Our local COVID-19 updates represent the coordinated effort of the agencies that make up the DCCRT
JOINT INFORMATION CENTER PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – December 30, 2020
DOUGLAS COUNTY COVID-19 RESPONSE TEAM - DAILY UPDATE
(Douglas County, Ore.) COVID Status Update from Dr. Bob Dannenhoffer, our Douglas County Public Health Officer
While the pandemic remains very active throughout the world, and the United States, it has been relatively quiet in Oregon and even more so in Douglas County! “I believe that as of yesterday, Douglas County had the lowest rate of infection for a county over 100,000 in population in the entire country!” stated Dr. Dannenhoffer. And, the state has updated our risk level from EXTREME to HIGH, allowing for some expanded services and some in person dining. You all have played a part in helping to reduce the spread of this virus. Keep up the great work!
Douglas County COVID-19 Test Results: As of 12:00 pm Today, Wednesday, December 30, 2020, there are TWELVE (12) people with new positive test results, ONE (1) new presumptive and ONE (1) death to report since our noon case update yesterday. The total number of cases (people with positive test results and presumptive) in Douglas County is now at 1,367*. Currently, there are TEN (10) Douglas County COVID-19 patients that are being hospitalized, nine locally and one out-of-the-area. Our Douglas County COVID-19 Response Team, under the direction of the Douglas County Board of Commissioners, who administer our local public health program and oversee the work by Dr. Bob Dannenhoffer, our Douglas County Public Health Officer and Douglas Public Health Network, continue to devote all resources available to our local COVID response.
COVID-19 Related Death of a Douglas County Resident
Our Douglas County Public Health Officer, Dr. Robert Dannenhoffer, has confirmed the death of another Douglas County resident related to the COVID-19 virus. Our thirty-ninth death is a 72-year-old man who was diagnosed with COVID on Friday, November 20, 2020 and passed away on Tuesday, December 29, 2020. In the interest of privacy for the loved ones of this resident, no additional information will be released. Each death related to COVID-19 is painful for all Douglas County residents, and a sad reminder of the terrible impact COVID-19 has had in our local communities. The Douglas County Board of Commissioners, Dr. Dannenhoffer, DPHN and the DCCRT team extend our heartfelt condolences and sympathies to all family members, friends, relatives, co-workers and community members of those who have passed after contracting this deadly virus.
|
Date |
Saturday, December 26, 2020 |
Sunday, December 27, 2020 |
Monday, December 28, 2020 |
Tuesday, December 29, 2020 |
Today, Wednesday, December 30, 2020 |
|
Total COVID-19 Cases |
1,353 |
1,363 |
1,344** |
1,354 |
1367 |
|
People w/ Positive PCR or Antigen Test Results |
1,275 |
1,285 |
1,266 |
1,275 |
1287 |
|
Presumptive |
78 |
78 |
78 |
79 |
80 |
|
Total Currently Hospitalized |
10 |
11 |
11 |
10 |
10 |
|
Total Currently in Isolation |
145 |
154 |
103 |
104 |
94 |
|
Total COVID-19 Related Deaths |
37 |
37 |
37 |
38 |
39 |
*Our daily update includes the total number of cases in Douglas County, which combines people with positive test results and presumptives. We provide a breakout of the people with positive test results and presumptives in the chart above. Please note there will be times when a presumptive will move to a positive test result, and our total case number will not change because the case has already been counted, instead you will see an adjustment to our breakout numbers for positive test results and presumptives. OHA has chosen to no longer provide or report negative test results, so we will no longer be reporting this data in our daily update. Please contact the Oregon Health Authority for more information. **The total on 12/28/20 reflects 20 positive test results that were rescinded due to an independent lab processing error, and 2 additional positive test results that were rescinded and moved to their respective counties of residence.
Local Cases Being Supported in Isolation and Quarantine
Currently, DPHN is supporting 94 cases in isolation, as well as another 186 contacts in quarantine in Douglas County. Isolation is recommended for confirmed and presumptive cases, quarantine is recommended for contacts of confirmed or presumptive cases. Currently, staff is supporting an astounding 280 total contacts in isolation or quarantine. This number represents a snapshot of the significant amount of work being done by our county and Douglas Public Health Network to help control the spread of COVID-19.
Reminder: COVID Vaccine Information
We continue to receive calls and requests for more information on the availability of the COVID-19 vaccine. We wanted to remind citizens US Center for Disease Control (CDC) and then our state health authority, OHA are in charge of distributing, prioritizing and establishing the guidelines for the release of the COVID vaccines. The CDC started the process of distributing vaccines earlier this month to phase one – healthcare workers and care facility workers, and is working with state health authorities to initiate the next phases. Douglas Public Health Network, Mercy Medical Center, Aviva, the COVID Hotline or the Douglas County COVID Response Team are not in charge of the COVID vaccine distribution process. We too are awaiting more information from the CDC, and the Oregon Health Authority, about the release of the next phase of COVID vaccinations. It’s important to note that the recommendations for vaccine distribution that are being proposed by the CDC are also up for interpretation by state health authorities, who have the authority to modify the distribution lists. Information on how and when the next phases of COVID vaccines will be approved and distributed is still forthcoming. In the meantime, we encourage you not to call us, instead log onto the CDC website or the OHA website, for the latest updates and information on the status of vaccination distributions.
Reminder: The State of Oregon Lowered the Guidance Level for Douglas County Starting January 1, 2021
As we reported yesterday, the good news for Douglas County residents and businesses is that we have succeeded in getting our COVID case numbers down, and the State of Oregon notified Douglas County that we are among a small group of counties that will be moving to a lower risk level based on COVID-19 spread beginning Friday, January 1, 2021. Douglas County is being lowered to the High Risk Level from the Extreme Risk Level. The new risk levels will be in effect from Friday, January 1, 2021 to Thursday, January 14, 2021. We encourage you to support our local businesses, while still continuing to follow the widely proven safety guidelines for preventing the spread of COVID-19. We want to again extend our thanks and praise to our residents and businesses for following the recommended guidelines and for making good decisions in order for our communities to start opening back up. The new risk level will allow restaurants and bars to open for limited indoor dining; gyms, dance studios, bowling alleys and indoor recreation to reopen; indoor sports to resume; theaters and museums to reopen; and indoor and outdoor businesses, services and activities will see some capacity levels increased. The new risk level does not affect the latitude recently given by the State of Oregon for faith based organizations and local school districts to make decisions for their own congregations and educational programs. Click here to view the State of OHA’s recommended sector risk level guidance chart. Click here for the State of Oregon and OHA’s sector specific recommended risk level guidelines. As a reminder, the risk level and subsequent state recommended sector guidelines are a part of the State’s Building a Safe and Strong Oregon COVID campaign which is monitored, accessed, implemented and enforced by the State of Oregon and OHA. For more information on the State of Oregon and OHA’s COVID Sector Risk Levels and Recommended Guidelines, please contact the State of Oregon directly or log onto the OHA COVID Website.
2021 Is Just Around the Corner! Remember You are the KEY to COVID Safe New Year!
Keep up the good work. It is no secret that the key to stopping the continued spread of the coronavirus is, YOU, our residents, our families, our communities and our businesses. Please celebrate safely this New Year. Prevention is the best medicine, and not just to help stop the spread of COVID, but for your overall health and wellbeing as well. We need each and everyone one of our residents to take the necessary steps to minimize the spread of germs and contagions. You can help by staying home this new year’s, keeping gatherings to just your household, maintaining healthier eating habits; incorporating exercise and good hygiene routines; being cautious and keeping distance from others; making modifications to how you socialize with others; choosing no contact deliveries and services; and staying home if you are sick. The suggestions we make and the guidelines presented by public health are not just for your health and safety, but for the health and safety of everyone, including our kids, our grandparents, our coworkers, our first responders, our teachers and our businesses. We know we sound like a broken record, but our primary focus is to do everything we can to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of our residents. Please, if you are sick, even if you just have a runny nose or stuffy head, do not got to work or attend any social gatherings, church services or meetings, birthday or holiday parties, indoor or outdoor celebrations, family dinners, weddings, game or poker nights, prayer groups or indoor workout sessions, and expose others to your illness.
The DCCRT team, under the direction of the Douglas County Board of Commissioners, along with Dr. Bob Dannenhoffer, our Douglas County Public Health Officer and Douglas Public Health Network encourage residents to make prevention measures a priority in their everyday routines.
Help STOP the Spread of COVID
- Make a habit of washing and sanitizing your hands, regularly.
- Please wear a mask when you are around others not from your household. Not just for your protection, but for the protection of others.
- Stay at least six feet apart from anyone that is not from your immediate household. Please be respectful, kind and polite, by giving people ample space.
- Stay home from work, school and play if you are sick. This includes not running errands or going shopping or inviting visitors to your home.
- Minimize travel, especially out of the state and limit visitors to your home.
- Minimize attending social gatherings or going places where there are large groups of people.
Getting Tested & Testing Clinics
The next drive-through testing clinic will be Tuesday, January 5, 2021, in Roseburg. Please note that with Christmas Day and New Year’s Day both falling on Friday’s, we will only be hosting our drive-through COVID testing clinics on Tuesdays for the weeks of December 21 and December 28, 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. Since then, there have been 2,164 tests performed in local 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 at 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. Find additional information on the state or Federal COVID-19 response go to Oregon Health Authority, U.S. Centers for Disease Control, and 211Info.
Oregon COVID-19 Presumptive
OHA expanded their reporting for COVID-19 case management to now include presumptive COVID-19 cases in their total case number. DPHN is reporting the number of people with new positive test results and any new presumptives 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 or antigen 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.
OHA Reporting and Definition for Recovered
As per the Oregon Health Authority COVID-19 Investigative Guidelines, the number of recovered cases is no longer being assessed or reported by OHA. Up until May 1st, 2020 recovery from COVID-19 was defined as being afebrile (not feverish), without the use of antipyretics (medicine to reduce a fever), and having resolution of cough, shortness of breath and diarrhea for at least 72 hours. As more was learned about symptoms, recovery and contagious period, the definition of recovered changed. Beginning May 1st, OHA stopped reporting recovered cases while also separating recovery from contagious or isolation period. Many cases were no longer contagious, as they were outside of the contagious period, but still having lingering symptoms. To be consistent with OHA and to adapt as we learn more about this new virus, we removed the column in our chart listing recovered cases. At that point, we added the number of those in isolation, roughly indicating active or infectious cases of COVID-19 in Douglas County.
Facebook Live with Dr. Bob
Please join us on Tuesday, January 5, 2021 at 6:00 pm for our next Facebook Live with Dr. Bob Dannenhoffer, the Douglas County Public Health Officer, hosted by DPHN on the DPHN Facebook page. Please note that with New Year’s Day falling on a Friday, we will not be hosting a Facebook Live this Friday, January 1, 2021. Happy New Year! Residents are still encouraged to submit their COVID-19 questions to Dr. Bob during the live shows, but you can also email your questions to: Facebookquestions@douglaspublichealthnetwork.org. Dr. Bob and the DPHN team will do their best to respond to as many questions as they can during their Facebook Live updates.
ACCESS LOCAL COVID-19 INFORMATION
Stay Informed with Accurate Local Information
Stay up to date on COVID-19 in Douglas County on the Douglas County Government website or the DPHN website. Your Douglas County Board of Commissioners, Douglas County Public Health Officer, Dr. Robert Dannenhoffer, DPHN and the Douglas County COVID-19 Response Team (DCCRT) have been working hard to cooperatively provide accurate and timely information to Douglas County residents since March 8, 2020. Our local COVID-19 updates represent the coordinated effort of the agencies that make up the DCCRT.
Douglas County Resource/COVID-19 Hotline: (541) 464-6550
Your Douglas County Board of Commissioners and Douglas Public Health Network continue to offer a local resource and referral service via our COVID-19 hotline for Douglas County residents. The Hotline helps residents get answers to questions, provides up-to-date COVID information and helps residents get connected to resources and services related to COVID-19. The Resource/COVID-19 Hotline is (541) 464-6550. It is staffed from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, 7 days a week until further notice.
ACCESS STATE COVID-19 INFORMATION
To access information for the State of Oregon and Federal COVID-19 response go to Oregon Health Authority, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and 211Info.
Questions about Governor’s Statewide Metrics and Risk Level Guidelines? If you have questions or need more information on statewide guidelines or risk levels, go to the State’s Building a Safe and Strong Oregon website or the Governor’s COVID-19 website or call the Business Oregon's Navigator Hotline at (833) 604-0880. For information on COVID-19 in other counties and around Oregon, call 211 or visit 211info.
Who Do You Contact to Report Compliance Issues with the Governor’s Statewide Guidelines? Please do not call 911, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office or Douglas County Offices to report compliance issues with the State of Oregon, OHA or Governor’s orders. The Governor has directed the State offices for Oregon Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) and the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) to be the enforcement agencies responsible for ensuring restaurants, bars, and other businesses comply with COVID-related guidelines. For more information or to report compliance issues contact these state agencies directly: OSHA: (800) 922-2689 or OSHA website or OLCC (503) 872-5000 or OLCC website
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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