Legislature opens 2021 session with a heavy infusion of reality
Ritual and rhetoric are subdued; members of color reach historic high in Oregon.
The new Oregon Legislature was light on the usual ritual and rhetoric during its opening day on Monday, Jan. 11 though they were present but heavy on the realities that have reshaped state politics during the past year.
All 60 representatives and 17 new senators took their oaths from Chief Justice Martha Walters. But unlike typical opening days which have been compared to the first day of school staff, families and friends were largely absent from the Capitol in Salem because of social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Oregon vaccination rate rises slightly January 10 2021
State health officials also report 1,225 more cases and two additional deaths from the virus.
Vaccinations against COVID-19 inched up slightly in Oregon on Sunday as state health officials reported 1,225 more cases and two additional deaths.
The Oregon Health Authority said on Jan. 10 that 37% of allocated vaccine doses have now been administered, compared to 34% on Saturday. That is up from the approximately 25% when Oregon Gov. Kate Brown directed OHA to increase the rate last week.
The OHA reported on Sunday that the state s vaccination total has now neared 100,000 as vaccine clinics around the stated added 8,648 doses Saturday, bringing the state total to more than 97,000 doses. All vaccinations occurred at Oregon hospitals, long-term care facilities, emergency medical service (EMS) agencies, urgent care facilities and Local Public Health Authorities (LPHAs).
Brown calls out National Guard to help vaccination push
Efforts are underway to speed up the slow start to inoculate Oregonians against COVID-19.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown is calling out the National Guard to help speed up the state s rocky start to vaccinating residents against the COVID-19 virus.
The troops will provide vaccination support at inoculation events beginning Tuesday, Brown said during a news briefing Friday, Jan. 8.
A clinic planned for this weekend in Salem hopes to vaccinate about 250 people per hour to buck up Oregon s slow start to inoculating the first groups against the virus. The first group eligible for the shots includes health care workers, first responders and residents in congregate living situations, such as nursing homes.
January 07 2021
State health officials also report 867 new cases and 10 additional deaths on Thursday, Jan. 7.
The percentage of reported COVID-19 vaccines in the state barely increased on Thursday, despite Oregon Gov. Kate Brown directing the Oregon Health Authority to get significantly more people inoculated.
The OHA announced on Jan. 7 that only 27% of vaccine doses delivered to sites across the state have been administered. That is just two percentage points more than on Monday, when Brown ordered the OHA to vaccinate 12,000 people per day by the end of the next two weeks.
According to the OHA, only 5,249 people were inoculated on Thursday. Although 250,100 doses of vaccine have been delivered to sites across Oregon, only 66,920 people have been vaccinated to date.