Our local COVID-19 updates represent the coordinated effort of the 14 agencies that make up the DCCRT
JOINT INFORMATION CENTER PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – July 8, 2020
DOUGLAS COUNTY COVID-19 RESPONSE TEAM - DAILY LOCAL UPDATE
(Douglas County, Ore.) We continue to see a surge in COVID cases throughout the United States, with national cases quickly approaching the 3 million mark. In the DCCRT Special Report we released yesterday, we mentioned that many of our local cases were attributed to residents traveling outside of our county. As we learn more from local, regional and national data sources, we realize that this is not just a local trend. We encourage you to take the time to access your risk for contracting COVID-19 before you decide to travel outside Douglas County. There have been several charts and graphics created by medical organizations that access the risk associated with common activities and travel during COVID-19, we found this one from the Texas Medical Association to be quite interesting.
Douglas County COVID-19 Test Results: It is Wednesday, July 8, 2020, and as of 12:00 pm today, there is ONE new confirmed case of COVID-19, and two new presumptive cases in Douglas County since yesterday at noon. The total number of cases (confirmed and presumptive) in Douglas County is now at 56*. OHA expanded their reporting for COVID-19 case management to now include presumptive COVID-19 cases in their total case number. DPHN is reporting confirmed and presumptive cases and uses the OHA’s definition of presumptive as having had close contact with a known, confirmed COVID-19 case, showing symptoms and not yet having a positive nasal swab/PCR test for COVID-19. Testing continues, as DPHN has been holding 2-3 clinics a week and hospitals, urgent cares and clinics continue to test. DPHN continues their epidemiologic investigations, identifying individuals who may have had close contact with individuals that have tested positive for COVID-19, advising and supporting quarantine and isolation.
*Our daily update includes the total number of cases in Douglas County, which combines confirmed and presumptive cases. We provide a breakout of the confirmed and presumptive cases in the chart below. Please note there will be times when our total case number will not change when we report a new case, but our breakout for confirmed and presumptive cases will be updated.
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Douglas County, OR COVID-19 Case Update |
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Wednesday, July 8, 2020 |
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Total COVID-19 Cases: 56 |
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47 confirmed |
9 presumptive |
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Total Currently Hospitalized: 1 |
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Total Currently in Isolation: 16 |
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Total COVID-19 Deaths: 0 |
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Total Negative Test Results: 5550 |
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DPHN is following Oregon Health Authority’s policy related to outbreaks and will be reporting workplace outbreaks with 5 or more cases and only for workplaces where there are at least 30 employees. Previously, we used the OHA definition for recovered that considered people recovered if they were 10 days from onset and symptoms were improving. As more is learned about COVID, the clinical definition of recovery is evolving. Due to the evolving nature of this definition, we have removed the column in our chart listing our recovered cases. The DCCRT noon case and daily update will report the number of confirmed cases (as of 12:00 pm that day), the number of presumptive cases, total COVID-19 deaths, total currently hospitalized, total negative test results, and the number of people in isolation in Douglas County. Currently, DPHN is supporting 16 cases in isolation.
Getting Tested & Testing Clinics
The next drive-through testing clinic will be Friday, July 10, 2020. As a reminder, 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. Patients without a Primary Care Provider, that are looking for a COVID-19 test should contact the Sutherlin Aviva Health Clinic at (541) 459-3788. The first drive-through testing site was piloted in the county on March 17, 2020, there have been 945 people tested in 45 drive-through clinics, while additional testing continues in hospitals, urgent cares and clinics. 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 (OHA) reports new cases once a day on their website: www.healthoregon.org/coronavirus. OHA also releases a daily situation status report and a weekly report that details the overall picture of the COVID-19 outbreak within our state. The daily report details positive and presumptive cases, as well as deaths by county and statewide, while the weekly report is more in depth and includes statistical data related the severity of cases by age, gender, zip codes, ethnicity, as well as information on workplace and senior care facility outbreaks in Oregon.
Oregon Schools Reopening Council Holds First Meeting
Oregon’s Healthy Schools Reopening Council convened for its first meeting yesterday, Tuesday, July 7, 2020 via remote access. The council is charged with advising the Governor and the Oregon Department of Education as school districts develop their plans for a safe return to school for Oregon’s students under the Ready Schools, Safe Learners K-12 schools reopening process. Local school districts are in the process of developing multi-faceted plans for in-person instruction, remote instruction, or a combination of the two. The council includes state and local officials, public health experts, public members from a diverse range of backgrounds, and members from the education community, including representatives of students, parents, support staff, school administrators, school board members, teachers, counselors, and school nurses. The full membership of the Healthy Schools Reopening Council is available here.
“With the current rise in COVID-19 cases across Oregon’s urban and rural communities, it is clear that we have our work cut out for us in terms of figuring out how students, educators, and staff can return to classrooms safely this fall. And what measures we can put into place to help make our schools safe, but whether students can return to classrooms or not at the start of the school year is up to each and every one of us,” commented the Governor. As more information is made available from the Healthy Schools Reopening Council and on the status of reopening our schools, we will pass along the information to our readers.
Latest Update from the Oregon DMV
The Oregon DMV released an update on the status of their services recently. They understand that the coronavirus has impacted many of the services that our residents are used to accessing in person. Starting this week, a host of online services are now available at DMV2U, enabling Oregonians to handle more of their DMV business from home.
Now Oregon DMV customers can:
- Schedule a DMV appointment
- Replace a lost, mutilated or stolen license/ID card
- Upload a commercial driver medical examiner certificate
- Order a driving record
- Pay a reinstatement fee
- Begin a driver license or identification card application for an initial issuance
- See all the services DMV offers online at www.oregondmv.com/dmv2u.
If a service can be accomplished by mail or online, DMV is requiring customers to use those avenues at this time. Find information and instructions for how to complete common transactions like titling and registering a vehicle in Oregon at www.OregonDMV.com. DMV does not charge any service fees for online forms or use of their online services. Please make sure you are on the official Oregon DMV webpage.
Here are a couple of helpful how-to videos for doing business at DMV offices:
- Watch this video to see how to use the new appointment scheduler.
- This video outlines what to expect for customer and employee safety when you visit a DMV office. You should be prepared to wear a face covering/mask at all DMV offices.
Reminder: Grace period in effect to October 1:
A law enforcement grace period on expired licenses and vehicle registration is in effect through at least October 1, 2020. The grace period is intended to allow Oregon residents to continue driving while waiting for an appointment or allow some people to delay visiting DMV while it works through the backlog due to COVID-19 restrictions. Law enforcement can verify the status of a driver or vehicle electronically during a traffic stop.
Reminder: July 15 is the Deadline for Filing and Paying Your State and Federal Income Taxes
The Oregon Department of Revenue (ODR) issued a press release reminding Oregon residents that the deadline for filing your 2019 income taxes in one week away. If you have not already filed or paid your income taxes, Wednesday, July 15 is the deadline. Oregon extended the deadline when the IRS extended the deadline to file and pay federal income taxes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For personal income taxpayers:
- The Oregon return filing due date for tax year 2019 is July 15, 2020.
- The Oregon tax payment deadline for payments due with the 2019 tax year is July 15, 2020.
- The tax year 2019 six-month extension to file until October 15, 2020, if requested, extends only to the filing (not payment) deadline.
The deadline to file your federal income taxes is also July 15. On June 29, the IRS announced the deadline would not be postponed. People unable to meet the July 15 due date can request an automatic extension from the IRS until Oct. 15. The Oregon Department of Revenue has more information about this year’s tax deadlines.
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 to Douglas County residents since March 8, 2020. Local COVID-19 Hotline: If you have questions about resources available, call the COVID-19 hotline, staffed by local volunteers at (541) 464-6550 from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, 7 days a week. Stay up to date on COVID-19 in Douglas County on the Douglas County Government website or the DPHN website. Find additional information on state or federal COVID-19 response from the following websites: Oregon Health Authority, Centers for Disease Control, and by calling or logging onto 211Info. If you have questions or need more information about the Governor’s Phased Reopening Plans or Sector Specific Guidelines go to https://govstatus.egov.com/reopening-oregon. There is also a video presentation about Phase Two available here. Or you may contact the Governor’s Office, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) or the Oregon State Office responsible for regulating your business or agency, or the business or venue that you wish to visit.
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Contact Tamara Howell, Public Information Officer, Douglas County COVID-19 Response Team, (541) 670-2804 cell/(541) 957-4896 tjhowell@co.douglas.or.us
Contact Vanessa Becker, Public Information Officer, Douglas Public Health Network, (541) 817-6552 cell /(541 440-3571 vanessa@douglaspublichealthnetwork.org