHA) programs and services. OHA provides free help. Some examples of the free help OHA can provide are:

• Sign language and spoken language interpreters
• Written materials in other languages
• Braille
• Large print
• Audio and other formats

If you need help or have questions, please contact Sarah Kowalski at 971-673-1563, 711 TTY or ah.e.kowalski@state.or.us">sarah.e.kowalski@state.or.us at least 48 hours before the meeting.

SALEM, Ore. – The Northwest Oregon Regional Forest Practices Committee will meet virtually Thursday, Oct. 28 from 9 a.m. to noon. To join the virtual meeting, please use the Zoom video conference information found on the agenda. To provide public comment at this virtual meeting, please contact Susan Muniz at 503-945-7502. 

Topics to be covered include:

• Private Forests Division update
• Operator of the Year selection
• ODFW MOA update
• Implementation study update
• SB 1602 – E-Notification demonstration

The meeting is open to the public to attend online via Zoom. Public comments will be accepted near the start of the meeting after approval of the minutes. Requests for an interpreter for the hearing impaired or other accommodations for persons with disabilities should be made at least 72 hours before the meeting by contacting Susan Muniz at 503-945-7502.

Regional Forest Practices Committees are panels of citizens – mandated under Oregon law – that advise the Oregon Board of Forestry on current forestry issues and forest management approaches. Three Regional Forest Practices Committees, serving the Eastern, Northwest and Southwest regions of the state, were created by the 1971 Oregon Forest Practices Act. Under Oregon law, a majority of the committees’ members must be private forest landowners and logging or forest operations companies.

Oregon’s forests are among the state’s most valued resources, providing a balanced mix of environmental, economic and social benefits. View more information on the RFPC webpage

Oct. 21, 2021

Contact: OHA External Relations, covid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us">orcovid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us

Oregon reports 1,407 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 40 new deaths

PORTLAND, Ore. — There are 40 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 4,275, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 1,407 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 356,061.

State health officials to add more than 500 COVID-19 deaths due to technical error

Over the coming weeks, OHA will begin reporting approximately 550 deaths among people who died with COVID-19 but whose deaths only became recently known to state epidemiologists due to a technical computer error. 

This will result in higher death totals as the backlog is resolved.

More details can be found here.

COVID-19 Disease Severity Dashboard update highlights hospitalizations

Today, OHA is publishing a revamped Disease Severity Dashboard. In addition to case demographic data, the dashboard now features new data that highlights COVID-19-related hospitalizations and deaths in Oregon. Due to the nature of newly added visualizations, all data on this dashboard will be published weekly on Thursdays with data from the most recent full week.

The dashboard has three tabs: Case Demographics, Disease Severity and Severity Trends.

• The Case Demographics tab shows COVID-19 cumulative hospitalizations and deaths by sex, age group, race, and ethnicity.
• The Disease Severity tab shows factors related to COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths.
• The Severity Trends tab looks at hospitalization trends and death trends, including graphs on the following:
  • A comparison between trends of new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths.
  • Hospitalization trends by intensive care unit categories, presence of underlying condition, length of stay categories, age categories, race, and ethnicity.
  • Deaths trends by hospitalization status, presence of underlying condition, congregate settings, age categories, race, and ethnicity.

The visualization showing trends among new cases, hospitalizations and deaths reveals that cases and hospitalizations tend to rise before deaths. The visualizations also show that COVID-19 cases who were hospitalized or died have higher prevalence of all types of underlying conditions compared with COVID-19 cases who were not hospitalized or survived.

This updated dashboard can be found on the dashboard page.

OHA releases new COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough report

OHA’s most recent update on COVID-19 breakthrough cases, released today, found that 76.5% of the 6,446 reported COVID-19 cases between Oct. 10 through Oct. 16, occurred in people who were unvaccinated.

There were 1,977 breakthrough cases, accounting for 23.5% of all cases.

The average age of the breakthrough cases during that period was 48. Thirty-five breakthrough cases involved residents of care facilities, senior living communities or other congregate care settings. There were 88 cases in people ages 12 to 17.

To date, there have been 32,954 COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough cases in Oregon. The average age of all cases is 48. Breakthrough cases have been reported in all 36 counties.

Cases of COVID-19 are far more common in unvaccinated people. The report shows that the rate of COVID-19 in unvaccinated people is currently four times higher than in vaccinated people.

To date, 4.4% of all vaccine breakthrough cases have been hospitalized and 1% have died. The average age of vaccinated people who died was 80.

Vaccination remains the most effective tool to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

The number of vaccine breakthrough cases identified in Oregon remains very small when compared to the more than 2.79 million Oregonians who have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

The latest breakthrough report can be found here.

Last week OHA added three new features to the breakthrough report. Data is now available by vaccine manufacturer, including the number of breakthrough cases and their severity. This report also shows the number of Oregonians who received each vaccine, as well as the number of breakthrough cases per 100,000 vaccinated people.

OHA also expanded demographic data to include race and ethnicity for breakthrough cases, hospitalizations, and deaths and a map showing cumulative breakthrough cases for each county. In general, breakthrough case totals correspond with population size, vaccination rates, and overall case counts.

Pediatric weekly dashboard update

Today, OHA published its latest dashboard report of pediatric COVID-19 case data in Oregon.

This dashboard replaces the previous report and is published weekly on Thursdays with the most recent full week’s data.

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 567, which is one fewer than yesterday. There are 133 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is seven more than yesterday.

There are 48 available adult ICU beds out of 706 total (7% availability) and 265 available adult non-ICU beds out of 4,115 (6% availability). 

The total number of patients in hospital beds may fluctuate between report times. The numbers do not reflect admissions per day, nor the length of hospital stay. Staffing limitations are not captured in this data and may further limit bed capacity.

Note: Please do not visit an emergency department for COVID-19 testing, unless you require emergency care for your symptoms.

Emergency departments in Oregon are under significant strain responding to the current surge in COVID-19. You can find a test here.

If you have a medical condition that doesn’t require emergency care, contact your provider. An urgent care center may also help you get the care you need and will save emergency departments from added strain.

More information about hospital capacity can be found here.

Vaccinations in Oregon

Today, OHA reported that 14,240 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry on Oct. 20. Of that total, 871 were initial doses; 933 were second doses and 3,558 were third doses and booster doses. The remaining 8,835 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on Oct. 20.

The seven-day running average is now 9,309 doses per day.

Oregon has now administered 3,208,051 doses of Pfizer Comirnaty, 1,935,312 doses of Moderna and 223,943 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.

As of today, 2,793,594 people have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 2,580,142 people have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series.

These data are preliminary and subject to change. Updated vaccination data are provided on Oregon’s COVID-19 data dashboards and have been updated today.

"Magic" team brings vaccination confidence to Oregon — and the world

As a refugee services provider Catholic Charities Oregon has a mission — to create trusting relationships with the families and communities they serve.   

Through a partnership with the Oregon Health Authority, Catholic Charities hired a team of COVID-19 Community Engagement Specialists in early 2021. This team rapidly took on the work of supporting their communities.

“We are a group of individuals from different backgrounds and nationalities who work for Catholic Charities with pride,” said Chomba Kaluba, who is originally from Zambia and serves the Congolese- and Swahili-speaking communities. “The power of numbers is what each one of us brings as a strength. And that strength is from all backgrounds; our values, beliefs and passion.”

He came up with the idea of making language- and culturally-specific videos about the vaccine to amplify vaccination confidence. Clackamas County Public Health provided a producer to film and edit the work.

Chomba Kaluba

Two other team members, Abidah Jamaluddin and Lung Wah Lazum both originally came from the same country, Myanmar (formerly known as Burma), but they represent different cultures. The pair decided to make videos in both Burmese and Rohingya to broaden their reach.

The group felt it was essential to meet people where they are.  

“It is because we are immigrants,” said Kaluba. “We are coming from backgrounds which might have lacked a health education, might have lacked access to health care, might have different political systems or economic systems.”

“We have been able to reach the world because someone in Burma, they'll see that video on YouTube and they'll go, 'Wow - I can get vaccinated.’ So maybe somehow, we are trying to do what they say is teaching in time saves nine. So maybe we are saving lives somewhere else,” he said.

You can read more at Oregon Vaccine News and watch the videos in Burmese, English, French, Rohingya, Somali and Swahili.

Cases and COVID-19 deaths

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (10), Benton (29), Clackamas (108), Clatsop (1), Columbia (16), Coos (31), Crook (40), Curry (2), Deschutes (146), Douglas (46), Gilliam (1), Grant (5), Harney (16), Hood River (5), Jackson (75), Jefferson (15), Josephine (15), Klamath (67), Lake (6), Lane (113), Lincoln (8), Linn (49), Malheur (22), Marion (98), Morrow (4), Multnomah (190), Polk (37), Tillamook (5), Umatilla (50), Union (11), Wallowa (3), Wasco (10), Washington (144) and Yamhill (29).

Note: Additional details with case and death information will follow in an updated news release.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations  

To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine situation in Oregon, visit our web page (English or Spanish), which has a breakdown of distribution and other information.

Oct. 21, 2021

Salem – Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has proclaimed Oct. 18-22 as Community Bank Week. The week honors local banks and their employees for their economic and civic contributions in communities across the state.

Oregon community banks provide more than 5,300 family wage jobs through more than 350 branch and loan offices, $3.7 billion in home purchase and refinance loans, and safeguards $30 billion in deposits. They also make 80 percent of all agriculture-related loans.

Oregon’s community banks, most of which are chartered by the Department of Consumer and Business Services, play an essential role in promoting the economic health and prosperity of the state. In some communities, they are the sole provider of banking products and services and sometimes the largest employer.

“Our state banks continue to support small businesses and agriculture in Oregon, as well as provide banking services and create jobs,” said Andrew Stolfi, DCBS director. “State banks also are committed to Oregonians through their 64,000 volunteer hours each year and the millions of dollars they have pledged to support people affected by COVID-19, the wildfires, and racial inequality.”

State-chartered banks throughout Oregon are celebrating Community Bank Week in their local neighborhoods. To learn more about Oregon’s state chartered banks, go to https://www.oregonbankers.com/local.html.

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The Division of Financial Regulation is part of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, Oregon’s largest business regulatory and consumer protection agency. Visit dfr.oregon.gov and dcbs.oregon.gov.

October 21, 2021

Contacts: Philip Schmidt, 503-383-6079, philip.schmidt@dshoha.state.or.us  (media inquiries)

Daphne Peck, 503-580-9792, c.info@dhsoha.state.or.us">herc.info@dhsoha.state.or.us (meeting information or accommodation)

Oregon Health Evidence Review Commission and VBBS Subcommittee to meet Nov. 18 online

Health Evidence Review Commission Meets online on Nov. 18

What: A public meeting of the Health Evidence Review Commission

When: Thursday, November 18, 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Where: By Zoom https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1619077888?pwd=WWFIMXAxQTUxV2lBT3M4ak9YWE9tdz09 

Or dial 1-669-254-5252 Meeting ID: 161 907 7888 | Passcode: 333914

Note: Unscheduled testimony will not be allowed at the meeting. If you think you may want to testify, please complete the survey to sign up at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/herc-public-comment by Tuesday, 11/16/21, noon. If you decide not to testify, you can always decline later. If you need assistance in signing up for public testimony, please call Daphne Peck at 503-580-9792.

 Written public comment (up to 1,000 words per sender for each topic) will be accepted until noon on 11/16/21; submit to C.Info@dhsoha.state.or.us">HERC.Info@dhsoha.state.or.us.

Agenda: HERC will consider the following topics:

• VBBS report

Topics which remain unresolved at the conclusion of the morning's VbBS meeting will not be heard by HERC until a later date. Public notice of tabled topics will be announced 28-days prior their next scheduled discussion.

For more information about the meeting, visit the committee’s website at https://www.oregon.gov/oha/HPA/DSI-HERC/Pages/Meetings-Public.aspx. The meeting agenda and materials will be available one week before the meeting. 

HERC’s Value-based Benefits Subcommittee meets November 18 Online

What: A public meeting of the Health Evidence Review Commission’s Value-based Benefits Subcommittee

When: Thursday, November 18, 8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Where: By Zoom https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1619077888?pwd=WWFIMXAxQTUxV2lBT3M4ak9YWE9tdz09 

Or dial 1-669-254-5252 Meeting ID: 161 907 7888 | Passcode: 333914

Note: Unscheduled testimony will not be allowed at the meeting. If you think you may want to testify, please complete the survey to sign up at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/herc-public-comment by Tuesday, 11/16/21, noon. If you decide not to testify, you can always decline later. If you need assistance in signing up for public testimony, please call Daphne Peck at 503-580-9792.

 Written public comment (up to 1,000 words per sender for each topic) will be accepted until noon on 11/16/21; submit to C.Info@dhsoha.state.or.us">HERC.Info@dhsoha.state.or.us.

Agenda: Items scheduled for discussion could include, but may not be limited to, the following:

• Straightforward consent agenda items
• New COVID-19 vaccine codes
• Advisory Panel reports
  • Genetics Advisory Panel
    • Expanded carrier screening
      • Updates to the prenatal and non-prenatal genetic testing guidelines
    • Whole genome sequencing
    • NCCN reference updates to the hereditary cancer genetic testing guideline
  • Oral Health Advisory Panel
    • 2022 CDT code placements
    • Porcelain crowns
    • Non-restorative caries treatment
    • Orthodontia for handicapping malocclusion
    • D0190 dental screening code placement
  • Behavioral Health Advisory Panel
    • Nightmare disorder
    • HCPCS code review for substance use disorder waiver
    • Selective mutism
  • 2022 CPT and HCPCS code placements
  • Platelet rich plasma
  • Radiofrequency ablation and cryotherapy for select renal cell cancers
  • Pelvic congestion syndrome
  • Cyanoacrylate vein ablation for varicose veins
  • Breast reconstruction after lumpectomy
  • Breast MRI guidelines
  • Clarify coverage for EPSDT treatment services for unfunded conditions which may affect childhood growth, development and school attendance
  • 2024 Biennial review combining duplicative angioedema lines

For more information about the meeting, visit the committee’s website at https://www.oregon.gov/oha/HPA/DSI-HERC/Pages/Meetings-Public.aspx. The meeting agenda and materials will be available one week before the meeting. 

# # #

Everyone has a right to know about and use Oregon Health Authority (OHA) programs and services. OHA provides free help. Some examples of the free help OHA can provide are:

• Sign language and spoken language interpreters
• Written materials in other languages
• Braille
• Large print
• Audio and other formats

If you need help or have questions, please contact Daphne Peck at 503-580-9792, 711 TTY or c.info@dhsoha.state.or.us">herc.info@dhsoha.state.or.us at least 48 hours before the event. Written comments are also welcome at c.info@dhsoha.state.or.us">herc.info@dhsoha.state.or.us.

Need to know

• Child care copays through the Employment Related Day Care program have decreased to an average of $16 per month for working families.
• Approximately 8,200 working families receive child care assistance through the Employment Related Day Care program.
• Working families can apply for child care assistance and other government supports at One.Oregon.Gov

(Salem) – Finding affordable, quality child care has long been a struggle for families, and the pandemic has only made this situation worse. Working families who participate in the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), Employment Related Day Care Program (ERDC) will see their child care costs significantly decrease, making child care more accessible across the state.  

ERDC helps eligible working families pay for child care, including registration and enrollment fees. ERDC is a subsidy program, which means some families, depending on their income, may be required to pay a copay. 

These changes will support working families by: 

• Decreasing the average family copay to $16 per month.
• Reducing the family copay to $0 for families who make 100% or less of the federal poverty level (an annual income of $21,960 for a family of three).
• Limiting family copays to no more than $130 a month.

“For many families the cost of child care can be a barrier to entering and staying connected to the workforce,” said Dan Haun, director of the ODHS Self-Sufficiency Programs. “This copay decrease will support working families across Oregon as they continue to deal with the many challenges facing families in today’s world.”

These changes are effective for families renewing or applying for the ERDC program on or after Oct. 1, 2021. 

From March 2020 through September 2021, the federal government temporarily permitted ODHS to offer $0 copay child care assistance to families participating in the ERDC program during the COVID-19 pandemic. These temporary COVID-19 changes expired on Sept. 30, 2021. 

Prior to the temporary COVID-19 copay changes, the average family copay was approximately $250. The lowest possible monthly family copay was $27. 

In addition to copay reductions, the Early Learning Division (ELD) has been using federal relief funds to provide grants directly to child care providers to stabilize our existing child care supply and help providers stay in business.

“We know that access to quality, affordable child care that meets families’ needs continues to be out of reach for many families across the state,” said Alyssa Chatterjee, Early Learning System Director of the Early Learning Division.  “Reducing the copays for eligible families will not only allow more families to find care, but also provide additional stability for our child care providers who accept subsidies.”

Working families who earn 185% of the federal poverty level, or $40,626 annually for a family of three, may be eligible to enroll in the ODHS Employment Related Day Care program. 

Oregonians can apply online for Employment Related Day Care Assistance and other government supports online at One.Oregon.Gov or by phone at 1-800-699-9075 or TTY 711.

The copay reduction is made possible by additional funding provided by the federal government through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act; the 2021 Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act; the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021; and the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Child Care Development Fund. 

Resources to help meet basic needs

• Find a food pantry: foodfinder.oregonfoodbank.org
• Dial 2-1-1, or text your zip code to 898-211 for help finding local resources and supports, including child care in your community.
• Visit www.211info.org for help finding local resources and supports, including child care in your community.
• Oregon Department of Human Services Resources 

The Oregon Department of Human Services, Self-Sufficiency Programs operates the Employment Related Day Care program. The Employment Related Day Care program helps working families pay for child care, including registration and enrollment fees. It also works with partners statewide, including the Early Learning Division, to help families find quality child care.

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October 21, 2021

Contact: OHA External Relations, covid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us">orcovid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us

State Health Officials to Add Approximately 550 COVID-19 Deaths from May to August 2021 to State Totals, Omitted Due to Technical Error

Over the coming weeks, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) will begin reporting approximately 550 deaths among people who died with COVID-19 but whose deaths only became recently known to state epidemiologists due to a technical computer error.  Most of these deaths occurred between May 2021 and August 2021.

The deaths will be reviewed during the data reconciliation process over the next month. People who have died and meet the COVID-19 death definition based on death certificates will reported on the Oregon Health Authority’s COVID-19 dashboards and its daily COVID-19 media releases. As a result, daily reported COVID-19-related deaths will be higher than usual until the backlog is resolved. Details of all deaths will be listed in OHA’s daily COVID-19 media release, which is published weekdays.

OHA’s reporting of COVID-19 deaths involves reconciling death records to case records, which is done manually. OHA has been working to automate the process but that has led to periodic backlogs, such as what is being reported today.

“We are taking steps to ensure that our reporting is comprehensive and transparent,” said OHA Director Patrick Allen. “We extend our condolences to everyone who has suffered a loss to COVID-19, and we deeply regret the pain this disclosure may cause.”

The additional deaths will affect Oregon’s national standing in COVID-19 death rates. Presently, Oregon has the 6^th lowest death rate in the nation. The newly reported deaths are expected to push Oregon’s death rate past one or two other states. However, Oregon’s death rate will remain well below the national average and the fatality rates of most other states.

State health officials estimate that if Oregon’s death rate matched the national average, another 4,000 or more Oregonians would have died from COVID-19. Health officials attribute Oregon’s comparatively low death rate to vaccinations, mask wearing and other social distancing measures, which Oregonians have practiced to a greater extent than residents of many other states.

Death is a lagging indicator and generally follows a surge in cases. In addition, there is often a delay in reporting as OHA epidemiologists review death certificates. 

OHA expects that reported deaths may continue to be high even as daily case counts decrease. This is due to the time period between when a person tests positive for a case of COVID-19 and when they die with COVID-19.

The newly enhanced COVID-19 Case Severity dashboard visualizes the time lag between when case onset and dates of death. Peak deaths routinely trail peak case onset by two weeks.

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October 20, 2021

Contact: Jonathan Modie, 971-246-9139, PHD.Communications@dhsoha.state.or.us

Rules Advisory Committee’s (RAC) Oct. 21 meeting postponed

PORTLAND, Ore.— A Rules Advisory Committee (RAC) meeting scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 21, to provide input on school exclusion rule, public health and safety requirements for childcare providers and youth programs, masking in schools, and vaccination requirements in schools is being postponed until the week of Oct. 25-29.

The meeting has been postponed to ensure adequate time for those interested in attending to plan for the meeting. The meeting will be rescheduled to a day to be determined.

The purpose of the meeting is to obtain input from members of the Rules Advisory Committee and will not be open to public comment. After the proposed language is finalized, notice will be posted, and a public comment period opened. A public hearing will be scheduled at a later date.

The agenda for the rescheduled meeting will provide input on the following rules:

• 333-019-0010: Disease Related School, Child Care, and Worksite Restrictions: Imposition of Restrictions

https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/DISEASESCONDITIONS/COMMUNICABLEDISEASE/REPORTINGCOMMUNICABLEDISEASE/Documents/rules/2021/COVID-July-Immunity/PH_27-2021TrackedChanges.pdf

• 333-019-1005: Public Health and Safety Requirements for Child Care Providers and Youth Programs

https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/DISEASESCONDITIONS/COMMUNICABLEDISEASE/REPORTINGCOMMUNICABLEDISEASE/Documents/rules/2021/COVID-July-Immunity/PH_27-2021TrackedChanges.pdf

• 333-019-1015: Masking Requirements in Schools

https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/DISEASESCONDITIONS/COMMUNICABLEDISEASE/REPORTINGCOMMUNICABLEDISEASE/Documents/rules/2021/School%20masking/PH_44-2021.pdf

• 333-019-1030: COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements for Teachers and School Staff

https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/DISEASESCONDITIONS/COMMUNICABLEDISEASE/REPORTINGCOMMUNICABLEDISEASE/Documents/rules/2021/Vaccination-Schools/PH_39-2021.pdf 

Background: The COVID-19-related rules around school exclusion, public health and safety requirements for childcare providers and youth programs, masking in schools, and vaccination requirements in schools were amended or adopted via the temporary rulemaking process mid-2021; they are now going through the regular rule-making process. Oregon Health Authority is seeking input in this regular rulemaking process.

Program contact: Stephen Ladd-Wilson, stephen.g.laddwilson@dhsoha.state.or.us

###

Everyone has a right to know about and use the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) programs and services. OHA provides free help. Some examples of the free help OHA can provide are:

• Sign language and spoken language interpreters
• Written material in other languages
• Braille
• Large print
• Audio and other formats

If you need help or have questions, please contact Angela Phan, angela.k.phan@dhsoha.state.or.us  at least 48 hours before the meeting.

October 20, 2021

Contact: OHA External Relations, covid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us">orcovid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us

COVID-19 weekly cases and hospitalizations decline, deaths rise

The Oregon Health Authority’s COVID-19 Weekly Report, released today, shows decreases in daily cases and hospitalizations and an increase in deaths.

OHA reported 8,033 new cases of COVID-19 during the week of Monday, Oct. 11 through Sunday, Oct. 17. That represents an 11% decrease from the previous week and the seventh consecutive week of declining case counts.

The incidence of reported COVID-19 was higher in Oregon counties with population vaccination rates less than 50%.

There were 377 new COVID-19 hospitalizations, down from 416 last week, which marks a 9% reduction and the sixth consecutive week of declines.

There were 183 reported COVID-19 related deaths, up from 179 reported the previous week. This was the highest weekly death toll since the week of Jan. 11–17.

There were 139,727 tests for COVID-19 for the week of Oct. 10 through Oct. 16.  The percentage of positive tests was 7.6%, down from 8.1% the previous week.

Today’s COVID-19 Weekly Outbreak Report shows 127 active COVID-19 outbreaks in senior living communities and congregate living settings, with three or more confirmed cases and one or more COVID-19 related deaths.

####

KENNEWICK, WA – The Finley School Board took action during their regular meeting on Monday, October 18 to begin the process of selecting the district’s next superintendent.  The district has retained the services of Educational Service District 123 as search consultant.

Current Superintendent Lance Hahn announced his planned resignation during the September board meeting. Superintendent Hahn will be retiring effective July 1, 2022.  Finley School Board Chair Dawn Senger says that Superintendent Hahn will be greatly missed. 

“His work ethic and passion for students and education is top notch,” states Senger.  “The Board would like to thank Lance for his steadfast dedication in pursuit of excellence during his tenure with FSD and being a focused partner as we have prioritized the safe reopening of schools during the pandemic.”

For more information, contact the Finley District Office at 509-586-3217.

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Keep Oregon Green® is collaborating with Union Wine Company and six of Oregon’s top wineries to introduce a limited production Oregon Pinot Noir cuvee with 100% of sales going toward wildfire relief and prevention.

Since 1941, the non-profit Keep Oregon Green Association has promoted healthy landscapes and safe communities by educating the public of our shared responsibility to prevent human-caused wildfires in the state. Over 70% of Oregon’s wildfire ignitions are attributed to people’s daily activities. This collaborative wine project is an opportunity to increase awareness among wine lovers of the need to prevent the next wildfire while supporting a worthy cause.

80% of the proceeds of this wine will go to the Oregon Community Foundation’s Community Rebuilding Fund, helping Oregonians whose communities have been leveled by wildfires. The remaining 20% will go to Keep Oregon Green® to help them with their mission of preventing human caused wildfires in Oregon through education and engagement.

“The 2020 wildfire season affected Oregon’s wine country, proving it’s not immune to a severe wildfire threat,” said Kristin Babbs, president of the Keep Oregon Green Association. “We are proud to introduce this 100% Oregon-grown Pinot Noir, where all ingredients and services were donated, and where 100% of the proceeds go toward relief, recovery, and wildfire prevention efforts.”

About the wine: The Oregon Pinot Noir is a blend of Oregon Pinot Noir grapes from Stoller Wine Group, Furioso Vineyards, Willamette Valley Vineyards, Ponzi Vineyards, A to Z Wineworks and Bjornson Vineyards, and packaged by Union Wine Company.

“At Stoller, we have a deep appreciation for our land and desire to support our community,” said Melissa Burr, vice president of winemaking for the Stoller Wine Group. “We were thrilled to participate and collaborate on this project.”  

“2020 was a tough year for all of us here in Oregon, but it brought into light how amazing and supportive our wine community really is,” said Darin Dougherty, Marketing Director at Union Wine Company. “We can always find ways to learn, grow and be more aware of the impact we have on our ever-changing environment. We’re so excited to support Keep Oregon Green’s mission to drive awareness around human caused wildfires.”

Whether at home, on the job, or out having fun, Keep Oregon Green reminds Oregonians that it’s important to be able to predict the outcome of common outdoor activities that could possibly spark a wildfire. Babbs said that as the state’s population continues to grow, urban boundaries expand, and wildfires increase in frequency, intensity and cost, Keep Oregon Green’s message is more important than ever. “The power and responsibility of wildfire rests squarely in our hands.”

The wine is now available at select New Seasons Market and Market of Choice stores, the participating wineries’ tasting rooms, or online through Union Wine Company’s website at unionwinecompany.com.

To learn more about wildfire prevention, go to www.keeporegongreen.org.
 

BACKGROUND WORKGROUP

MEETING SCHEDULED

Notice of Regular Meeting

The DPSST Background Workgroup will meet on October 25, 2021, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. in the Victor G. Atiyeh Boardroom at the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training located at 4190 Aumsville Hwy SE, Salem, Oregon. For further information, please contact Marsha Morin at 503-378-2155.

DPSST’s campus is closed to the public at this time, members of the public can view this meeting via the DPSST Facebook page.

Streamed Live on Facebook @
https://www.facebook.com/DPSSTOregon

1. Introductions

2. Personal History Questionnaire (continued)

3. Uniform Background Checklist (continued)

4. Identify Additional Discussion Topics for Workgroup

5. Requirement to Share Background Information

6. DPSST Fingerprinting Requirement

7. Next Workgroup Meeting: TBD

Administrative Announcement

This is a public meeting, subject to the public meeting law and it will be recorded. Deliberation of issues will only be conducted by Background Workgroup members unless permitted by the Chair. Individuals who engage in disruptive behavior that impedes official business will be asked to stop being disruptive or leave the meeting. Additional measures may be taken to have disruptive individuals removed if their continued presence poses a safety risk to the other persons in the room or makes it impossible to continue the meeting.

Oct. 20, 2021

Contact: OHA External Relations, covid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us">orcovid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us

Oregon reports 1,343 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 9 new deaths

PORTLAND, Ore. — There are nine new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 4,235 the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 1,343 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 354,681.

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 568, which is six more than yesterday. There are 126 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is 4 fewer than yesterday.

There are 63 available adult ICU beds out of 703 total (9% availability) and 267 available adult non-ICU beds out of 4,113 (6% availability). 

The total number of patients in hospital beds may fluctuate between report times. The numbers do not reflect admissions per day, nor the length of hospital stay. Staffing limitations are not captured in this data and may further limit bed capacity.

Note: Please do not visit an emergency department for COVID-19 testing, unless you require emergency care for your symptoms.

Emergency departments in Oregon are under significant strain responding to the current surge in COVID-19. You can find a test here.  

If you have a medical condition that doesn’t require emergency care, contact your provider. An urgent care center may also help you get the care you need and will save emergency departments from added strain.  

More information about hospital capacity can be found here.

Vaccinations in Oregon

Today, OHA reported that 13,077 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry on Oct. 19. Of that total, 950 were initial doses; 967 were second doses and 3,360 were third doses and booster doses. The remaining 7,752 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on Oct. 19.

The seven-day running average is now 9,343 doses per day.

Oregon has now administered 3,195,848 doses of Pfizer Comirnaty, 1,933,674 doses of Moderna and 223,599 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.

As of today, 2,791,014 people have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 2,577,281 people have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series.

These data are preliminary and subject to change.

Updated vaccination data are provided on Oregon’s COVID-19 data dashboards and have been updated today.

These data are preliminary and subject to change.

Updated vaccination data are provided on Oregon’s COVID-19 data dashboards and have been updated today.

Cases and COVID-19 deaths

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (15), Benton (17), Clackamas (108), Clatsop (12), Columbia (11), Coos (26), Crook (17), Curry (4), Deschutes (111), Douglas (60), Gilliam (1), Harney (2), Hood River (10), Jackson (76), Jefferson (30), Josephine (28), Klamath (52), Lake (7), Lane (79), Lincoln (18), Linn (59), Malheur (44), Marion (155), Morrow (7), Multnomah (132), Polk (51), Sherman (2), Tillamook (4), Umatilla (44), Union (8), Wallowa (6), Wasco (17), Washington (105) and Yamhill (25).

Oregon’s 4,227th COVID-19 related death is a 70-year-old woman from Umatilla County who tested positive on Oct. 4 and died on Oct. 15 at Kadlec Regional Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,228th COVID-19 related death is a 95-year-old woman from Multnomah County who tested positive on Oct. 9 and died on Oct. 18 at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,229th COVID-19 related death is a 67-year-old man from Linn County who tested positive on Sept. 26 and died on Oct. 8 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,230th COVID-19 related death is a 75-year-old woman from Josephine County who tested positive on Oct. 12 and died on Oct. 18 at Asante Three Rivers Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,231st COVID-19 related death is an 85-year-old man from Jackson County who tested positive on Sept. 30 and died on Oct. 19 at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,232nd COVID-19 related death is an 85-year-old man from Jackson County who tested positive on Sept. 10 and died on Oct. 9 at Providence Medford Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,233rd COVID-19 related death is an 82-year-old woman from Jackson County who tested positive on Aug. 9 and died on Aug. 23 at Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose, Calif. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,234th COVID-19 related death is a 63-year-old man from Grant County who tested positive on Sept. 16 and died on Oct. 15 at St. Charles Bend Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,235th COVID-19 related death is a 68-year-old man from Clackamas County who tested positive on Oct. 10 and died on Oct. 18 at Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations  

To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine situation in Oregon, visit our webpage (English or Spanish), which has a breakdown of distribution and other information.

(Salem) – The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) will host the Statewide Symposium on Youth Experiencing Homelessness Programming conference on Oct. 29, 2021 from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

To register online for this free conference visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-statewide-symposium-on-youth-experiencing-homelessness-programing-tickets-165948972845.

This virtual event seeks to renew community involvement surrounding youth experiencing homelessness in Oregon through a half-day of training, information sharing, and action planning to launch the next phase of supports and services.

The Statewide Symposium on Youth Experiencing Homelessness Programming is intended for all organizations and individuals interested in or involved with planning for housing instability, homeless systems and youth services.

The full agenda can be viewed online here. Topics of discussion will include:

• The State of Youth Homelessness: What does the data say and why is data important
• Oregon’s Response to Youth Homelessness: What are we doing here and where are we going
• Introduction to Direct Cash Transfers 
• Statewide Homeless Youth Needs Assessment and System Modeling – Report Out and Understanding what we learned
• Voices of Oregon Youth

Visit https://www.oregon.gov/dhs/CHILDREN/Homeless-Youth/Pages/Training.aspx for more information. 

###

October 20, 2021

Contact: Jonathan Modie, 971-246-9139, PHD.Communications@dhsoha.state.or.us

Rules Advisory Committee (RAC) to meet virtually Oct. 21

What: Rules Advisory Committee (RAC) to provide input on school exclusion rule, public health and safety requirements for childcare providers and youth programs, masking in schools, and vaccination requirements in schools (Oregon Administrative Rules 333-019-0010, 333-019-1005, 333-019-0015, and 333-019-1030).

Agenda: Provide input on the following rules:

• 333-019-0010: Disease Related School, Child Care, and Worksite Restrictions: Imposition of Restrictions

https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/DISEASESCONDITIONS/COMMUNICABLEDISEASE/REPORTINGCOMMUNICABLEDISEASE/Documents/rules/2021/COVID-July-Immunity/PH_27-2021TrackedChanges.pdf

• 333-019-1005: Public Health and Safety Requirements for Child Care Providers and Youth Programs

https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/DISEASESCONDITIONS/COMMUNICABLEDISEASE/REPORTINGCOMMUNICABLEDISEASE/Documents/rules/2021/COVID-July-Immunity/PH_27-2021TrackedChanges.pdf

• 333-019-1015: Masking Requirements in Schools

https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/DISEASESCONDITIONS/COMMUNICABLEDISEASE/REPORTINGCOMMUNICABLEDISEASE/Documents/rules/2021/School%20masking/PH_44-2021.pdf

• 333-019-1030: COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements for Teachers and School Staff

https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/DISEASESCONDITIONS/COMMUNICABLEDISEASE/REPORTINGCOMMUNICABLEDISEASE/Documents/rules/2021/Vaccination-Schools/PH_39-2021.pdf 

The overarching purpose of the RAC is to "to seek public input to the maximum extent possible during the development of the proposed rulemaking prior to giving notice of intent to adopt, amend, or repeal an administrative rule. RAC’s allow the public and stakeholders to provide input and suggestions during the development of new rules, amendment or repeal of existing rules, and the fiscal impact of the proposed rulemaking."

When: Thursday, Oct. 21, 1-3 p.m.

Where: Register for this meeting to receive meeting login information: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4182817528353779980

• Audio Access Code for Attendees: 113-403-806

Background: The COVID-19-related rules around school exclusion, public health and safety requirements for childcare providers and youth programs, masking in schools, and vaccination requirements in schools were amended or adopted via the temporary rulemaking process mid-2021; they are now going through the regular rule-making process. Oregon Health Authority is seeking input in this regular rulemaking process.

Program contact: Stephen Ladd-Wilson, stephen.g.laddwilson@dhsoha.state.or.us

###

Everyone has a right to know about and use the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) programs and services. OHA provides free help. Some examples of the free help OHA can provide are:

• Sign language and spoken language interpreters
• Written material in other languages
• Braille
• Large print
• Audio and other formats

If you need help or have questions, please contact Angela Phan, angela.k.phan@dhsoha.state.or.us  at least 48 hours before the meeting.

This news release is an updated version to include case and death information and an updated number of deaths.

October 19, 2021

Contact: OHA External Relations, covid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us">orcovid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us

Oregon reports 1,366 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 41 new deaths

PORTLAND, Ore. — There are 41 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 4,226, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 1,366 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 353,368.

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 562, which is one more than yesterday. There are 130 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is 10 fewer than yesterday.

There are 56 available adult ICU beds out of 706 total (8% availability) and 292 available adult non-ICU beds out of 4,127 (7% availability).

The total number of patients in hospital beds may fluctuate between report times. The numbers do not reflect admissions per day, nor the length of hospital stay. Staffing limitations are not captured in this data and may further limit bed capacity.

Note: Please do not visit an emergency department for COVID-19 testing, unless you require emergency care for your symptoms.

Emergency departments in Oregon are under significant strain responding to the current surge in COVID-19. You can find a test here.

If you have a medical condition that doesn’t require emergency care, contact your provider. An urgent care center may also help you get the care you need and will save emergency departments from added strain.

More information about hospital capacity can be found here.

Vaccinations in Oregon

Today, OHA reported 8,804 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations added to the state immunization registry on Oct. 18.

Of that total, 4,438 were administered on Oct. 18. There were 793 initial doses, 732 second doses and 2,799 third and booster doses. The remaining 4,366 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on Oct. 18.

The seven-day running average is now 9,511 doses per day.

Oregon has now administered 3,184,813 doses of Pfizer Comirnaty, 1,931,989 doses of Moderna and 223,288 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.

As of today, 2,788,567 people have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 2,574,554 people have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series.

These data are preliminary and subject to change.

Updated vaccination data are provided on Oregon’s COVID-19 data dashboards and have been updated today.

Cases and deaths

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (7), Benton (44), Clackamas (87), Clatsop (13), Columbia (14), Coos (29), Crook (42), Curry (8), Deschutes (73), Douglas (44), Gilliam (3), Grant (15), Harney (17), Hood River (3), Jackson (56), Jefferson (14), Josephine (14), Klamath (81), Lake (14), Lane (124), Lincoln (22), Linn (60), Malheur (26), Marion (116), Morrow (4), Multnomah (123), Polk (51), Sherman (2), Tillamook (7), Umatilla (72), Union (3), Wallowa (3), Wasco (22), Washington (107), Wheeler (9),and Yamhill (37).

Oregon’s 4,186th COVID-19 death is a 72-year-old woman from Harney County who tested positive on Sept. 30 and died on Oct. 11 at St. Charles Bend Hospital. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,187th COVID-19 death is a 72-year-old woman from Douglas County who tested positive on Oct. 15 and died on Oct. 18 at her residence. She had no underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,188th COVID-19 death is an 81-year-old woman from Douglas County who tested positive on Sept. 28 and died on Oct. 15 at Mercy Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,189th COVID-19 death is a 90-year-old woman from Deschutes County who tested positive on Aug. 27 and died on Sept. 7 at St. Charles Bend Hospital. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,190th COVID-19 death is a 75-year-old woman from Curry County who tested positive on Sept. 24 and died on Oct. 7 at her residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,191st COVID-19 death is a 99-year-old woman from Curry County who tested positive on Aug. 30 and died on Oct. 6 at her residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,192nd COVID-19 death is a 68-year-old man from Coos County who tested positive on Oct. 3 and died on Oct. 17 at Bay Area Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,193rd COVID-19 death is a 65-year-old woman from Clackamas County who tested positive on Sept. 3 and died on Sept. 30 at Salem Hospital. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,194th COVID-19 death is a 74-year-old man from Clackamas County who tested positive on Oct. 14 and died on Oct. 16 at his residence. He had no underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,195th COVID-19 death is a 41-year-old man from Benton County who tested positive on Aug. 18 and died on Oct. 18 at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,196th COVID-19 death is a 77-year-old man from Lake County who tested positive on Oct. 1 and died on Oct. 7 at Lake District Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,197th COVID-19 death is an 82-year-old man from Klamath County who tested positive on Oct. 2 and died on Oct. 17 at Sky Lakes Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,198th COVID-19 death is an 86-year-old woman from Klamath County who tested positive on Oct. 5 and died on Oct. 15 at Sky Lakes Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,199th COVID-19 death is a 57-year-old man from Klamath County who tested positive on Sept. 25 and died on Oct. 10 at Oregon Health & Science University Hospital. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,200th COVID-19 death is a 78-year-old woman from Klamath County who tested positive on Sept. 17 and died on Oct. 18 at Sky Lakes Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,201st COVID-19 death is a 74-year-old man from Klamath County who tested positive on Aug. 31 and died on Oct. 3 at Sky Lakes Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,202nd COVID-19 death is an 83-year-old man from Jefferson County who tested positive on Dec. 15, 2020 and died on Feb. 3 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,203rd COVID-19 death is a 97-year-old man from Jackson County who tested positive on Aug. 23 and died on Oct. 1 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,204th COVID-19 death is a 95-year-old woman from Lane County who tested positive on Sept. 30 and died on Oct. 17 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,205th COVID-19 death is an 82-year-old man from Polk County who tested positive on Aug. 22 and died on Aug. 29 at his residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,206th COVID-19 death is an 87-year-old man from Washington County who tested positive on Oct. 12 and died on Oct. 16 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,207th COVID-19 death is a 64-year-old man from Union County who tested positive on Oct. 12 and died on Oct. 18 at Grande Ronde Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,208th COVID-19 death is a 61-year-old woman from Umatilla County who tested positive on Sept. 30 and died on Oct.r 11 at CHI St. Anthony Hospital. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,209th COVID-19 death is a 37-year-old man from Multnomah County who tested positive on Oct. 5 and died on Oct. 10 at his residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,210th COVID-19 death is a 48-year-old man from Multnomah County who tested positive on Sept. 27 and died on Oct. 17 at Legacy Mt. Hood Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,211th COVID-19 death is a 96-year-old man from Multnomah County who tested positive on Sept. 25 and died on Oct. 4 at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,212nd COVID-19 death is a 73-year-old man from Multnomah County who tested positive on Sept. 25 and died on Oct. 8 at Providence Portland Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,213rd COVID-19 death is a 68-year-old man from Multnomah County who tested positive on Sept. 22 and died on Sept. 29 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,214th COVID-19 death is a 76-year-old man from Multnomah County who tested positive on Sept. 20 and died on Sept. 28 at Legacy Mt. Hood Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,215th COVID-19 death is an 87-year-old woman from Multnomah County who tested positive on Sept. 15 and died on Sept. 21 at Legacy Mt. Hood Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,216th COVID-19 death is a 74-year-old man from Marion County who tested positive on Oct. 4 and died on Oct. 13 at Salem Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,217th COVID-19 death is an 81-year-old woman from Marion County who tested positive on Sept. 27 and died on Oct. 11 at Samaritan Albany General Hospital. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,218th COVID-19 death is a 60-year-old man from Marion County who tested positive on Sept. 10 and died on Oct. 12 at Salem Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,219th COVID-19 death is a 56-year-old man from Malheur County who tested positive on Oct. 8 and died on Oct. 17 at St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,220th COVID-19 death is a 74-year-old woman from Malheur County who tested positive on Sept. 30 and died on Oct. 16 at St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,221st COVID-19 death is an 85-year-old woman from Linn County who tested positive on Oct. 10 and died on Oct. 15 at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,222nd COVID-19 death is a 96-year-old man from Linn County who tested positive on Oct. 4 and died on Oct. 15 at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,223rd COVID-19 death is a 72-year-old woman from Linn County who tested positive on Sept. 28 and died on Oct. 9 at Samaritan Albany General Hospital. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,224th COVID-19 death is a 54-year-old man from Linn County who tested positive on Sept. 16 and died on Oct. 9 at Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,225th COVID-19 death is a 41-year-old man from Linn County who tested positive on Sept. 9 and died on Sept. 29 at Oregon Health & Science University Hospital. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,226th COVID-19 death is a 56-year-old man from Linn County who tested positive on Aug. 29 and died on Oct. 8 at Providence St Vincent Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon updates non-viable vaccine disclosure^1,2,3

OHA’s non-viable vaccine table has been moved to the Tableau dashboard. You can find the link to the weekly tab here. OHA reports updates on vaccines not being used each Tuesday in our daily media release.

¹Updated: 10/19/21 

²Data source: ALERT Immunization Information System (IIS)

³Data is preliminary and subject to change.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations  

To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine situation in Oregon, visit our web page (English or Spanish), which has a breakdown of distribution and other information.

# # #

Are Oregonians more or less concerned about community health, the economy, and personal finances compared to previous months?

COMMUNITY PLANNING, COVID-19, ECONOMY AND JOBS, HEALTHCARE, POLITICS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS 

From September 14th through 22nd, 2021, the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center conducted a statewide survey of Oregonians’ values and beliefs. The questions were intended to gather preliminary data to inform more in-depth research in the months ahead.

This online survey consisted of 1,124 Oregon residents ages 18+ and took approximately 15 minutes to complete. This survey’s margin of error, for the full sample, ranges from ±1.8% to ±2.9% depending on how the response category percentages split for any given question. Due to rounding, numbers may not add up to 100%.

Respondents were contacted by using professionally maintained online panels. In gathering responses, a variety of quality control measures were employed, including questionnaire pre-testing, validation, and real-time monitoring of responses. To ensure a representative sample, demographic quotas were set, and data weighted by are of the state, gender, age, and education.

This survey uses aggregated data to analyze the opinions of BIPOC residents in comparison to the opinions of residents who identify as white and not another race. BIPOC residents are not a monolith; the grouping represents a wide diversity of races and ethnicities. The findings included in this memo should not be construed such that all people of color are believed to share the same opinions. Disaggregated race data will be provided when sample size permits reliability.

Findings will include a citation of the relevant question, which can be referenced in the annotated questionnaire and tabs, available on our blog at oregonvbc.org/blog, or sent directly upon request.

Right Direction or Wrong Track?

Oregonians’ opinions on the direction of our state have returned to the more pessimistic lows of last winter. About half of Oregonians say things in the state are headed off on the wrong track (49%). Nearly as many say things are headed in the right direction (45%), and the rest aren’t sure (Q1).

• These results are almost identical to December 2020 (52% wrong track)¹ and February 2021 (49% wrong track)², and show increased pessimism from May 2021 (42% wrong track, 49% right direction)³.
• The youngest and oldest Oregon adults are the most optimistic. Among people under 30, half say things are headed in the right direction (50%). Among people 75 and older, 60% say things are headed in the right direction.

Coronavirus Concerns

When thinking about coronavirus, concerns about community health remain high, whereas concerns about personal health have fallen slightly since last summer (Q2-4).

More than three-quarters of Oregonians say they are somewhat or very concerned about the health of their communities regarding coronavirus, a figure essentially unchanged since July 2020 (77% to 78%)⁴ (Q4). 

• Levels of concern are similar across the state, irrespective of region (75% to 78%).

Meanwhile, 60% of Oregonians say they are concerned about their own health when it comes to coronavirus, a figure just slightly lower than in July 2020 (63%)⁴(Q2).

• Concern is higher among vulnerable, older age groups than among young people: 68% of people 75 and older say they are concerned, compared to 51% of people under 30.

Concerns about the economy vis-à-vis coronavirus remain. All in all, Oregonians are more concerned about Covid-19’s impact on the economy than their individual health—but concern doesn’t mean the economy is in bad shape (Q5).

• More than eight in ten Oregonians say they are somewhat or very concerned about the economy in the wake of coronavirus (84%), a figure that has slipped only slightly since July 2020 (87%)⁴.
   
• People of all social ideologies share concerns about the economy (81% to 93%). This marks a difference from health concerns, about which liberals are significantly more concerned.

Oregon’s Economy

Oregonians are evenly split as to whether the state’s economy is good or poor. While 45% say it is good or very good, 44% say it is poor or very poor (Q6).

• Overall positivity about the state’s economy has increased 15 percentage points since the beginning of the pandemic. In April 2021⁵ and June of 2020⁶, 30% of Oregonians said the economy was good or very good.
   
• Men are much more likely than women to report good economic conditions (53% to 37%).
   
• Perceptions of economic conditions may be colored by one’s own financial standing or career path. People with household incomes of $100,000 or more were the most likely of any group to rate Oregon’s conditions as good or very good (69%), compared to people with lower incomes (33-47%).
   
• Similarly, college graduates have a more positive outlook, and two-thirds say the state’s economy is good or very good (65%), compared to less than half of people with less education (33-40%).

Personal Financial Situation

While ratings of the state’s economy have grown more positive, many Oregonians remain worried about their own finances. More than half now say they are somewhat or very worried about their personal financial situation (53%) (Q9).

• While overall sentiment has remained roughly the same over the past year, the figure representing those very worried about their finances has creeped up, from 16% in June 20206, to 19% in October 2020⁷, to 21% today.
   
• Women are nearly twice as likely to express deep worry than men (27% to 15%).
   
• When it comes to those who described themselves as very worried about their finances, there is no notable difference between households with children and without (20%, 21%).
   
• Millennials and Gen Xers say they’ve been hit hard. About one-third of Oregonians ages 30-54 say they are very worried about their financial situation (30-34%).

People outside the Portland tri-county region are more likely to say they are struggling financially (Q9).

• Fewer than half of residents in the tri-county region say they are somewhat or very worried about their financial situation (47%). Meanwhile, in the Willamette Valley, that figure stands at 61%. In other reaches of the state, it sits at 57%.

• Tri-county residents are also the most likely to say they aren’t worried at all about their financial situation (21%), almost double the rate for people in the valley or elsewhere in the state (12-13%).

Opening Oregon’s Economy

Few Oregonians believe the economy is “fully restarted” since the pandemic began (13%) (Q7).

• Those who believe this are more likely to be under 30, have college degrees, and have high incomes (18-19%).

About one in five Oregonians feel an urgency to “open everything up and restart the economy” (Q8).

• Back in June 2020⁶, when many businesses were still closed and fewer people were sick in the ICU with Covid-19, more than one-fifth of Oregonians said they felt strongly it was time to open back up (21%). Yet, even then, more than half felt it was not safe yet (55%).
   
• Now, many businesses have re-opened with restrictions, and the proportion of Oregonians eager to open back up has remained mostly stable (19%). Still, 56% say it is better to stay safe and wait.
   
• Men are more likely than women to say that things should open back up, by a margin of ten points (42% to 32%).

• Renters—who might approximate essential workers—are among the least eager to open back up (despite few differences by age). Just 28% say it is time to fully re-open, compared to 43% of homeowners.

Demographic Trends

Identifying What Unites Us and Understanding What Divides Us

Reported below are statistically significant subgroup differences between BIPOC and white Oregonians, and urban and rural Oregonians.  Many of these differences are not major and are presented to inform public education and communications initiatives.

BIPOC and white residents are equally likely to say things in Oregon are headed in the right direction (45%) (Q1).

• By area, ruralites are much more wary. More than half (57%) say things are off on the wrong track. Meanwhile, about half of urbanites say things are headed in the right direction (49%).

Rural and urban residents are about equally likely to express concern about the health of their communities when it comes to coronavirus, with urban residents ever so slightly more concerned (74% to 79%) (Q4).

• There is similarly almost no difference between rural and urban residents when it comes to concern about the economy in the wake of Covid-19 (85% to 83%) (Q5).

White residents are somewhat more concerned about the economy than BIPOC residents (86% to 74%). This figure could reflect partisan differences.

Rural areas of the state have been hit especially hard by painful impacts from the pandemic, drought, and wildfires. More than half of rural Oregonians rate economic conditions as poor or very poor (57%) (Q6).  

• For urban and suburban areas, that figure floats between 38% and 41%.

BIPOC Oregonians are more likely to express worry over their personal financial situation (Q9).

• Two-thirds of BIPOC residents say they are somewhat or very worried about their personal financial situation (66%), compared to about half of white residents (52%).
• BIPOC and white residents rate economic conditions nearly identically (Q6).

Half of ruralites say it is time to open everything back up and restart the state’s economy (49%). They are joined by fewer than one in three urbanites (29%) (Q8).
 

This research was completed as a community service by the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center, an independent and non-partisan organization. OVBC is an Oregon charitable nonprofit corporation. 

For more information, please see the OVBC September 2021 Survey Annotated Questionnaire and Crosstabs, visit Oregonvbc.org, or contact us.
 

For information about the panel, please visit About the Panel - Oregon Values and Beliefs Center (oregonvbc.org)

[1] Survey conducted December 4-8, 2020; OVBC; n=615

[2] Survey conducted February 11-17, 2021; OVBC; n=600

[3] Survey conducted May 4-10, 2021; OVBC; n=918

[4] Survey conducted July 14-22, 2020; DHM Research; n=603

[5] Survey conducted April 1-6, 2021; OVBC; n=600

[6] Survey conducted May 29-June7, 2020; DHM Research; n=900

[7] Survey conducted October 1-6, 2020; OVBC; n=600

The Oregon State Police is releasing information related to employee compliance with Executive Order 21-29.  These employees are covered under a mix of policies, LOA’s and procedures and the Oregon State Police is committed to treating members fairly and consistently. 

Total number of OSP Employees In-Scope of EO 21-29

1267

Fully Vaccinated

78% of OSP’s In-Scope employees

Submitted Exceptions – “Approved” as of 10/18/21 @ 11:59pm

15% of OSP’s In-Scope employees

• 96% of those are Religious Exceptions
• 4% of those are Medical Exceptions

Submitted Exceptions – “Pending Review” Status by Complex Leave Team as of 10/18/21 @ 11:59pm

7% of OSP’s In-Scope employees

• 65% of those are Religious Exceptions
• 35% of those are Medical Exceptions

Protected Leave Status (Examples: Military/OFLA/FMLA/etc.)

.01% of OSP’s In-Scope employees

• Prior to returning to work, these members will work with OSP’s Complex Leave Team to ensure they are also in compliance with EO 21-29.

Number of OSP Employees Placed on Administrative Leave on 10/19/21 – for Non-Compliance with EO 21-29

DAS reported today 778 OSP members are associated to the Oregon State Police Officer’s Association (OSPOA).  As of 10/19/21, OSPOA and the State of Oregon have not entered into an agreement regarding EO 21-29.

11 OSP employees are categorized as OSPOA membership and on Administrative Leave. 

• Those 11 OSP members are valued employees and are working through the process with our agency to determine next steps.  The primary goal from the onset of EO 21-29 was to protect people, and this includes our valued members.  Each of these members have taken steps to comply with the EO and we will be working directly with them and their OSPOA leadership to remedy the situation.
• 10 are sworn OSP members and 1 is a professional staff member

Number  of OSP Employees Non-OSPOA membership Utilizing the Grace Period as outlined in LOA/DAS Policy as of 10/19/21 – “In the Vaccination Process”

10 – Ten OSP members are exercising the option to either remote work (if appropriate and available), utilize personal leave banks or leave without pay status as they transition through the “In the Vaccination Process” period.

Number of OSP Employees that Resigned in Response to EO 21-29  

 4-Two professional staff and two sworn members cited EO21-29 at the time their resignations were submitted. 

“Fully Vaccinated”: Means having received both doses of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine or one dose of a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine and at least 14 days have passed since the individual’s final dose of COVID-19 vaccine.  This process must have occurred on or before October 18, 2021, as outlined in EO 21-29. 

 “Pending Review Status”: Means an OSP employee has submitted in writing a request for either a Medical or a Religious Exception.  The OSP Complex Leave team has not reviewed or processed these requests as of 10/19/21.  Those employees categorized as “Pending Review Status” are in compliance with EO 21-29 while in the “Pending Review Status”.

SEATTLE - The Drug Enforcement Administration will host its 21^st National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, October 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This event offers free and anonymous disposal of unneeded medications at more than 4,000 local drop-off locations nationwide.

This Saturday, is another opportunity for the Pacific Northwest to dispose of unwanted, unused and expired medication at one of the 146 collection sites throughout the region.  Currently there are 18 collection sites in Alaska, 29 collection sites in Idaho, 26 collection sites in Oregon and 73 collection sites in Washington. Last April, residents of the Pacific Northwest turned in 36,259 pounds.

According to a report published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a majority of people who misused a prescription medication obtained the medicine from a family member or friend. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that last year, more than 93,000 people died of drug overdoses in the United States, marking the largest number of drug-related deaths ever recorded in a year. Opioid-related deaths accounted for 75 percent of all overdose deaths in 2020.

For more than a decade, DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day has helped Americans easily rid their homes of unneeded medications—those that are old, unwanted, or no longer needed—that too often become a gateway to addiction. Working in close partnership with local law enforcement, Take Back Day has removed more than 7,000 tons of medication from circulation since its inception. These efforts are directly in line with DEA’s priority to combat the rise of overdoses plaguing the United States.

“The United States is in the midst of an opioid epidemic—drug overdoses are up thirty percent over the last year alone and taking more than 250 lives every day,” stated DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “The majority of opioid addictions in America start with prescription pills found in medicine cabinets at home. What’s worse, criminal drug networks are exploiting the opioid crisis by making and falsely marketing deadly, fake pills as legitimate prescriptions, which are now flooding U.S. communities. One thing is clear: prevention starts at home. I urge Americans to do their part to prevent prescription pill misuse: simply take your unneeded medications to a local collection site. It’s simple, free, anonymous, and it can save a life.”

“The DEA Drug Take Back is more important than ever and is a great opportunity for citizens of the Pacific Northwest to dispose of their unused, unwanted, or expired prescription medications,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino. “Properly disposing of these medications will prevent them from falling into the hands of our children. Please help keep our citizens and communities safe by taking the time to responsibly dispose of your unwanted prescription pills during National Drug Take Back Day.”

DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is more important than ever before. Last month, DEA issued a Public Safety Alert and launched the One Pill Can Killpublic awareness campaign to warn Americans of a surge in deadly, fake prescription pills driven by drug traffickers seeking to exploit the U.S. opioid epidemic and prescription pill misuse. Criminal drug networks are shipping chemicals from China to Mexico where they are converted to dangerous substances like fentanyl and methamphetamine and then pressed into pills. The end result—deadly, fake prescription pills—are what these criminal drug networks make and market to prey on Americans for profit. These fake, deadly pills are widely available and deadlier than ever. Fake pills are designed to appear nearly identical to legitimate prescriptions such as Oxycontin®, Percocet®, Vicodin®, Adderall®, Xanax® and other medicines.Criminal drug networks are selling these pills through social media, e-commerce, the dark web and existing distribution networks.

Along with the alert came a warning that the only safe medications are ones prescribed by a trusted medical professional and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist. Any pills that do not meet this standard are unsafe and potentially deadly. DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day reflects DEA’s commitment to Americans’ safety and health, encouraging the public to remove unneeded medications from their homes as a measure of preventing medication misuse and opioid addiction from ever starting.

On Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021, DEA and its partners will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs. Liquids (including intravenous solutions), syringes and other sharps, and illicit drugs will not be accepted. DEA will also continue to accept vaping devices and cartridges provided lithium batteries are removed.

A location finder and partner toolbox are available at www.DEATakeBack.com for easy reference to nearby collection sites. Beyond DEA’s Take Back Day, there are also opportunities to regularly and safely dispose of unneeded medications at more than 13,000 pharmacies, hospitals, police departments, and businesses working to help clean out medicine cabinets throughout the year.

October 19, 2021

Contact: OHA External Relations, covid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us">orcovid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us

Oregon reports 1,366 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 41 new deaths

PORTLAND, Ore. — There are 41 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 4,226, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 1,366 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 353,368.

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 562, which is one more than yesterday. There are 130 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is 10 fewer than yesterday.

There are 56 available adult ICU beds out of 706 total (8% availability) and 292 available adult non-ICU beds out of 4,127 (7% availability).

The total number of patients in hospital beds may fluctuate between report times. The numbers do not reflect admissions per day, nor the length of hospital stay. Staffing limitations are not captured in this data and may further limit bed capacity.

Note: Please do not visit an emergency department for COVID-19 testing, unless you require emergency care for your symptoms.

Emergency departments in Oregon are under significant strain responding to the current surge in COVID-19. You can find a test here.  

If you have a medical condition that doesn’t require emergency care, contact your provider. An urgent care center may also help you get the care you need and will save emergency departments from added strain.

More information about hospital capacity can be found here.

Vaccinations in Oregon

Today, OHA reported 8,804 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations added to the state immunization registry on Oct. 18.

Of that total, 4,438 were administered on Oct. 18. There were 793 initial doses, 732 second doses and 2,799 third and booster doses. The remaining 4,366 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on Oct. 18.

The seven-day running average is now 9,511 doses per day.

Oregon has now administered 3,184,813 doses of Pfizer Comirnaty, 1,931,989 doses of Moderna and 223,288 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.

As of today, 2,788,567 people have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 2,574,554 people have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series.

These data are preliminary and subject to change.

Updated vaccination data are provided on Oregon’s COVID-19 data dashboards and have been updated today.

Cases and deaths

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (7), Benton (44), Clackamas (87), Clatsop (13), Columbia (14), Coos (29), Crook (42), Curry (8), Deschutes (73), Douglas (44), Gilliam (3), Grant (15), Harney (17), Hood River (3), Jackson (56), Jefferson (14), Josephine (14), Klamath (81), Lake (14), Lane (124), Lincoln (22), Linn (60), Malheur (26), Marion (116), Morrow (4), Multnomah (123), Polk (51), Sherman (2), Tillamook (7), Umatilla (72), Union (3), Wallowa (3), Wasco (22), Washington (107), Wheeler (9),and Yamhill (37).

Note: More information about the cases and deaths will be provided in an updated news release.

Oregon updates non-viable vaccine disclosure^1,2,3

OHA’s non-viable vaccine table has been moved to the Tableau dashboard. You can find the link to the weekly tab here. OHA reports updates on vaccines not being used each Tuesday in our daily media release.

¹Updated: 10/19/21 

²Data source: ALERT Immunization Information System (IIS)

³Data is preliminary and subject to change.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations  

To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine situation in Oregon, visit our web page (English or Spanish), which has a breakdown of distribution and other information.

# # #

WHO:               David Gerstenfeld, Acting Director, Oregon Employment Department and Gail Krumenauer, State Employment Economist

WHEN:             Wednesday, 1 p.m. PST, Oct. 20, 2021.

WHAT:           The Oregon Employment Department is hosting a video-conference media briefing to share updates on economic and workforce-related trends, employment services, unemployment claims processing, claimant resources and more.

WHERE:          Via Zoom video conference: Members of the media must RSVP by emailing OED_Communications@employ.oregon.gov by 12 p.m. PST on Wed., Oct. 20. Video conference information will be provided to all reporters who RSVP. RSVPs must indicate if the reporter wants to ask a question of the presenters.

OTHER:           The Oregon Employment Department is updating a claims processing progress data dashboard weekly. Visit this link for weekday updates. After the briefing concludes, a recording of the video conference will be emailed to reporters who RSVP’d.

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Equal Opportunity program — auxiliary aids and services available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Contact: (503) 953-2366. For people who are deaf or hard of hearing, call 711 Telecommunications Relay Services. 
 

On Sunday, October 17, 2021, at approximately 3:03 PM, Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a two-vehicle crash on Highway 26 near milepost 48.

Preliminary investigation revealed an eastbound GMC Sierra, operated by Brian Masters (39) of Beaverton, crossed into the westbound lane and collided head-on with a Kia Soul, operated by Lisa Lawson (68) of Seaside. 

Lawson sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased. The passenger in the Kia Soul, Jay Lawson (73) of Seaside, was transported to an area hospital with injuries. Brian Masters and passenger Leila Masters (36) of Beaverton, were transported to an area hospital. 

Hwy 26 was closed for approximately 4 hours. 

OSP was assisted by Washington County Sheriff's Office,  Hillsboro Police Department, Banks Fire Department and ODOT. 

Board on Public Safety Standards & Training

 And Policy Committee

Open Vacancy – Recruitments

The Board on Public Safety Standards & Training (BPSST) and Policy Committees have open vacancies looking to be filled. The vacancies are as follows:

BPSST:

• Non-Management Law Enforcement
• Non-Management Parole & Probation
• Public Member – Member of a marginalized or historically underrepresented community
• Public Member – Recommended to the Governor by the President of the Senate
• Public Member – Recommended to the Governor by the Speaker of the House of Representatives

Telecommunications Policy Committee:

• Recommended by and representing the Oregon Fire Chiefs Association
• Recommended by and representing Oregon Association of Chiefs of Police

Police Policy Committee:

• Public Member – Member of a marginalized or historically underrepresented community
• Non-Management Law Enforcement

Corrections Policy Committee:

• Public Member – representing the public who has never been employed or utilized as a corrections officer

Private Security/Investigator Policy Committee:

• Hospitality Representative
• Manufacturing Representative

Private Investigator Sub-Committee:

• Representative of the Private Investigator Community

To inquire about a vacancy, please visit Department of Public Safety Standards & Training : Board on Public Safety Standards & Training and Policy Committees : Boards and Committees : State of Oregon.

If interested in applying for a Committee position, please complete and submit the Policy Committee Interest Form found under the ‘Board and Committee Resources’ section of the website listed above.

If interested in applying for a BPSST position, please complete the online application at View Job Posting Details - Workday (myworkday.com). (Please note that an account may need to be created if not already in Workday)

Thank you,

DPSST Board & Committee Staff

On Monday, October 18, 2021 at approximately 12:43 PM, Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a two-vehicle crash on Highway 42 near milepost 6. 

Preliminary investigation revealed an eastbound Dodge Ram, operated by Daniel Taylor (37) of North Bend, crossed into the westbound lanes and struck a Peterbilt CMV towing a loaded chip trailer, operated by Calvin Mitchell (52) of Coos Bay. 

Taylor sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased. Mitchell received minor injuries. 

Hwy 42 was closed approximately 6 hours. 

OSP was assisted by Coos County Sheriff’s Department, Coquille Police Department, Coquille Fire Department, Greenacres Fire Department, Coquille Ambulance, Southern Oregon Public Safety Chaplains and ODOT. 

CORRECTIONS POLICY COMMITTEE

MEETING SCHEDULED

Notice of Regular Meeting

The Corrections Policy Committee of the Board on Public Safety Standards and Training will hold a regular meeting on November 9, 2021, at 10:00 a.m in the Governor Victor G. Atiyeh Boardroom at the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training located at 4190 Aumsville Hwy SE, Salem, Oregon. For further information, please contact Shelby Alexander at (503) 378-2191.

The Corrections Policy Committee meeting will be live streamed on the DPSST Facebook page @ https://www.facebook.com/DPSSTOregon

1. Introductions

2. Approve August 10, 2021 Meeting Minutes

3. Approval for Changes to the Basic Corrections Curriculum

    Presented by Staci Yutzie

4. Administrative Closures Consent Agenda (The following items to be ratified by one vote)

    Presented by Melissa Lang 

          a) Shawna Bronson; DPSST No. 34519; DOC/ Coffee Creek Correctional Facility

    Basic, Intermediate and Advanced Corrections Certifications 

          b) Cody Cant; DPSST No. 56429; DOC/ Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution

    Basic Corrections Certification

          c) Leslie Cone; DPSST No. 47828; DOC/ Snake River Correctional Institution

    Basic and Intermediate Corrections Certifications

          d) Jose Escobedo Jr.; DPSST No. 59780; DOC/ Two Rivers Correctional Institution

    Basic Corrections Certification

          e) Justin Goff; DPSST No. 52185; DOC/ Snake River Correctional Institution

    Basic and Intermediate Corrections Certifications

          f) Matthew Klimek; DPSST No. 52875; DOC/ Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution

    Basic and Intermediate Corrections Certifications

          g) Matthew Paton; DPSST No. 44975; Marion County Sheriff’s Office

    Basic, Intermediate and Advanced Corrections Certifications

5. Brian Haynes, DPSST No. 32994

    Presented by Melissa Lang

6. Kinsey Kaylor, DPSST No. 55001; Lane County Sheriff’s Office

    Presented by Melissa Lang

7. Ryan Perez, DPSST No. 54021

    Presented by Melissa Lang

8. Morse Scott, DPSST No. 25847

    Presented by Melissa Lang

9. Review of Arbitration/Certification Workgroup Recommendation

    Presented by Jennifer Howald

    Informational update, there is no vote required.

10. Proposed Rule Changes for OARs 259-008-0060, 259-008-0065 and 259-008-0078 – Defining CPR Certification and Changes to Law Enforcement Officer Maintenance Standards

    Presented by Jennifer Howald

11. Proposed Rule Changes for OAR 259-008-0015 – Background Investigations and New Requirements per HB 2936

     Presented by Jennifer Howald

12. Committee Membership

13. Department Update

14. Director’s Update

15. Next Corrections Policy Committee Meeting: February 8, 2022 @ 10:00 a.m.

Administrative Announcement

This is a public meeting, subject to the public meeting law and it will be recorded. Deliberation of issues will only be conducted by Corrections Policy Committee members unless permitted by the Chair. Individuals who engage in disruptive behavior that impedes official business will be asked to stop being disruptive or leave the meeting. Additional measures may be taken to have disruptive individuals removed if their continued presence poses a safety risk to the other persons in the room or makes it impossible to continue the meeting.

SALEM, Ore. – Oct. 19, 2021 – Oregonians have learned the importance of preparedness due to numerous recent hazards – including wildfire, drought, floods, ice storms and more. Though earthquakes are less common, they are top of mind in the Northwest due to the Cascadia subduction zone, a fault located off the Pacific Coast with the potential to deliver a 9.0+ magnitude earthquake and resulting tsunami. Governor Kate Brown has proclaimed Thursday, Oct. 21, as Great Oregon ShakeOut Day to encourage Oregonians to learn and practice safe methods to use during an earthquake.

A global earthquake drill taking place at 10:21 a.m. this Thursday, the Great ShakeOut urges people to take the following simple but critical safety steps during an earthquake: “Drop, Cover and Hold On:”

• Drop onto hands and knees.
• Cover head and neck and crawl to a sturdy desk or table if one is nearby.
• Hold On until the shaking stops.  

“The state of Oregon takes seriously its responsibility to help ensure the safety of its residents and visitors,” said Oregon Office of Emergency Management Director Andrew Phelps. “Understanding what to do in the first few moments after a disaster can mean the difference between being a survivor and a victim. As we work to build a culture of preparedness in Oregon, it is up to each of us – and all of us – to take action to reduce our risk.  Participating in the Great Oregon ShakeOut is a proactive step anyone can, and should, take.”

More than 500,000 Oregonians – including schools, individuals, families and businesses – have committed to take part in this year’s ShakeOut drill, pledging to drop, cover and hold on wherever they are and whatever they’re doing. 

“Knowing what to do before, during and after an earthquake can save your life,” said OEM Geologic Hazards Coordinator Althea Rizzo. “The event also serves as a reminder to review and update emergency preparedness plans and supplies.” 

OEM’s 2 Weeks Ready program recommends citizens be informed and knowledgeable about the hazards where they live; make an emergency plan for themselves and their loved ones; and build an emergency kit with at least two weeks’ worth of food, water and other necessities. 

The 2 Weeks Ready program offers several resources to help people prepare, including a free publication informing what actions to take in the event of an earthquake or tsunami. To learn more about earthquakes in Oregon and how to prepare, Living on Shaky Ground is available for download at OEM’s website, and hard copies may be obtained at county and Tribal emergency management offices.

Learn more about the Great Oregon ShakeOut and register as a participant at Shakeout.org/Oregon; the public can also view a webinar on the event hosted by OEM on YouTube in English and in Spanish.

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You can get this document in other languages, large print, braille, or a format you prefer. For assistance, call 971-719-1183 or email language@oem.or.us. We accept all relay calls, or you can dial 711.

Portland, OR — The Oregon Historical Society (OHS) is excited to announce the reopening of its research library following nearly two years of renovation.  Thanks to support from individuals and foundations through the FORWARD! campaign, this critical renovation will allow library staff to better serve researchers who visit OHS in person as well as more efficiently connect the thousands of individuals that contact OHS each year to the priceless collections in the library's care.  

OHS's research library preserves the largest collection of Oregon-related archival and published materials, documenting the people, places, and events that have shaped the history of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. These materials include books, manuscripts, oral histories and sound recordings, films and moving images, and photographs, some of which are accessible online through OHS Digital Collections and through the library's digital history projects. Changes in library best practices and new technologies make this renovation a long overdue enhancement to the research library. 

"The research library is truly the heart of everything we do at the Oregon Historical Society," said OHS Executive Director Kerry Tymchuk. "Without these priceless collections, and the individuals who have preserved and stewarded them for over 120 years, OHS's exhibitions, scholarship, and educational programs would not be possible."

For over 50 years, the research library has occupied the fourth floor of the Oregon Historical Society's building located on SW Park Avenue in downtown Portland — and throughout that time, has been left relatively untouched. Researchers will notice many new improvements on their next visit, including:
 

• A refreshed reading room that highlights the library’s striking mid-century architecture and also serves as a flexible space for hosting workshops and programs;
• A tech hub that allows several researchers at a time to explore OHS’s library collections in a variety of historical and contemporary media — from VHS to digital files;
• A collaborative learning lab that serves as a creative, flexible space where small groups of students, educators, researchers, community members, and archives professionals can share knowledge, explore the library’s vast resources, and make new discoveries that expand collective knowledge about Oregon’s complex history;
• A reconfigured reference desk that gives staff a better vantage point to both serve researchers and safeguard the precious materials in OHS's care;
• A map and architecture viewing station that creates a central access point to digitized and original materials from the library's enormous collection of documents that have charted Oregon from past to present;
• Twenty-first-century behind-the-scenes workspaces that give OHS staff the space and technology they need to preserve and make collections available for the next 120 years; and
• The new Pietro Belluschi Resource Center, which provides a focal point to highlight the library’s architectural collections and a well-equipped meeting space for instruction.

After overseeing this renovation, which included an extensive and meticulous move of the collections (which is documented on OHS's Dear Oregon blog), Library Director Shawna Gandy is eager to welcome visitors back downtown for in person research appointments. 

"After what has been a historic and unpredictable year and a half, I am grateful that we have completed this renovation and are ready to once again open our doors to researchers," said Gandy. "The reason our staff is so passionate about preserving and making our collections accessible is because of the countless students, scholars, writers, filmmakers, historians, and others who use these materials in their work. It is thanks to their interpretation of the primary documents in our care, through school projects, documentaries, books and articles, and a variety of other illuminating projects, that we continue to grow and evolve our understanding of the past."

While admission to OHS’s research library is always free, advance reservations are currently required to allow for physical distancing of researchers due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic; researchers can contact reference@ohs.org">libreference@ohs.org or leave a voicemail at 503.306.5240 to book their visit. OHS is currently unable to accommodate walk-in visitors and is limiting appointments to 25% capacity in the reading room. Press tours are available; please contact achel.randles@ohs.org">rachel.randles@ohs.org to schedule a tour.
 

About the Oregon Historical Society

For more than a century, the Oregon Historical Society has served as the state’s collective memory, preserving a vast collection of artifacts, photographs, maps, manuscript materials, books, films, and oral histories. Our research library, museum, digital platforms, educational programming, and historical journal make Oregon’s history open and accessible to all. We exist because history is powerful, and because a history as deep and rich as Oregon’s cannot be contained within a single story or point of view. 

Oregon’s unemployment rate dropped to 4.7% in September from 5.0%, as revised, in August. In September, 102,000 Oregonians were unemployed. This is a remarkable improvement from the worst labor force impacts of the COVID recession when 270,000 Oregonians were jobless in April 2020. However, there is still ground to make up to approach the average of 82,000 Oregonians unemployed during 2017 through 2019, during the tight labor market of the prior economic expansion. The U.S. unemployment rate dropped to 4.8% in September from 5.2% in August.

In Oregon, nonfarm payroll employment declined by 200 in September, following a revised gain of 8,900 jobs in August. Monthly gains averaged 10,200 during January through August. Job reductions in September were largest in government (-3,800 jobs) and construction (-1,400). These losses were balanced by substantial gains in professional and business services (+2,500 jobs); leisure and hospitality (+2,200); and transportation, warehousing, and utilities (+1,000 jobs).

The private sector added 3,600 jobs in September, continuing the steady private-sector expansion that averaged 4,600 jobs added per month over the past six months.

Government job losses in September were concentrated in local government where some K-12 schools added fewer employees than is typical at the start of the school year. Other local government employers are still well below their staffing levels seen two years ago, prior to the recession. 

Leisure and hospitality added 2,200 jobs in September, following a gain of 1,200 in August. Despite these gains, leisure and hospitality still accounts for the bulk of Oregon’s jobs not recovered since early 2020, with 42,100 jobs left to recover to reach the prior peak month of February 2020. The industry has regained 62% of jobs lost early in the pandemic.

Professional and technical services has grown at a rapid rate throughout 2021, and is now well above its pre-recession peak. This industry added 11,800 jobs since the low point in April 2020. Most of the jobs in the broader industry are found in firms providing services in the areas of legal, architectural, engineering, computer systems design, management consulting, research, and veterinary. 

Next Press Releases

The Oregon Employment Department plans to release the September county and metropolitan area unemployment rates on Tuesday, Oct. 26, and the next statewide unemployment rate and employment survey data for October on Tuesday, Nov. 16.

The Oregon Employment Department and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) work cooperatively to develop and publish monthly Oregon payroll employment and labor force data. The estimates of monthly job gains and losses are based on a survey of businesses. The estimates of unemployment are based on a survey of households and other sources. 

The Oregon Employment Department publishes payroll employment estimates that are revised quarterly by using employment counts from employer unemployment insurance tax records. All department publications use this Official Oregon Series data unless noted otherwise. This month’s release incorporates the January, February and March 2021 tax records data. The department continues to make the original nonfarm payroll employment series available; these data are produced by the BLS.

The PDF version of the news release can be found at QualityInfo.org/press-release. To obtain the data in other formats such as in Excel, visit QualityInfo.org, then within the top banner, select Economic Data, then choose LAUS or CES. To request the press release as a Word document, contact the person shown at the top of this press release

To file a claim for unemployment benefits or get more information about unemployment programs, visit unemployment.oregon.gov.

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Equal Opportunity program — auxiliary aids and services available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Contact: (503) 947-1794. For people who are deaf or hard of hearing, call 711 Telecommunications Relay Services.

October is #CybersecurityAwareness Month. During this time, the FBI reminds everyone to #BeCyberAware! In honor of this recognition, today's Tech Tuesday report will focus on a new scam that is cropping up at restaurants, at stores, and in ads across the country.

Welcome to the Oregon FBI’s Tech Tuesday segment. Today: Building a digital defense against QR code scams.

Let’s start with basics. “QR” stands for “quick response.” The QR code is a square image that you can scan with your phone – usually by just pointing your camera at it. The image itself is filled with data that can do lots of helpful things, such as send you to a particular website or payment portal.

QR codes have become much more common in these COVID times. They allow restaurants to use virtual menus and vendors to accept cashless payments easily. You may find codes physically pasted about or virtually embedded into ads, emails, or online. They are easy to create and, unfortunately, easy to hack.

The FBI is starting to get reports of people who are falling victim to QR code scams, including some who are losing money. One area of particular concern – frauds involving cryptocurrency. Crypto transactions are often made through QR codes associated with crypto accounts… making these transactions easy marks.

If you happen to scan a scammer’s bad code, you could end up giving him access to your device. He can access your contacts, download malware, or send you to a fake payment portal. Once there, you can inadvertently give him access to your banking and credit card accounts. If you make a payment through a bad QR code, it’s difficult if not impossible to get those funds back. Here’s how to protect yourself:

• Do not scan a randomly found QR code.
• Be suspicious if, after scanning a QR code, the site asks for password or login info.
• Do not scan QR codes received in emails unless you know they are legitimate. Call the sender to confirm.
• Some scammers are physically pasting bogus codes over legitimate ones. If it looks as though a code has been tampered with at your local bar or restaurant, don’t use it. Same thing with legitimate ads you pick up or get in the mail.

Finally, consider using antivirus software that offers QR readers with added security that can check the safety of a code before you open the link.

If you are the victim of any other online fraud, you should report the incident to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov or call your FBI local office.  

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An Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) adult in custody, George Daniel Farr, died the evening of October 18, 2021. Farr was incarcerated at Snake River Correctional Institution (SRCI) in Ontario and passed away while on hospice care. As with all in-custody deaths, the Oregon State Police have been notified. 

Farr entered DOC custody on February 4, 2011, from Washington County with an earliest release date of January 21, 2027. Farr was 74 years old. Next of kin has been notified.

DOC takes all in-custody deaths seriously. The agency is responsible for the care and custody of approximately 12,000 individuals who are incarcerated in 13 institutions across the state. While crime information is public record, DOC elects to disclose only upon request out of respect for any family or victims.

SRCI is a multi-custody prison in Ontario that houses approximately 3,000 adults in custody. SRCI has multiple special housing units including disciplinary segregation, intensive management, infirmary (with hospice) with 24-hour nursing care, and an administrative segregation unit. SRCI participates in prison industries with Oregon Corrections Enterprises including a contact center, laundry, and sign shop. SRCI specializes in incentive housing, specialized housing, individuals with mental health/medical vulnerabilities, education and trades programs, cognitive and parenting programs, and institution work programs. SRCI opened in 1991 and is the largest correctional institution in the state.

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