DAILY LOCAL UPDATE COVID-19
Joint Release from Douglas County Board of Commissioners and Douglas Public Health Network
(Douglas County, Ore.) Yesterday, Oregon’s Governor issued updated COVID-19 Executive Order Number 20-12, “Stay Home, Save Lives.” The order requires more social distancing measures to slow the spread of COVID-19. The new “Stay Home, Save Lives” campaign instructs everyone in Oregon to stay at home to the maximum degree possible, closes specified retail businesses, requires new social distancing measures for other public and private facilities, and imposes requirements for outdoor areas and licensed childcare facilities. Read the Oregon Executive Order No. 20-12, Click Here.
Oregon COVID-19 Case Update
As of this morning, Tuesday, March 24, 2020, Oregon official’s reported 30 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the state total to 191, spanning over 18 counties. Oregon’s COVID-19 related death toll remains at 5. The breakdown of cases: Washington County 69 cases; Marion County 30 cases; Multnomah County 21 cases; Linn County 20 cases; Clackamas County 14 cases; Deschutes County 10 cases; Yamhill County 6 cases; Benton and Lane County 4 cases each; Polk 3 cases; Jackson and Umatilla County 2 cases each; and Douglas, Grants, Klamath, Union, Josephine and Hood River County 1 case each.
Local COVID-19 Drive-Through Testing Clinic
Douglas Public Health Network (DPHN) has not yet received the results from the testing clinics last week. DPHN will communicate the results as soon as they are received. There is still only one positive test in Douglas County.
Douglas Public Health Network will host a third COVID-19 drive-through clinic today, Tuesday, March 24 at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. Residents that will be tested have to be identified by their health care provider, as a patient that is symptomatic, and needed to be tested. They will present their test order at the drive-thru clinic, where their specimen will be collected and then flown to a Quest Lab for processing. Results will be sent back in about a week to the health care provider that ordered the test. Those tested are asked to please self-quarantine at home and continue to quarantine for 72 hours after symptoms subside.
At this time, you can only get a COVID-19 test through your healthcare provider. Information has been given to providers and clinics about how to get their patients signed up for the drive-through testing process. Tests are currently being processed at the Oregon State Public Health Lab and a growing number of commercial labs, like Quest and LabCorp. There are very few outpatient clinics in Douglas County offering testing at this time. Community health partners are working very hard to make testing available to a wider number of people. The first drive thru testing site was piloted in the county on March 17. Seventeen residents were tested in the first clinic, and thirty-five were tested in the second clinic on March 20.
COVID-19 information
There is a lot of information floating around the internet about COVID-19. Some of the information is correct, some of it is false, and some is marginally correct. Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference. As an example, a recent article from TechRepublic listed Douglas County as the fourth highest risk county in the United States, due to demographics and healthcare resources. “Although we know that we have an older population and we are a poorer county compared to many, this article underestimates the number of beds, as we use Riverbend for some of our secondary and tertiary care locally.” Said Dr. Bob Dannenhoffer, Douglas County Public Health Officer. “We also have a tremendously involved community that works together, and has been really innovative. For example, we have a community COVID-19 hotline and the first drive-thru COVIC screening clinic in the state.”
DPHN has partnered with the County and many other local health care organizations to post specific and locally relevant information about COVID-19 and our community response. We encourage you to check out the authoritative information from your local public health professionals at DPHN. DPHN updates their Facebook page and website daily. DPHN also hosts Facebook Live Virtual Town Hall Q&A events on their Facebook page several times a week. DPHN has also created YouTube, Instagram and Twitter accounts. Please follow DPHN for regular updates and to find accurate and updated content to share.
Donate Personal Protective Equipment and Masks
Healthcare workers need your help. As many of you already know, there is a massive shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), such as surgical masks, face shields, respirators, surgical gowns and gloves. Hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities need access to supplies of PPE to get through this pandemic. Douglas Public Health Network (DPHN) officials have been reaching out to local medical professionals like dentists and veterinarians, while Douglas County Commissioners and the Douglas County Building Department are reaching out to non-health care private sector businesses like contractors and electricians offering to purchase or have them donate their PPE to support our local efforts.
CHI Mercy Health - Mercy Foundation will serve as the point of contact for local PPE donations from Douglas County residents. Donations from the community need to be new and unopened. The Mercy Foundation can be reached by calling (541) 677-4818 or logging onto Mercy Foundation website for more information.
Umpqua Sewing Warriors formed by Oregon Serigraphics have set up a grassroots mask making program specifically for DPHN distribution. Volunteer sewing warriors are needed to help with the cause. Mask sewing kits can be picked on Saturdays from 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm at the entrance to Serigraphics, located at 333 SE Jackson Street in Roseburg. Kits contain: 25 or so double layer fabric panels, elastic cord and instructions. Volunteers sew the masks and return them to Serigraphics the following Friday for sterilization and pick up by DPHN. Last Saturday they sent out 1,500 mask sewing kits to be sewn by local volunteers. Although the CDC and OHA guidance states that they do not recommend that people who are NOT sick to be wearing masks, the masks will be helpful for people who are sick or are being treated for COVID-19. They are hoping to donate 1,000 masks per week. They would also appreciate local business support to help with supplies. For more information, call (541) 672-6296 or the Umpqua Sewing Warriors Facebook page.
Blood Donations Needed
Donate your blood and save a life. Yes, leaving home to donate blood is considered a lifesaving and essential need. Those who are healthy, feeling well and eligible to give blood or platelets, are urged to make an appointment to donate as soon as possible by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting www.RedCrossBlood.org or calling (800) 733-2767.? There are a few upcoming blood drives scheduled in Douglas County this week and next.
Red Cross Donor Center – 1176 NW Garden Valley Blvd in Roseburg
Community Blood Drives
Stay Informed with the Accurate Information
Your Douglas County Board of Commissioners, Douglas County Public Health Official, Dr. Robert Dannenhoffer, officials from Douglas Public Health Network (DPHN), Douglas County Emergency Management, Aviva Health, Mercy Medical Center, Evergreen Family Medicine and Umpqua Health Alliance have been working hard to cooperatively provide accurate and timely COVID-19 information and response to Douglas County residents. If you have questions about resources available, call the COVID-19 hotline, staffed by local volunteers at (541) 464-6550.
Stay up to date on COVID-19 in Douglas County on the DPHN website at www.douglaspublichealthnetwork.org. Find additional information on state, federal and international COVID-19 response from the following websites: Oregon Health Authority, Centers for Disease Control, World Health Organization and by calling or logging onto 211Info.