Gov. Kate Brown’s decision to hand off COVID-19 safeguards to individual counties has led to widespread inaction by local leaders during a pivotal fifth wave, which is threatening to become Oregon’s worst of the pandemic. The delta variant is overtaking the country and Oregon, leading to huge spikes in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations and prompting the federal government last week to .
MEDFORD, Ore. – On Tuesday, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown outlined how the state will reopen. She says at least 70% of the state needs to be vaccinated to reopen the economy. But she also is setting goals for individual counties to show how they can get to the state’s lower risk tier and open up more. Gov. Brown said each county can go to the lower risk tier by vaccinating 65% of its 16 years and older population. Both Jackson and Klamath Co. Public Health told NBC5 News they’re nowhere near that. They said they’re trying to reach the goal by doing outreach to help the community understand how effective and safe it is.
Johnson and Johnson vaccine gets reintroduced to local public health
More than 1 million Oregonians have been vaccinated against Covid-19, and still some locals hold onto concerns about receiving a shot.
Posted: Apr 26, 2021 6:32 PM
Posted By: Tyler Ridgle
CENTRAL POINT, Ore. More than 1 million Oregonians have been vaccinated against Covid-19, and still some locals hold onto concerns about receiving a shot meant to protect them and those around them who could be exposed to the coronavirus.
Lake County Public Health Chief Executive Officer, Charlie Tviet says he finds that people are concerned about the science behind some of the vaccines, “and the Johnson and Johnson seems to be a good alternative.”
Published April 26, 2021 at 10:29 AM PDT
coyot/Pixabay
/
By a pair of measurements, Jackson County should be among the Oregon counties listed as at Extreme Risk for the spread of COVID-19. Only an adequate supply of hospital beds across the state keeps the county in merely the High Risk category, and those are running out.
Dr. Jim Shames is the Medical Director at
Jackson County Health and Human Services. He visits once a week to catch us up on COVID-19 issues and current concerns.
Ask your question at 800-838-3760 or JX@jeffnet.org. Our visit comes less than a week after the county opened up a high-volume vaccination clinic AND hit a daily new-case number of 93 (on April 21st).
KLAMATH COUNTY, Ore. The annual air quality zone spring open burn window started Saturday morning in Klamath County.
Residents within the air quality zone are allowed to burn yard waste with the window shutting Sunday, April 25.
Governor Kate Brown declared a drought emergency in Klamath County on March 31 with recent lack of rain in the area.
Residents are urged to use caution when burning, but it’s not only a fire danger posing a threat, people’s lungs and overall health are at risk.
“Our lungs are sensitive mechanisms and when we expose them to smoke, whether it’s cigarette smoke or yard debris smoke, that can cause some inflammation within our lungs,” Klamath County Public Health Public Information Officer, Valeree Lane, said.