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News Release

Douglas County COVID-19 Response Team - Daily Local Update - April 25, 2020 (Photo) - 04/25/20

DOUGLAS COUNTY COVID-19 RESPONSE TEAM - DAILY LOCAL UPDATE

JOINT INFORMATION CENTER PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - April 25, 2020

(Douglas County, Ore.)  Good News!  Yesterday, the Oregon Health Authority released the current modeling report and it shows that your efforts in following #StayHomeSaveLives orders are paying off.  The report indicates that it has helped prevent as many as 70,000 COVID-19 cases and 1,500 hospitalizations in Oregon.  OHA is working with the Institute for Disease Modeling on the weekly reports, and they utilize Oregon’s outbreak data with their techniques to present projections for COVID-19 outbreaks.  Keep up the great ‘home’ work Douglas County! 

Yesterday, the Douglas County COVID-19 Response Team (DCCRT), under the direction of the Douglas County Board of Commissioners held a press conference to talk about the accomplishments and emergency preparations of the DCCRT team and our agency partners in response to the COVID-19 crisis and current events.  Our team of local leaders and health professionals spoke about DCCRT planning, emergency management, public safety, clinical updates, local health agency status, economic impact and reopening Douglas County.  A video of the entire DCCRT press conference from Friday, April 24, 2020, is now available on the Douglas County Government website and Facebook page. Click here to view the press conference.

Local COVID-19 Test Results

As of 12:00 pm, April 25, 2020, there are no new cases of COVID-19 in Douglas County.  The total number of positives in Douglas County remains at twenty-three. Douglas County still has twenty-three positive cases. *  Of the twenty-three, fourteen have recovered.  There have been zero deaths and 844 negative tests for COVID-19 in the county. Two of the twenty-three people that have tested positive are still hospitalized in different hospitals.  Douglas Public Health Network continues their epidemiologic investigations, identifying individuals who may have had close contact with individuals that have tested positive for COVID-19 and advising quarantine. Fourteen of the individuals who tested positive earlier have now recovered. DPHN defines recovery as an end to all symptoms after a positive test for COVID-19.

Testing and Getting Tested

If you are having symptoms of COVID-19 including cough, fever, shortness of breath, muscle aches and pains, diarrhea, sore throat or decreased sense of smell and taste, talk to your health care provider about being tested for COVID-19.

Given the growing availability of commercial labs and the improving availability of testing supplies and PPE DPHN has revised their guidelines to providers on testing. DPHN has sent out communications to the local health care community alerting them of the increased availability of testing for their patients.  DPHN also announced Wednesday that Quest labs is now offering the IgG antibody test for COVID-19 locally. Both tests must be ordered by a health care provider and currently, testing without a provider order is not yet available.  

The latest drive through COVID-19 clinic, led by DPHN, was held yesterday, Friday, April 24, in Roseburg and 29 people were tested.  The first drive thru testing site was piloted in the county on March 17, 2020, there have been 370 people tested in the drive through clinics alone, additional testing continues in hospitals, urgent cares and clinics simultaneously.  The drive through clinics are led by DPHN, in conjunction with partner agencies including; Douglas County COVID-19 Response Team, Douglas County Board of Commissioners, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Douglas County Public Works, local volunteers and local health professionals.

Oregon COVID-19 Case Update

Oregon Health Authority reports new cases once a day on its website at www.healthoregon.org/coronavirus.  The Oregon Health Authority is also releasing the daily situation status report, which is produced jointly with Oregon Office of Emergency Management. It details the overall picture of the COVID-19 outbreak within the state and the response across government agencies. Read more here about the daily situation status report.

DCCRT Partner Spotlight: Aviva Health

Aviva Health is one of many partners involved in steering Douglas County’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and its CEO KC Bolton has been co-leading that effort along with Teresa Mustchler of Douglas Public Health Network.

Aviva, formerly known as Umpqua Community Health Center (UCHC), started as a free walk-in clinic in downtown Roseburg in 1992 and has since expanded to eight locations. The nonprofit, a federally qualified health center, became Aviva Health in September; Bolton said “Aviva” is the Hebrew word for hope, or springtime, and is also a verb that connotes themes like “rekindle, recover, renew” in Spanish. He noted the name is also a palindrome. Aviva Health’s services include primary care, dental care, behavioral health services and some specialty care.

“Our mission is to take care of the underserved and see folks regardless of their ability to pay,” Bolton said.

Aviva Health has long worked closely with the County, and Bolton said County leaders including Commissioner Tim Freeman have been great partners over the years, including helping them find land and leasing a building. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, it was only natural that Aviva would be part of the collaborative approach to battling the virus’ spread. And, with 28 years of service under his belt in the U.S. Army’s medical department, Bolton was primed for the fight. He was named co-incident commander of the Douglas County Covid-19 Response Team (DCCRT), along with Mutschler.  He said his training as a military medical operations planner came in handy.

“It’s a lot like battlefield medicine,” he said.

Aviva is now poised to stand up two alternative care sites, including one on the coast, to help take the burden off of hospitals should there be a surge in COVID-19 cases. “We have the guiding principle to protect the hospitals,” he said. “The hospitals are where the fight is, and we need to protect their ability to serve very sick patients who need to be on ventilators. So, anything that will take the pressure off the hospitals is helpful.”

In the meantime, Aviva is complying with a state order that halted all non-urgent procedures, including its dental services. That order will be lifted May 1, but Bolton said Aviva will be approaching the reopening cautiously to ensure it has an adequate supply of personal protective equipment (PPE).   Clinics remain open, and dental hygienists and other staff have been reassigned to administer screening outside the door. Anyone with a cough or fever is redirected to Aviva’s respiratory clinic. Many patients are being seen through “telehealth” visits by phone or video. 

The DCCRT is a broad coalition of local partners that includes Douglas County Board of Commissioners, Douglas Public Health Network, Mercy Medical Center, Lower Umpqua Hospital, Umpqua Health, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Adapt, the Red Cross, Evergreen Family Medicine, Douglas Forest Patrol and others. “It’s unprecedented the way we’re all working together,” Bolton said.

Auto Insurance Companies Offer Refunds, Credits Due to COVID-19

With Oregonians staying home to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, fewer cars are on the road. Due to the reduced risk of accidents, some auto insurance companies are offering premium refunds and credits to Oregon residents. The state Division of Financial Regulation has been working with a number of auto insurance companies to offer this flexibility to customers.

“The Division encourages all carriers to consider providing refunds that reflect the reduced risk of auto liabilities due to the emergency (stay-at-home) order,” state officials said. “This includes taking steps to reclassify vehicle usage, and properly adjusting any mileage-based policy metrics.”  

The state agency provided guidance to insurance carriers last week on how to process refund filings and get the money to consumers as quickly as possible. Companies’ participation is voluntary. Here is a list of participating insurance companies. Contact your insurance company with questions about how to obtain your premium refund. If you have issues or complaints about an insurance company or agent, contact the Division’s advocacy team at (888) 877-4894 or dfr.insurancehelp@oregon.gov.

You can also visit the agency’s website.  Additionally, the state has also asked insurers to provide temporary private passenger auto insurance for drivers delivering food, prescriptions and other products. Other insurance-related information is available on the Division of Financial Regulation’s COVID-19 page.

Help Available for People Experiencing Family Violence, Sexual Abuse

Peace at Home Advocacy Center (formerly Battered Persons’ Advocacy) wants the community to know it is still assisting survivors of family violence, sexual assault and other abuse during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our team has taken steps to promote social distancing and implemented additional cleaning protocols recommended by the CDC to mitigate the spread of coronavirus,” Peace at Home officials said on the agency’s website. “Advocates will continue to provide services to our community while we increase social distancing protocols.”

Peace at Home’s office is closed for walk-ins, but appointments can be scheduled for urgent safety needs related to family violence, sexual assault, stalking or human trafficking.  Anyone wishing to speak with an advocate to receive help over the phone can call the 24-Hour Crisis Line at (541) 673-7867. If you have non-urgent needs, you can email contactus@peaceathome.com (note that email is not monitored 24/7). Even when the Courthouse is not open, Peace at Home can assist with education about how to file protective orders. Services provided by Peace at Home include emergency safe shelter; peer counseling; safety planning; danger assessment; legal advocacy; transitional services; and assistance with food, hygiene items, 911 emergency cellphones, door-lock changes and other needs.

Executive Director Melanie Prummer said things have been quiet lately. “I’m just concerned that people might think we’re not open,” she said.

Information is also available on Peace at Home’s Facebook page.

Daily Tips: Hobby and Craft Saturday

Today’s tip: Try your hand at making pressed-flower art! If you have access to flowers and interesting plants in your backyard or around your neighborhood, you could be an artist in no time. All you’ll need besides the flowers is a heavy book, glue, paper, rubber bands, and a simple frame. After picking a variety of flowers, fold a piece of paper in half, place a flower inside the fold, then insert the folded paper containing the flower into the book. Use the rubber bands to hold the book shut if needed. Repeat with all your flowers/plants. Let them sit for 2 weeks. Then remove your pressed flowers from the book and glue them onto a paper background, arranging them into a pleasing display, and put the creation into a frame – voila! You’ve created your very own art to brighten up your living room. This video shows the whole process.

Be A Life Savor: Donate Blood

Leaving home to donate blood is considered a lifesaving need.  Those who are healthy, feeling well and are eligible to give blood, platelets or convalescent plasma, are urged to participate. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the cancellation of hundreds of Red Cross blood drives, resulting in more than 9,000 fewer blood donations.  Anyone interested in donating must make an appointment by visiting www.redcrossblood.org. To save time during your donation, complete your health history questions prior to arriving.

Appointments can also be made using the Red Cross Blood Donor App or calling (800) 733-2767. 

4/27/2020         9:00 am - 2:00 pm        South Umpqua High School, Myrtle Creek(Sponsored Elks Lodge#1943)

4/27/2020         1:00 pm – 6:30 pm       Roseburg Blood Donation Ctr, 1176 NW Garden Valley Blvd., Roseburg

4/28/2020         10:00 am - 03:30 pm     Roseburg YMCA of Douglas County (Sponsored by UCC)

4/29/2020         10:00 pm - 03:00 pm    Glendale High School, Glendale (Sponsored by Special People's Depot)

4/29/2020         10:30 am - 03:30 pm     South River Community Health Center, Winston

4/30/2020         9:00 am - 2:00 pm        North Bend High School, North Bend

5/01/2020         1:00 pm – 6:30 pm       Roseburg Blood Donation Ctr, 1176 NW Garden Valley Blvd., Roseburg

5/01/2020         10:30 am - 04:00 pm     Sutherlin Community Center, Sutherlin

Stay Informed with the Accurate Information

Your Douglas County Board of Commissioners, Douglas County Public Health Officer, Dr. Robert Dannenhoffer and the Douglas County COVID-19 Response Team have been working hard to cooperatively provide accurate and timely information and a 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.

*Local case data includes all tests done in the county, and are not exclusive to DPHN testing. Further, reporting numbers are accurate as of time listed on this release.  These numbers may not match other organizations, who report at different times of the day.

Attached Media Files: ,

Douglas County COVID-19 Response Team - Daily Local Update - April 25, 2020 (Photo) - 04/25/20

DOUGLAS COUNTY COVID-19 RESPONSE TEAM - DAILY LOCAL UPDATE

JOINT INFORMATION CENTER PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - April 25, 2020

(Douglas County, Ore.)  Good News!  Yesterday, the Oregon Health Authority released the current modeling report and it shows that your efforts in following #StayHomeSaveLives orders are paying off.  The report indicates that it has helped prevent as many as 70,000 COVID-19 cases and 1,500 hospitalizations in Oregon.  OHA is working with the Institute for Disease Modeling on the weekly reports, and they utilize Oregon’s outbreak data with their techniques to present projections for COVID-19 outbreaks.  Keep up the great ‘home’ work Douglas County! 

Yesterday, the Douglas County COVID-19 Response Team (DCCRT), under the direction of the Douglas County Board of Commissioners held a press conference to talk about the accomplishments and emergency preparations of the DCCRT team and our agency partners in response to the COVID-19 crisis and current events.  Our team of local leaders and health professionals spoke about DCCRT planning, emergency management, public safety, clinical updates, local health agency status, economic impact and reopening Douglas County.  A video of the entire DCCRT press conference from Friday, April 24, 2020, is now available on the Douglas County Government website and Facebook page. Click here to view the press conference.

Local COVID-19 Test Results

As of 12:00 pm, April 25, 2020, there are no new cases of COVID-19 in Douglas County.  The total number of positives in Douglas County remains at twenty-three. Douglas County still has twenty-three positive cases. *  Of the twenty-three, fourteen have recovered.  There have been zero deaths and 844 negative tests for COVID-19 in the county. Two of the twenty-three people that have tested positive are still hospitalized in different hospitals.  Douglas Public Health Network continues their epidemiologic investigations, identifying individuals who may have had close contact with individuals that have tested positive for COVID-19 and advising quarantine. Fourteen of the individuals who tested positive earlier have now recovered. DPHN defines recovery as an end to all symptoms after a positive test for COVID-19.

Testing and Getting Tested

If you are having symptoms of COVID-19 including cough, fever, shortness of breath, muscle aches and pains, diarrhea, sore throat or decreased sense of smell and taste, talk to your health care provider about being tested for COVID-19.

Given the growing availability of commercial labs and the improving availability of testing supplies and PPE DPHN has revised their guidelines to providers on testing. DPHN has sent out communications to the local health care community alerting them of the increased availability of testing for their patients.  DPHN also announced Wednesday that Quest labs is now offering the IgG antibody test for COVID-19 locally. Both tests must be ordered by a health care provider and currently, testing without a provider order is not yet available.  

The latest drive through COVID-19 clinic, led by DPHN, was held yesterday, Friday, April 24, in Roseburg and 29 people were tested.  The first drive thru testing site was piloted in the county on March 17, 2020, there have been 370 people tested in the drive through clinics alone, additional testing continues in hospitals, urgent cares and clinics simultaneously.  The drive through clinics are led by DPHN, in conjunction with partner agencies including; Douglas County COVID-19 Response Team, Douglas County Board of Commissioners, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Douglas County Public Works, local volunteers and local health professionals.

Oregon COVID-19 Case Update

Oregon Health Authority reports new cases once a day on its website at www.healthoregon.org/coronavirus.  The Oregon Health Authority is also releasing the daily situation status report, which is produced jointly with Oregon Office of Emergency Management. It details the overall picture of the COVID-19 outbreak within the state and the response across government agencies. Read more here about the daily situation status report.

DCCRT Partner Spotlight: Aviva Health

Aviva Health is one of many partners involved in steering Douglas County’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and its CEO KC Bolton has been co-leading that effort along with Teresa Mustchler of Douglas Public Health Network.

Aviva, formerly known as Umpqua Community Health Center (UCHC), started as a free walk-in clinic in downtown Roseburg in 1992 and has since expanded to eight locations. The nonprofit, a federally qualified health center, became Aviva Health in September; Bolton said “Aviva” is the Hebrew word for hope, or springtime, and is also a verb that connotes themes like “rekindle, recover, renew” in Spanish. He noted the name is also a palindrome. Aviva Health’s services include primary care, dental care, behavioral health services and some specialty care.

“Our mission is to take care of the underserved and see folks regardless of their ability to pay,” Bolton said.

Aviva Health has long worked closely with the County, and Bolton said County leaders including Commissioner Tim Freeman have been great partners over the years, including helping them find land and leasing a building. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, it was only natural that Aviva would be part of the collaborative approach to battling the virus’ spread. And, with 28 years of service under his belt in the U.S. Army’s medical department, Bolton was primed for the fight. He was named co-incident commander of the Douglas County Covid-19 Response Team (DCCRT), along with Mutschler.  He said his training as a military medical operations planner came in handy.

“It’s a lot like battlefield medicine,” he said.

Aviva is now poised to stand up two alternative care sites, including one on the coast, to help take the burden off of hospitals should there be a surge in COVID-19 cases. “We have the guiding principle to protect the hospitals,” he said. “The hospitals are where the fight is, and we need to protect their ability to serve very sick patients who need to be on ventilators. So, anything that will take the pressure off the hospitals is helpful.”

In the meantime, Aviva is complying with a state order that halted all non-urgent procedures, including its dental services. That order will be lifted May 1, but Bolton said Aviva will be approaching the reopening cautiously to ensure it has an adequate supply of personal protective equipment (PPE).   Clinics remain open, and dental hygienists and other staff have been reassigned to administer screening outside the door. Anyone with a cough or fever is redirected to Aviva’s respiratory clinic. Many patients are being seen through “telehealth” visits by phone or video. 

The DCCRT is a broad coalition of local partners that includes Douglas County Board of Commissioners, Douglas Public Health Network, Mercy Medical Center, Lower Umpqua Hospital, Umpqua Health, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Adapt, the Red Cross, Evergreen Family Medicine, Douglas Forest Patrol and others. “It’s unprecedented the way we’re all working together,” Bolton said.

Auto Insurance Companies Offer Refunds, Credits Due to COVID-19

With Oregonians staying home to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, fewer cars are on the road. Due to the reduced risk of accidents, some auto insurance companies are offering premium refunds and credits to Oregon residents. The state Division of Financial Regulation has been working with a number of auto insurance companies to offer this flexibility to customers.

“The Division encourages all carriers to consider providing refunds that reflect the reduced risk of auto liabilities due to the emergency (stay-at-home) order,” state officials said. “This includes taking steps to reclassify vehicle usage, and properly adjusting any mileage-based policy metrics.”  

The state agency provided guidance to insurance carriers last week on how to process refund filings and get the money to consumers as quickly as possible. Companies’ participation is voluntary. Here is a list of participating insurance companies. Contact your insurance company with questions about how to obtain your premium refund. If you have issues or complaints about an insurance company or agent, contact the Division’s advocacy team at (888) 877-4894 or dfr.insurancehelp@oregon.gov.

You can also visit the agency’s website.  Additionally, the state has also asked insurers to provide temporary private passenger auto insurance for drivers delivering food, prescriptions and other products. Other insurance-related information is available on the Division of Financial Regulation’s COVID-19 page.

Help Available for People Experiencing Family Violence, Sexual Abuse

Peace at Home Advocacy Center (formerly Battered Persons’ Advocacy) wants the community to know it is still assisting survivors of family violence, sexual assault and other abuse during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our team has taken steps to promote social distancing and implemented additional cleaning protocols recommended by the CDC to mitigate the spread of coronavirus,” Peace at Home officials said on the agency’s website. “Advocates will continue to provide services to our community while we increase social distancing protocols.”

Peace at Home’s office is closed for walk-ins, but appointments can be scheduled for urgent safety needs related to family violence, sexual assault, stalking or human trafficking.  Anyone wishing to speak with an advocate to receive help over the phone can call the 24-Hour Crisis Line at (541) 673-7867. If you have non-urgent needs, you can email contactus@peaceathome.com (note that email is not monitored 24/7). Even when the Courthouse is not open, Peace at Home can assist with education about how to file protective orders. Services provided by Peace at Home include emergency safe shelter; peer counseling; safety planning; danger assessment; legal advocacy; transitional services; and assistance with food, hygiene items, 911 emergency cellphones, door-lock changes and other needs.

Executive Director Melanie Prummer said things have been quiet lately. “I’m just concerned that people might think we’re not open,” she said.

Information is also available on Peace at Home’s Facebook page.

Daily Tips: Hobby and Craft Saturday

Today’s tip: Try your hand at making pressed-flower art! If you have access to flowers and interesting plants in your backyard or around your neighborhood, you could be an artist in no time. All you’ll need besides the flowers is a heavy book, glue, paper, rubber bands, and a simple frame. After picking a variety of flowers, fold a piece of paper in half, place a flower inside the fold, then insert the folded paper containing the flower into the book. Use the rubber bands to hold the book shut if needed. Repeat with all your flowers/plants. Let them sit for 2 weeks. Then remove your pressed flowers from the book and glue them onto a paper background, arranging them into a pleasing display, and put the creation into a frame – voila! You’ve created your very own art to brighten up your living room. This video shows the whole process.

Be A Life Savor: Donate Blood

Leaving home to donate blood is considered a lifesaving need.  Those who are healthy, feeling well and are eligible to give blood, platelets or convalescent plasma, are urged to participate. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the cancellation of hundreds of Red Cross blood drives, resulting in more than 9,000 fewer blood donations.  Anyone interested in donating must make an appointment by visiting www.redcrossblood.org. To save time during your donation, complete your health history questions prior to arriving.

Appointments can also be made using the Red Cross Blood Donor App or calling (800) 733-2767. 

4/27/2020         9:00 am - 2:00 pm        South Umpqua High School, Myrtle Creek(Sponsored Elks Lodge#1943)

4/27/2020         1:00 pm – 6:30 pm       Roseburg Blood Donation Ctr, 1176 NW Garden Valley Blvd., Roseburg

4/28/2020         10:00 am - 03:30 pm     Roseburg YMCA of Douglas County (Sponsored by UCC)

4/29/2020         10:00 pm - 03:00 pm    Glendale High School, Glendale (Sponsored by Special People's Depot)

4/29/2020         10:30 am - 03:30 pm     South River Community Health Center, Winston

4/30/2020         9:00 am - 2:00 pm        North Bend High School, North Bend

5/01/2020         1:00 pm – 6:30 pm       Roseburg Blood Donation Ctr, 1176 NW Garden Valley Blvd., Roseburg

5/01/2020         10:30 am - 04:00 pm     Sutherlin Community Center, Sutherlin

Stay Informed with the Accurate Information

Your Douglas County Board of Commissioners, Douglas County Public Health Officer, Dr. Robert Dannenhoffer and the Douglas County COVID-19 Response Team have been working hard to cooperatively provide accurate and timely information and a 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.

*Local case data includes all tests done in the county, and are not exclusive to DPHN testing. Further, reporting numbers are accurate as of time listed on this release.  These numbers may not match other organizations, who report at different times of the day.

Attached Media Files: ,