31 caregivers at Redmond hospital test positive for COVID-19
Associated Press
REDMOND, Ore. A hospital in Central Oregon is reporting a COVID-19 outbreak among workers.
The St. Charles Redmond hospital said late Wednesday that 31 people have tested positive, and the Deschutes County Health Services and the Oregon Health Authority are investigating, KTVZ-TV reported.
It’s unclear how the outbreak occurred. St. Charles Health System, Inc., is headquartered in Bend. They own and operate St. Charles Bend, Madras, Prineville and Redmond.
Iman Simmons, St. Charles’ chief operating officer, said Wednesday evening that 10 of the 31 caregivers had received the first of two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. She said some may have gotten the second dose, but could not confirm that.
Starting next week, St. Charles Health System and Deschutes County plan to begin hosting vaccination clinics at the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center. The clinics will be available to individuals in the phase 1a group by appointment only. "We are preparing to move vaccine clinics to the fairgrounds so that we can safely vaccinate more people faster," said Dr. Jeff Absalon, chief physician executive for St. Charles. "We are going to be ready to deploy vaccine to our community. But we also acknowledge the vaccine is in very short supply. We are striving to get as many doses here as possible." In a press conference today, Gov. Kate Brown and Oregon Health Authority Director Patrick Allen announced changes to eligibility requirements for the vaccine: Vaccination of the 1a group including health care providers, first responders, medically fragile children and their caretakers and those with intellectual disabilities continues. It is the only group eligible for v
C O health officials react to new, fast-spreading COVID-19 strain s arrival in Oregon ktvz.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ktvz.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
St. Charles, Deschutes County moving vaccination clinics to fairgrounds
Residents will be able to sign up for info, vaccinations online
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) Starting next week, St. Charles Health System and Deschutes County plan to begin hosting vaccination clinics at the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center in Redmond.
Initially, the clinics will be available to individuals in the phase 1a group by appointment only, expanding to other high-priority groups, including educators, child care providers and seniors, in tandem with the state as outlined Friday by Gov. Kate Brown and the Oregon Health Authority.
“We are preparing to move vaccine clinics to the fairgrounds so that we can safely vaccinate more people faster,” said Dr. Jeff Absalon, chief physician executive for St. Charles. “We are going to be ready to deploy vaccine to our community. But we also acknowledge the vaccine is in very short supply. We are striving to get as many doses here as possible.”
Central Oregon’s annual ‘Point in Time’ homeless count set to begin Jan. 20
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) The Homeless Leadership Coalition, Central Oregon’s Continuum of Care, will be kicking off the annual Point In-Time Count in Central Oregon on Wednesday, Jan. 20.
This event is a count of individuals who are experiencing homelessness or in transitional housing in Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson counties, including the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. The count is a part of a State and national effort to identify the number of individuals experiencing homelessness and greatly impacts the available funding for homeless services to our region.