Douglas County COVID-19 Response Team - Daily Local Update - May 4, 2020
Douglas Co. Government
(Douglas County, Ore.) We hear you! We know you are anxious and concerned about reopening Douglas County. We know families and businesses are struggling. We are all tired and want life to get back to some resemblance of normal. We are proud of our residents and businesses for hanging in there. That is why we are pushing hard to get the state to safely begin the reopening process sooner, rather than later. The bottom line is, the only person that can issue the reopening orders is our Governor. Douglas County Commissioners do not have the authority to override the Governor’s executive COVID-19 orders.
But, that doesn’t mean we are not trying. As you know, Douglas County Commissioner Chris Boice spearheaded an urgent letter to the Governor on April 24, 2020, asking her to seriously consider an immediate Regional Phase One Reopening of SW Oregon. The letter was unanimously approved and signed by every County Commissioner in the 5 SW Oregon Counties (Douglas, Jackson, Coos, Curry and Josephine). To date, we have not heard back from the Governor on our proposal, but we will continue to actively advocate for a reopening plan. What can our residents do in the meantime? We encourage you to continue to support local businesses, help your neighbors and get involved in the public process by writing those letters, sending those emails, posting those REOPEN signs and making those phone calls directly to the Governors’ Office and to your State Legislators. Let them know we have a voice to be heard.
Local COVID-19 Test Results
As of 12:00 pm, May 4, 2020, there are no new cases of COVID-19 in Douglas County. The total number of Douglas County residents who have tested positive is twenty-four. Of the twenty-four cases, eighteen have recovered. One of the individuals that tested positive remains hospitalized.
There have been zero deaths and 1196 negative tests for COVID-19 in the county. 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.
The majority of the individuals who have tested positive earlier have now recovered. DPHN defines recovery as an end to all symptoms after a positive test for COVID-19.
The next drive through clinic in Roseburg will be Tuesday, May 5, 2020. 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.
The first drive thru testing site was piloted in the county on March 17, 2020, there have been 421 people tested in the drive through clinics alone, additional testing continues in hospitals, urgent cares and clinics simultaneously. 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 reports new cases once a day on its website at www.healthoregon.org/coronavirus. The Oregon Health Authority is also releasing the daily situation status report, which is produced jointly with Oregon Office of Emergency Management. It details the overall picture of the COVID-19 outbreak within the state and the response across government agencies. Read more here about the daily situation status report.
Join us tonight, Monday, May 4, 2020 for the next virtual town hall Q&A with Dr. Bob Dannenhoffer, your Douglas County Public Health Officer at 6:00 pm, hosted by DPHN and found on the DPHN Facebook page.
You May Qualify for OHP Coverage if Your Work Situation Has Changed
If your employment status has changed recently and you have lost income, you may qualify for free health care coverage under Oregon Health Plan (OHP), the state’s Medicaid program. To be eligible for OHP coverage, you must be an Oregon resident and have income that doesn’t exceed a certain amount – for instance, individuals between the ages of 19 and 64 must make no more than $1,436 per month to qualify. For more information on eligibility, visit Oregon’s OHP website. You can apply online, and the site contains a link to the application.
Addressing Concerns about Pets Getting COVID-19
If you have pets, you may be wondering if your cat or dog is at risk of contracting COVID-19, or if they might somehow give it to you. State and federal health officials say that while there have been a few cases of animals contracting COVID-19 after having close contact with an infected human, the risk of transmission is very low. And there is no evidence of cats or dogs playing a role in spreading the virus to humans.
However, until more is learned about the virus in relation to animals, Oregon Health Authority and the CDC recommend taking a few precautions:
Spread Positivity and Gratitude with Homemade Signs
We’re all in need of a little positivity these days, and you can help! If you’re looking for a fun project to do yourself or with your kids, make a sign to put in your yard or window offering a positive message of support for a hero in your life. Make a sign that says how proud you are of your Aunt that is a nurse, your Grandpa that is helping with school lessons at home, your Mom that is working as a cashier, your Brother that is serving up food at the drive thru, your Dad that is driving a semi-truck or to show support for your favorite local store that is struggling. Chances are, you have the materials at home to do this without leaving the house – think cardboard, plywood, old sheets, paint, chalk, Christmas lights, or magic markers. Lowe’s Home Improvement created a list of ideas and instructions for creating homemade signs for your heroes. Search for #BuildThanks on social media to see some examples of what people across the country have come up with. The added bonus of spreading positivity and giving thanks is that it can help brighten up your own life by making others feel important!
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 and a response to Douglas County residents in March 8, 2020. If you have questions about resources available, call the COVID-19 hotline, staffed by local volunteers at (541) 464-6550. Stay up to date on COVID-19 in Douglas County on the DPHN website at www.douglaspublichealthnetwork.org. 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.
Local case data includes all tests done in the county, and are not exclusive to DPHN testing. Further, reporting numbers are accurate as of time listed on this release. These numbers may not match other organizations, who report at different times of the day.
Our Daily Local COVID-19 Updates represent the coordinated effort of the 14 agencies that make up the DCCRT.
(Douglas County, Ore.) We hear you! We know you are anxious and concerned about reopening Douglas County. We know families and businesses are struggling. We are all tired and want life to get back to some resemblance of normal. We are proud of our residents and businesses for hanging in there. That is why we are pushing hard to get the state to safely begin the reopening process sooner, rather than later. The bottom line is, the only person that can issue the reopening orders is our Governor. Douglas County Commissioners do not have the authority to override the Governor’s executive COVID-19 orders.
But, that doesn’t mean we are not trying. As you know, Douglas County Commissioner Chris Boice spearheaded an urgent letter to the Governor on April 24, 2020, asking her to seriously consider an immediate Regional Phase One Reopening of SW Oregon. The letter was unanimously approved and signed by every County Commissioner in the 5 SW Oregon Counties (Douglas, Jackson, Coos, Curry and Josephine). To date, we have not heard back from the Governor on our proposal, but we will continue to actively advocate for a reopening plan. What can our residents do in the meantime? We encourage you to continue to support local businesses, help your neighbors and get involved in the public process by writing those letters, sending those emails, posting those REOPEN signs and making those phone calls directly to the Governors’ Office and to your State Legislators. Let them know we have a voice to be heard.
Local COVID-19 Test Results
As of 12:00 pm, May 4, 2020, there are no new cases of COVID-19 in Douglas County. The total number of Douglas County residents who have tested positive is twenty-four. Of the twenty-four cases, eighteen have recovered. One of the individuals that tested positive remains hospitalized.
There have been zero deaths and 1196 negative tests for COVID-19 in the county. 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.
The majority of the individuals who have tested positive earlier have now recovered. DPHN defines recovery as an end to all symptoms after a positive test for COVID-19.
Get Tested & Testing
The next drive through clinic in Roseburg will be Tuesday, May 5, 2020. 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.
The first drive thru testing site was piloted in the county on March 17, 2020, there have been 421 people tested in the drive through clinics alone, additional testing continues in hospitals, urgent cares and clinics simultaneously. 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 reports new cases once a day on its website at www.healthoregon.org/coronavirus. The Oregon Health Authority is also releasing the daily situation status report, which is produced jointly with Oregon Office of Emergency Management. It details the overall picture of the COVID-19 outbreak within the state and the response across government agencies. Read more here about the daily situation status report.
Facebook Live with Dr. Bob Dannenhoffer
Join us tonight, Monday, May 4, 2020 for the next virtual town hall Q&A with Dr. Bob Dannenhoffer, your Douglas County Public Health Officer at 6:00 pm, hosted by DPHN and found on the DPHN Facebook page.
You May Qualify for OHP Coverage if Your Work Situation Has Changed
If your employment status has changed recently and you have lost income, you may qualify for free health care coverage under Oregon Health Plan (OHP), the state’s Medicaid program. To be eligible for OHP coverage, you must be an Oregon resident and have income that doesn’t exceed a certain amount – for instance, individuals between the ages of 19 and 64 must make no more than $1,436 per month to qualify. For more information on eligibility, visit Oregon’s OHP website. You can apply online, and the site contains a link to the application.
Addressing Concerns about Pets Getting COVID-19
If you have pets, you may be wondering if your cat or dog is at risk of contracting COVID-19, or if they might somehow give it to you. State and federal health officials say that while there have been a few cases of animals contracting COVID-19 after having close contact with an infected human, the risk of transmission is very low. And there is no evidence of cats or dogs playing a role in spreading the virus to humans.
However, until more is learned about the virus in relation to animals, Oregon Health Authority and the CDC recommend taking a few precautions:
- Do not let pets interact with people or other animals outside the household.
- Keep cats indoors when possible to prevent them from interacting with other animals or people.
- Walk dogs on a leash, maintaining 6 feet of distance from other people and animals.
- Avoid dog parks or public places where large numbers of people and dogs gather.
“CDC is working with human and animal health partners to monitor this situation and will continue to provide updates as information becomes available,” the agency said on its website. “Further studies are needed to understand if and how different animals could be affected by COVID-19.” Have more questions? Visit the CDC’s FAQ page on pets and COVID-19, or read updates on the agency’s “If You Have Pets” page.
Spread Positivity and Gratitude with Homemade Signs
We’re all in need of a little positivity these days, and you can help! If you’re looking for a fun project to do yourself or with your kids, make a sign to put in your yard or window offering a positive message of support for a hero in your life. Make a sign that says how proud you are of your Aunt that is a nurse, your Grandpa that is helping with school lessons at home, your Mom that is working as a cashier, your Brother that is serving up food at the drive thru, your Dad that is driving a semi-truck or to show support for your favorite local store that is struggling. Chances are, you have the materials at home to do this without leaving the house – think cardboard, plywood, old sheets, paint, chalk, Christmas lights, or magic markers. Lowe’s Home Improvement created a list of ideas and instructions for creating homemade signs for your heroes. Search for #BuildThanks on social media to see some examples of what people across the country have come up with. The added bonus of spreading positivity and giving thanks is that it can help brighten up your own life by making others feel important!
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 and a response to Douglas County residents in March 8, 2020. If you have questions about resources available, call the COVID-19 hotline, staffed by local volunteers at (541) 464-6550. Stay up to date on COVID-19 in Douglas County on the DPHN website at www.douglaspublichealthnetwork.org. 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.
Local case data includes all tests done in the county, and are not exclusive to DPHN testing. Further, reporting numbers are accurate as of time listed on this release. These numbers may not match other organizations, who report at different times of the day.
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