DOUGLAS COUNTY COVID-19 RESPONSE TEAM DAILY LOCAL UPDATE
JOINT INFORMATION CENTER PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 12, 2020
From all of us here with the Douglas County COVID-19 Response Team we hope you are having a safe, happy and joyous Easter Sunday, while staying home. We hope that you have the opportunity to reach out to family and friends virtually, by sharing videos of your backyard egg hunts, posting photos of those amazing dinners, reading bunny books together, making those group phone calls, showing off those fancy painted eggs and attending mass or services online. Whatever your tradition for the holiday includes, we know this year is especially difficult to be apart from your loved ones, but your sacrifice by remaining at home is ultimately saving lives. Keep up the great ‘homework'! Keep steadfast in your assignments to stay home, keep your 6-foot people distance, wash your hands, cover your coughs and stay healthy. Keep flattening that curve.
Local COVID-19 Test Results
As of 12:00 p.m., April 12, 2020, there are two new cases of COVID-19 in Douglas County. The number of positive cases is now fourteen total in the county. Of the fourteen positives, four have recovered, and there have been zero deaths and 500 negative tests for COVID-19 locally. 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. Four 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.
The second coastal drive through clinic, led by DPHN took place yesterday, Saturday, April 11 in Reedsport. They tested 9 residents.
At this time, you can only get a COVID-19 test through your healthcare provider. Residents must be identified by their health care provider, as a patient that is symptomatic, and needs to be tested. Information has been given to providers and clinics about how to get their patients signed up for the drive-through testing clinics. If you want to be tested, you must talk to your health care provider. Tests are currently being processed at the Oregon State Public Health Lab and a growing number of commercial labs, like Quest and LabCorp. There are a few outpatient clinics in Douglas County offering testing at this time. Community health partners are working very hard to make testing available to a wider number of people.
The first drive thru testing site was piloted in the county on March 17, 2020, there have been 276 people tested so far in the drive through 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
As of 12:00 pm, April 12, 2020, the cumulative COVID-19 testing in Oregon reported 1,527 positive tests, 28,231 negative tests, with 29758 total tests and 52 deaths. Oregon Health Authority reports new cases once a day on its website at www.healthoregon.org/
State Launches Multi-Agency Support Team to Provide Dedicated Resources to Care Facilities
With the rising number of COVID-19 cases appearing in long-term care facilities in Oregon, the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) have launched a multi-agency support team. The team will pool resources to provide a more robust coordination of services, which will include a needs assessment, evaluation of care needs, patient and staff support, and expedition of resources to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 to staff and residents.
“COVID-19 already has had a significant impact on Oregonians in long-term care facilities,” said Fariborz Pakseresht, director of DHS. “We are saddened by the tragedies that have occurred, and our thoughts are with all the residents, staff and families who have been affected.”
The support team will work collaboratively with local public health authorities to assist facilities where we are seeing rising numbers of residents and staff impacted by the virus. The objective is to safeguard these facilities, and make sure they receive the support they need to properly meet the medical needs of residents with COVID-19, as well as protect residents who do not have COVID-19. For more information, click here.
Is Food Takeout and Home Delivery Safe?
We get a number of questions about the safety of different things, while residents are practicing the 6-foot people distancing measures. Recently, we got a few questions about the safety of takeout and delivery of food and if you are at risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus. We asked the experts and they said, while it’s important to maintain your 6-foot people distancing while getting take out, as well as from delivery people, contracting the virus through food is unlikely.
An OHA epidemiologist explained further by adding:
“There is currently no evidence of food or food packaging being associated with transmission of COVID-19. Unlike foodborne or gastrointestinal illnesses that often make people ill through contaminated food, COVID-19 is a virus that causes respiratory illness, which means you’d have to inhale the virus into your lungs in order to get sick. Foodborne exposure to this virus is not known to be a route of transmission.”
A few tips to consider when getting takeout food:
It’s Up to YOU to Keep the Blood Donations Going
Upcoming Local Red Cross Blood Drives include:
Appointments are now required, in light of social-distancing guidelines. To make an appointment, visit www.redcrossblood.org. To save time during your donation, please complete your health history questions prior to the drive b
From all of us here with the Douglas County COVID-19 Response Team we hope you are having a safe, happy and joyous Easter Sunday, while staying home. We hope that you have the opportunity to reach out to family and friends virtually, by sharing videos of your backyard egg hunts, posting photos of those amazing dinners, reading bunny books together, making those group phone calls, showing off those fancy painted eggs and attending mass or services online. Whatever your tradition for the holiday includes, we know this year is especially difficult to be apart from your loved ones, but your sacrifice by remaining at home is ultimately saving lives. Keep up the great ‘homework'! Keep steadfast in your assignments to stay home, keep your 6-foot people distance, wash your hands, cover your coughs and stay healthy. Keep flattening that curve.
Local COVID-19 Test Results
As of 12:00 p.m., April 12, 2020, there are two new cases of COVID-19 in Douglas County. The number of positive cases is now fourteen total in the county. Of the fourteen positives, four have recovered, and there have been zero deaths and 500 negative tests for COVID-19 locally. 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. Four 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.
The second coastal drive through clinic, led by DPHN took place yesterday, Saturday, April 11 in Reedsport. They tested 9 residents.
At this time, you can only get a COVID-19 test through your healthcare provider. Residents must be identified by their health care provider, as a patient that is symptomatic, and needs to be tested. Information has been given to providers and clinics about how to get their patients signed up for the drive-through testing clinics. If you want to be tested, you must talk to your health care provider. Tests are currently being processed at the Oregon State Public Health Lab and a growing number of commercial labs, like Quest and LabCorp. There are a few outpatient clinics in Douglas County offering testing at this time. Community health partners are working very hard to make testing available to a wider number of people.
The first drive thru testing site was piloted in the county on March 17, 2020, there have been 276 people tested so far in the drive through 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
As of 12:00 pm, April 12, 2020, the cumulative COVID-19 testing in Oregon reported 1,527 positive tests, 28,231 negative tests, with 29758 total tests and 52 deaths. Oregon Health Authority reports new cases once a day on its website at www.healthoregon.org/
State Launches Multi-Agency Support Team to Provide Dedicated Resources to Care Facilities
With the rising number of COVID-19 cases appearing in long-term care facilities in Oregon, the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) have launched a multi-agency support team. The team will pool resources to provide a more robust coordination of services, which will include a needs assessment, evaluation of care needs, patient and staff support, and expedition of resources to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 to staff and residents.
“COVID-19 already has had a significant impact on Oregonians in long-term care facilities,” said Fariborz Pakseresht, director of DHS. “We are saddened by the tragedies that have occurred, and our thoughts are with all the residents, staff and families who have been affected.”
The support team will work collaboratively with local public health authorities to assist facilities where we are seeing rising numbers of residents and staff impacted by the virus. The objective is to safeguard these facilities, and make sure they receive the support they need to properly meet the medical needs of residents with COVID-19, as well as protect residents who do not have COVID-19. For more information, click here.
Is Food Takeout and Home Delivery Safe?
We get a number of questions about the safety of different things, while residents are practicing the 6-foot people distancing measures. Recently, we got a few questions about the safety of takeout and delivery of food and if you are at risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus. We asked the experts and they said, while it’s important to maintain your 6-foot people distancing while getting take out, as well as from delivery people, contracting the virus through food is unlikely.
An OHA epidemiologist explained further by adding:
“There is currently no evidence of food or food packaging being associated with transmission of COVID-19. Unlike foodborne or gastrointestinal illnesses that often make people ill through contaminated food, COVID-19 is a virus that causes respiratory illness, which means you’d have to inhale the virus into your lungs in order to get sick. Foodborne exposure to this virus is not known to be a route of transmission.”
A few tips to consider when getting takeout food:
- Try to order it online or use curbside pickup
- Limit in-person contact just as you do in the grocery store, have as few interactions with others as possible and when you do interact, stay 6 feet away
- Pay online, on your phone or using a device like apple pay, so you don’t have to handle cash or touch a credit card/debit card machine if you can
- Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer after you accept the take out and before you eat it. Wash your hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds or more (singing the ‘happy birthday song’ is a good habit as it usually takes 20 seconds to sing that song) or use hand sanitizer that has at least 60% alcohol in it.
It’s Up to YOU to Keep the Blood Donations Going
Yes, these are uncertain times, but leaving home to donate blood is considered a lifesaving and essential need. Those who are healthy, feeling well and eligible to give blood or platelets, are urged to make an appointment to donate as soon as possible by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting www.RedCrossBlood.org or calling (800) 733-2767. Donate your blood and save a life.
Upcoming Local Red Cross Blood Drives include:
- Monday, April 13 - 10:00 am to 3:00 pm - Redeemers Fellowship, 3031 West Harvard Avenue, in Roseburg
- Monday, April 13 - 1:00 pm – 6:30 pm - Roseburg Red Cross Blood Donation Center, 1176 NW Garden Valley Blvd., Roseburg
- Thursday, April 16 -1:00 pm – 6:00 pm - Elks Lodge #1943, 106 S Main Street, Myrtle Creek
- Monday, April 20 - 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm - Redeemers Fellowship, 3031 West Harvard Avenue, in Roseburg
- Monday, April 20 - 1:00 pm – 6:30 pm - RC Blood Donation Ctr, 1176 NW Garden Valley Blvd., Roseburg
- Tuesday, April 21 - 9:00 am – 2:00 pm - YMCA of Douglas County, 1151 NW Stewart Parkway, in Roseburg
- Wednesday, April 22 - 9:00 am – 2:00 pm - Holiday Inn Express, 375 West Harvard Avenue, in Roseburg
- Tuesday, April 28 - 10:00 am – 3:30 pm - YMCA of Douglas County, 1151 NW Stewart Parkway, in Roseburg
Appointments are now required, in light of social-distancing guidelines. To make an appointment, visit www.redcrossblood.org. To save time during your donation, please complete your health history questions prior to the drive b
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