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News Release
Hi Lo
Hi Lo
Douglas County COVID-19 Response Team - Daily Update - January 17, 2021 - 01/17/21

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 – January 17, 2021

DOUGLAS COUNTY COVID-19 RESPONSE TEAM - DAILY UPDATE

 

(Douglas County, Ore.)  Douglas County COVID-19 Test Results: As of 12:00 pm Today, Sunday, January 17, 2021, there are TEN (10) people with new positive test results 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 1,679*.  Currently, there are EIGHT (8) Douglas County COVID-19 patients that are being hospitalized, six locally and two 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.

 

Vaccine Distribution to Local Public Health

The latest round of vaccines that were received earlier week have all been deployed to our approved local health care providers (vaccinators) in Douglas County.  They are quickly working to vaccinate the current identified list of ELIGIBLE Douglas County residents in accordance with the priority group guidelines and criteria set by the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Oregon Health Authority (OHA).  Right now, they are still working through the identified priority populations in the first group; which include health care workers, long term care workers, home care workers, EMS and first responders. (Click here Oregon's most up-to-date list of eligible residents).  To date, we have not received enough vaccines to complete the first phase of eligible residents or hold a community event. But, that does not mean that we are not prepared for a local vaccination event.  Our team is ready, able and willing to do an event, all we need is the vaccine. We ask for your continued patience, as we work through the maze of changes, logistic issues and limited vaccine distribution.

 

Douglas County, OR - COVID-19 - Case Update

Date

Wednesday,

January 13, 2021

Thursday,

January 14, 2021

Friday,

January 15, 2021

Saturday,

January 16, 2021

Today, Sunday, January 17, 2021

Total COVID-19 Cases

1,622

1,636

1,659

1,669

1679

People w/ Positive PCR or Antigen Test Results

1,536

1,549

1,572

1,579

1589

Presumptive

86

87

87

90

90

Total Currently Hospitalized

8

11

11

 

8

Total Currently in Isolation

173

164

163

169

179

Total COVID-19 Related Deaths

43

43

43

43

43

Total COVID-19 vaccines distributed

to Local Public Health and Total

deployed to local vaccinators

400/400

900/400

900/400

900/900

900/900

*Our daily update includes the total number of cases in Douglas County, which combines people with positive test results and presumptives, as well as a breakout of those case numbers. 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. We added a new line to provide an accurate total of the number of vaccines that Local Public Health has received to date, as well as the number we have deployed to local vaccinators.  Our numbers do NOT include other sites like the Roseburg VA, Mercy Medical Center, EMS, Cow Creek Tribe and local care facilities that received their vaccines directly from the Federal and State Government in order to begin direct vaccinations to the first priority group. 

 

How Do I Get More Information About the COVID-19 Vaccine Locally?

You can email DPHN at our new COVID-19 vaccine email address, vaccines@douglaspublichealthnetwork.org, to get the latest information and get matched up with a vaccinator, once the supply of vaccines arrives for your eligibility group. DPHN, through our Local Public Health Authority, our Douglas County Commissioners, set up a new email for the COVID-19 vaccine in Douglas County.  DPHN will do their best to respond with the most current information available, sign up vaccinators and volunteers, and connect those that are eligible for the vaccine with those that have the vaccine, as soon as the vaccine becomes available. For answers to questions about vaccine eligibility, availability and volunteer opportunities, please email vaccines@douglaspublichealthnetwork.org.  Additionally, we encourage you to contact your Doctor, Physician, Family Practitioner or the Medical Office you frequent and encourage them to sign up as a vaccinator, so you can possibly go to them for the vaccine once it is available.  If you are a member of the Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Tribe of Indians, please contact them for information on their COVID-19 vaccination program, (541) 672-9405. 

 

COVID-19 Vaccine: High Demand and Low Supply

We know that you may have heard reports that the CDC and OHA are making changes to the vaccine eligibility guidelines, it does not mean that the vaccine is available for everyone that is eligible in Douglas County.  We have NOT received the new guidelines on the changes yet, so we are continuing with the current prioritization levels until we receive those new rules and guidelines.  It is a supply and demand issue, that we have no control over.  While we are seeing high local demand for the vaccine, unfortunately the supply chain of vaccines has not caught up to the current demand.  We continue to submit requests to OHA daily for more vaccines to be sent to Douglas County, so we can move forward with vaccinations for everyone that is eligible.  Please know that if you want the vaccine, we want you to have it, and are working 24/7 to make that happen.  Rest assured, that when the new rules are finalized, and we start to receive more vaccines, we will begin to systematically offer them to additional eligible populations in an orderly, fair and equitable manner. 

 

Oregon’s COVID-19 Vaccine Information

Again it is important to note that we are not the ones setting the guidelines for vaccines eligibility or distribution.  We are following the current priority group guidelines and criteria set by the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Oregon Health Authority (OHA).  We understand that our residents have many questions, so do we.  Like you, we are patiently awaiting more vaccines and more information.  If you have questions or need more information about the COVID-19 vaccine in Oregon, check out the resources listed below.  In the meantime, we ask that you be patient and continue to follow the well documented recommendations for COVID health and safety. 

 

We Encourage You to Protect You and Your Family

We do not know the timeline for the vaccine or when the local guidelines will be lessened, so we encourage everyone, for the sake of our local businesses, services and residents, to gauge your risk level, and make the best choice in order protect yourself and those around you.  We have provided education on the widely proven COVID-19 safety measures, and encourage you to limit your contact with others not from your household, stay home if you are sick, and wear face coverings where recommended.  Click here, for a graphic on how to protect you and your family from COVID-19 spread.  We know how important family, businesses and faith are to you, so we ask that you consider all options available in order to eliminate and minimize the spread of the COVID-19 virus in our communities in order to help protect the ones you love, the businesses you love and the places you love to go.

 

Local Cases Being Supported in Isolation and Quarantine

Currently, DPHN is supporting 179 cases in isolation, as well as another 333 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 512 total contacts and cases in isolation or quarantine.  This number represents a snapshot of the significant amount of work being done locally to help control the spread of COVID-19.

 

COVID-19 Information in Oregon

OHA reports new cases daily on their website at www.healthoregon.org/coronavirus.  OHA reports include presumptive COVID-19 cases in their total case numbers.  The DCCRT separates the number of people with new positive test results and new presumptives, and uses OHA’s definition of presumptive as those 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.  DPHN performs their epidemiologic investigations, identifying individuals who test positive, as well as those that may have had close contact with individuals that have tested positive while advising and supporting quarantine and isolation.  OHA has chosen to no longer report negative test results or recovered cases, so we will no longer be reporting this data in our daily update.  Please contact the OHA directly for more information.

 

Facebook Live with Dr. Bob

Join us Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 6:00 pm for the next Facebook Live with Dr. Bob Dannenhoffer, the Douglas County Public Health Officer. The show is hosted by DPHN on the DPHN Facebook pageResidents are encouraged to submit their questions during the live show or can email 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 the live shows.

 

Douglas County COVID-19 Hotline (541) 464-6550

Your Douglas County Board of Commissioners and DPHN continue to offer a local resource hotline for Douglas County residents for COVID-19.  The hotline provides answer to frequently asked questions, basic information and referrals to resources and services.  The Hotline is staffed from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, 7 days a week.

 

ACCESS ACCURATE, LOCAL COVID-19 INFORMATION

Stay up to date with accurate local COVID-19 information on the Douglas County Government website or Douglas County Facebook page and the DPHN website or DPHN Facebook page.  Your Douglas County Board of Commissioners, Douglas County Public Health Officer, Dr. Robert Dannenhoffer, DPHN and the DCCRT have been working hard to cooperatively provide accurate and timely information to Douglas County residents since March 8, 2020. 

 

ACCESS STATE COVID-19 INFORMATION

To access information on the State of Oregon and Federal COVID-19 response go to Oregon Health Authority, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and 211Info.  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.  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.  To report compliance issues contact them directly OSHA: (800) 922-2689 or OSHA website or OLCC (503) 872-5000 or OLCC website

###

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

Attached Media Files: Hi Lo , DCCRT
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