DC BOC C19 Recovery

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – MONDAY, AUGUST 2, 2021

DOUGLAS COUNTY COVID-19 RECOVERY UPDATE

(Douglas County, Ore.) COVID-19 CASES CONTINUE TO SPIKE ALL ACROSS THE UNITED STATES 

As the highly contagious B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant fuels the surge of the fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, we see a sharp rise in daily COVID-19 cases in nearly every single state in the U.S.  According to the latest reports from the CDC and USAFacts, every state but Iowa, has shown an increase in their daily new COVID case counts compared to case counts reported in mid-June this year.  The seven-day averages of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people vary between Iowa’s low, with a rate of 1.5 cases per 100,000, to Louisiana’s high with more than 79.2 cases per 100,000 as of July 27, 2021.  The data also shows that six states have seen their number of positive COVID-19 cases shoot up more than 400% in recent weeks: Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee.  Currently, there are 15 states with a seven-day average case rate higher than the U.S. average, with around 18 cases per 100,000.  Those 15 states also had lower vaccination rates than the United States as a whole.  In Oregon, our surge of new COVID cases appears to be just behind the national trend. A few Oregon counties are reporting triple digit single day new case counts.  Click here to read more from OHA about the 1,076 new cases and 289 hospitalizations reported by OHA as of Friday in Oregon.  For the third time in a week, Douglas County surpassed our previous single day COVID case record (from Thursday, July 29, 2021, with 66 new positive test results and new presumptive cases), with 71 new positive test results and new presumptive cases reported on Saturday, July 31, 2021. 

The CDC encourages all citizens who have not chosen to get the COVID-19 vaccine to “Not Run Down the Shot Clock”.  According to their data, the highest spread of COVID cases, severe outcomes and deaths is happening in areas of the United States that have low COVID vaccination rates.  Although the COVID-19 vaccine is considered the most effective prevention measure for stopping the spread of COVID-19, vaccination rates across the United States continue to vary.  The data overwhelmingly illustrates that the three COVID vaccines are very effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalizations and death.  As expected with all vaccines, there will be some instances where fully vaccinated people can contract COVID-19 and may be contagious. As you know these are called “breakthrough cases.” The latest report from the CDC shows that symptomatic breakthrough COVID-19 infections are rare, expected and represent less than 1% those fully vaccinated in the United States.  As we have mentioned before, the surge of new cases comes at a time when we have more access and availability to COVID-19 vaccines in Douglas County than ever before.  The Douglas County Commissioners set a goal for vaccination accessibility in Douglas County in early January this year to have COVID vaccines available to every resident within 5 miles of their home.  We are happy to report that we achieved that goal. COVID-19 vaccines are here and available for those that are eligible and want to get them.  Again, as we have said since the beginning, the Douglas County Board of Commissioners, Dr. Bob Dannenhoffer our Douglas County Public Health Officer and our partners at DPHN and within our local medical communities continue to encourage our residents to be safe, protect those you love, take the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the virus, stay home if you are sick and make the choice to get vaccinated.

COVID-19 RECOVERY WEEKEND RECAP FOR SATURDAY, JULY 31 AND SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2021: 

On Saturday, July 31, 2021, at 12:00 pm we had SIXTY-SEVEN (67) people with new positive test results and FOUR (4) new presumptives to report, bringing our total number of cases of people with positive test results and presumptives in Douglas County to 4,602*.  We had TWENTY-FOUR (24) Douglas County COVID-19 patients hospitalized, nineteen locally and five out-of-the-area.  We are also sadly reporting another death of a Douglas County resident related to COVID-19. As of Saturday, DPHN was supporting 437 cases in isolation, 406 cases in quarantine for a total of 843 in isolation and quarantine.  

On Sunday, August 1, 2021, at 12:00 pm we had TWENTY-THREE (23) people with new positive test results and ONE (1) new presumptive to report, bringing our total number of cases of people with positive test results and presumptives in Douglas County to 4,626*. We had TWENTY-TWO (22)Douglas County COVID-19 patients hospitalized, seventeen locally and five out-of-the-area.  We are also sadly reporting another death of a Douglas County resident related to COVID-19.  As of Sunday, DPHN was supporting 452 cases in isolation, 404 cases in quarantine for a total of 852 in isolation and quarantine.  

COVID-19 RECOVERY UPDATE FOR MONDAY, AUGUST 2, 2021: 

As of 12:00 pm today, Monday, August 2, 2021, there are THIRTY-EIGHT (38) people with new positive test results to report following our weekend recap listed above.  The total number of cases of people with positive test results and presumptives in Douglas County is now at 4,664*. Currently, there are TWENTY-SEVEN (27) Douglas County COVID-19 patients that are being hospitalized, twenty-two locally and five out-of-the-area. We are also sadly reporting our third death over the weekend of a Douglas County resident related to COVID-19. 

COVID-19 RELATED DEATHS OF DOUGLAS COUNTY RESIDENTS

Our Douglas County Public Health Officer, Dr. Robert Dannenhoffer, has confirmed the death of three Douglas County residents related to the COVID-19 virus over the weekend. Our eighty-ninth COVID-19 related death is a 71-year-old man who was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Monday, July 19, 2021 and passed away on Friday, July 30, 2021. Our ninetieth COVID-19 related death is a 78-year-old man who was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Friday, July 30, 2021 and passed away on Saturday, July 31, 2021. Our ninety-first COVID-19 related death is a 70-year-old man who was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Saturday, July 10, 2021 and passed away on Sunday, August 1, 2021.  In the interest of privacy for the loved ones of these residents, 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.

*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. 

LOCAL CONTACTS AND CASES BEING SUPPORTED IN ISOLATION AND QUARANTINE

Currently, DPHN is supporting 421 cases in isolation, as well as another 479 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 a total of 900 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.

DOUGLAS COUNTY COVID-19 RECOVERY UPDATE

Reminder, we are publishing our Douglas County COVID-19 Recovery Updates on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.  We will continue to report and recap daily numbers in each of our updates for the days that we do not publish a local COVID-19 Recovery Update. Our next COVID-19 Update will be on Wednesday, August 4, 2021.

AVIVA WILL BE OFFERING COVID VACCINES AT THE DOUGLAS COUNTY FAIR 

Shared from Aviva Health.  Aviva Health is pleased to announce that one of two Mobile Medical Units (MMU’s) assigned to Aviva Health by the Douglas County Board of Commissioners during the COVID-19 pandemic will be at Douglas County Fair, Wednesday, August 4 to Saturday, August 7, 2021, from open to close. Aviva Health staff will be on hand to help fairgoers sign up for the Oregon Health Plan (OHP), assist existing OHP members to establish with a local provider, and provide FREE COVID-19 Vaccinations. Additionally, Aviva Health will hand out a variety of giveaways and informational literature on programs and services offered by the Douglas County based Federally Qualified Health Center. Be sure to stop by the MMU, located just passed the entrance at the front of the Swine (Pig) Building during your visit to the fair to learn more about Aviva Health and health resources it offers the community. 

DOUGLAS COUNTY TIGER TEAM HOSTING FREE POP-UP COVID-19 VACCINATION CLINICS 

The Douglas County Tiger Team continues to bring free COVID-19 vaccines directly to all areas of Douglas County in our mobile medical vans (MMV) via their pop-up vaccine clinics.  The Douglas County Board of Commissioners, who have led the charge for our Douglas County COVID-19 Response Team efforts since the beginning, have coordinated with DPHN to organize our local Tiger Team to manage our vaccine outreach efforts through ‘pop-up’ vaccine clinics. 

The clinics are currently open to anyone 18 years of age and older, and preregistration is not necessary.  

THIS WEEK, THE DOUGLAS COUNTY TIGER TEAM WILL BE AT THE DOUGLAS COUNTY FAIR HOSTING A FREE POP VACCINE CLINIC:

• Wednesday, August 4, 2021: Clinic will be at the Douglas County Fair located at the Dougals County Fairgrounds at 2110 SW Frear Street in Roseburg from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm.
• Thursday, August 5, 2021: Clinic will be at the Douglas County Fair located at the Douglas County Fairgrounds at 2110 SW Frear Street in Roseburg from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm.
• Friday, August 6, 2021: Clinic will be at the Douglas County Fair located at the Douglas County Fairgrounds at 2110 SW Frear Street in Roseburg from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm.
• Saturday, August 7, 2021: Clinic will be at the Douglas County Fair located at the Douglas County Fairgrounds at 2110 SW Frear Street in Roseburg from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm.

For the latest list of upcoming Tiger Team clinics, log onto the DPHN website at https://douglaspublichealthnetwork.org/ and select the link for the Tiger Team schedules.  Our Tiger Team coordinates with Umpqua Valley Ambulance to bring a certified vaccinator and a medical assistant to each clinic.  If you are interested in having the Douglas County Tiger Team come to your area or event to provide a free pop-up vaccine clinic or if you have any questions about our Douglas County Tiger Teams, please call (541) 670-3110 or our local COVID-19 Hotline at (541) 464-6550. 

AVIVA HAS A DEDICATED FREE COVID-19 VACCINATION CLINIC SITE IN ROSEBURG 

Shared from Aviva Health.  Aviva Health has a dedicated COVID-19 vaccination clinic site at 4221 NE Stephens Street, Suite 101 in Roseburg, just across the street from its main Roseburg Clinic location near Costco and offers free COVID-19 vaccines by appointment.   The COVID-19 vaccination clinic is e open Monday through Friday, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm and is open for residents ages 12 and older**.  To schedule an appointment please call (541) 672-9596. 

COVID-19 VACCINE ELIGIBILITY OPEN FOR EVERYONE 12 YEARS OLD AND OLDER**

According to the CDC, State of Oregon and OHA, ALL residents ages 12 years old and older** are eligible to get the COVID-19 Vaccine. According to Dr. Bob Dannenhoffer, our Douglas County Public Health Officer, “We have plenty of vaccines available, they are safe, they are effective and they are available to anyone 12 and above who wants one.” 

1. 🔍 Log onto: http://DougCoVaccine.com.
2. 📞 Call our Douglas County COVID-19 Hotline at (541) 464-6550 
3. 📞 Call and set up an appointment with your primary health care provider, ask for a referral to another health care provider or Call and set up an appointment with a local pharmacy.
4. Go to one of our vaccination clinics offered in Douglas County with our Tiger Team or through Aviva Health. 
5. If you are a member of the Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Tribe of Indians, please contact to set up an appointment at (541) 672-9405 or log onto https://www.cowcreek-nsn.gov/public-health/. 
6. The Roseburg VA Health Care System is setting up appointments for veterans to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.  For more information, call the Roseburg VAMC at (541) 440-1000 or log onto https://www.va.gov/health-care/covid-19-vaccine/.

IF YOU ARE HAVING DIFFICULTIES SCHEDULING A VACCINE APPOINTMENT, HELP IS AVAILABLE 

Not everyone is able to use the internet, a tablet, a computer or a smart phone to schedule a COVID vaccine appointment.  If you or someone you know needs to schedule an appointment for the COVID vaccine, and do not have access to the internet, you can call one of the numbers below to get help scheduling an appointment.

• Call our Douglas County COVID-19 Hotline at (541) 464-6550.
• Coastal Residents can call the Lower Umpqua Hospital District COVID-19 Vaccine Call Center at (541) 271-2175.
• U.S. Veterans can call the Roseburg VA Health Care Center at (541) 440-1000.
• Members of the Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Tribe of Indians can call (541) 672-9405.
• Seniors can call Douglas County Senior Services at (541) 440-3677.

GETTING YOUR SECOND DOSE OF THE COVID-19 VACCINE IS IMPORTANT

Please know that as a part of vaccine efficacy, it is vitally important to for those residents who have received their first dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, to make sure that you get your second dose of the vaccine to complete the vaccination.  By getting both shots, it will provide better immunity and help to protect yourself and those around you that you love.  If you have already received your first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, here are a few answers to questions about your second dose.

• You can expect to get your second dose about 4-6 weeks after the first dose. 
• You should have received a vaccination card when you received your first dose that details the brand of vaccine, its lot number, and the date the vaccine was administered.  This card is for your records only, and is not official proof that you have received the vaccine. Proof of your vaccination rests with the State Alert System, which is accessible by medical facilities. 
• You should get your second dose from the same provider or organization from which you received your first. 
• You will be notified by the provider that gave you your first dose, about where/when to get your second dose.
• I got a first vaccine out of the area; can I get my second vaccine in Douglas County?  The second vaccine dose is “paired” to the first dose, and your second dose will be sent to wherever you got your first dose.  Therefore, except in rare circumstances, you will need to return to where you got your first dose.
• If you have questions, please contact the provider or organization where you received your first dose.

COVID-19 FACEBOOK LIVE WITH DR. BOB 

As a part of our COVID-19 Recovery Phase, DPHN will continue to host our COVID-19 Facebook Live events once a week, on Tuesday evenings at 6:00 pm. The next Facebook Live event featuring Dr. Bob Dannenhoffer, our Douglas County Public Health Officer will be Tuesday, August 3, at 6:00 pm.  You can submit your questions during our live show or in advance at: Facebookquestions@douglaspublichealthnetwork.org. Dr. Bob and the DPHN team will do their best to respond to as many questions as they can during the Facebook event.  The Facebook Events are hosted by DPHN on the DPHN Facebook page.

STATE AND FEDERAL COVID-19 INFORMATION

It is important to understand that Federal and State Government and their agencies are the ones that set policy and issue the guidelines for a state of emergency like the pandemic. Locally, we are following the recommended guidance issued by the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Oregon Health Authority (OHA).  If you have questions about the current guidelines or the recommendations, please contact the CDC or OHA directly for more information. OHA posts their daily updates at www.healthoregon.org/coronavirus. Please do not call 911, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office or Douglas County Offices to report issues with the State of Oregon, OHA or the Governor’s orders.  

DOUGLAS COUNTY COVID-19 RESPONSE TEAM

The Douglas County COVID-19 Response Team (DCCRT) was established on March 12, 2020 and redirected on Wednesday, July 7, 2021.  It was created by the Douglas County Board of Commissioners, as an emergency response body to bring together community partners in order to cooperatively focus efforts, address issues, mobilize resources, develop programs and strategic plans, and effectively communicate our efforts to residents in response to the world-wide coronavirus pandemic on a local level.  For 470 days, the DCCRT worked as a unified team, and now we have shifted our focus to local COVID-19 Recovery efforts.  The shift to the recovery phase is a natural progression in the emergency response process and also means we are not ending our COVID-19 efforts.  As the established Public Health Authority for Douglas County, the Douglas County Board of Commissioners will continue to oversee, contract with, fund and support Douglas Public Health Network (DPHN) for as long as necessary for our COVID-19 Recovery Response.  If needs or circumstances arise that necessitate us to reestablish the DCCRT, we are prepared to do so immediately.

ACCESS TO LOCAL COVID-19 RESOURCES

Local Online Access to Updates

Stay up to date with accurate and local COVID-19 information in Douglas County by visiting the Douglas County Government website or DCGOV Facebook page or the DPHN website or DPHN Facebook page.  

Free Local e-Newsletter Subscription

You can also sign up for the Douglas County e-Newsletter that publishes and sends out the update to our subscription base free. You can sign up for the Douglas County e-Newsletter at www.co.douglas.or.us. 

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. Our local hotline number is (541) 464-6550 and is staffed from 8 am to 5 pm, 7 days a week.

Aviva Health Offers Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions Webpage

Aviva Health has created an online FAQ page to answer questions related to COVID-19 regarding availability and scheduling. Log onto https://aviva.health/covid-19-vaccine-faqs/

COVID Vaccine Call Center at Lower Umpqua Hospital District in Reedsport

Lower Umpqua Hospital District has a COVID-19 Vaccine Call Center for COVID-19 vaccine information in the Reedsport, Douglas County Coastal area. Call (541) 271-2175, Monday through Friday from 9 am to 4 pm.

**Please note that for residents that are ages 12 to 14, this will require a parent or guardian to accompany them and give written consent for the vaccine. Written consent can also be obtained in advance. Under Oregon law, minors 15 years of age and older may consent to medical treatment, including vaccinations, when provided by a physician, physician assistant, naturopath, nurse practitioner, dentist or optometrist, or other professionals operating under the license of these providers; however, families are encouraged to make decisions about vaccinations together.

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Contact Tamara Howell, Douglas County Public Information Officer & Emergency Communications & Community Engagement Specialist – Phone: (541) 670-2804 – Cell: (541) 957-4896 – Email: tjhowell@co.douglas.or.us 

Contact Vanessa Becker, Public Information Officer, Douglas Public Health Network – Phone: (541) 817-6552 – Cell - (541) 440-3571 – Email: vanessa@douglaspublichealthnetwork.org