Hood River County remains at the Red or Extreme Risk level through January 28, 2021, at minimum. The Oregon Health Authority has notified the media that a person in Oregon, identified as a Multnomah County resident, has tested positive with the variant COVID-19 virus strain originally detected in the United Kingdom. Scientists are working to learn more about how easily variants might spread, and currently there is no evidence that these variants cause more severe illness or increased risk of death, or affect vaccine effectiveness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Vigilance in practicing basic prevention measures is more important than ever — wearing masks, physical distancing, avoiding gatherings, staying home if sick — and must continue for the foreseeable future.
The Hood River County Health Department is receiving 700 additional doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from the Oregon Health Authority this week to complete first-dose vaccination of Phase 1a. By the end of next week, approximately 20% of eligible people in Hood River County who have opted to receive the vaccine will have gotten their first dose.
The county is currently completing first-dose vaccination of those in Phase 1a. Phase 1a includes the following groups:
- Group 1: Frontline medical workers; qualified long-term-care-facility (LTCF) residents and staff; and EMS and other first responders. FIRST ROUND OF VACCINATION IS ALMOST COMPLETE.
- Group 2: Healthcare personnel and residents in other LTCFs and congregate care sites; hospice programs; mobile crisis care and related services; secure transport. IN PROGRESS.
- Group 3: Outpatient settings serving specific high-risk groups; in-home care; day treatment services; non-emergency medical transport. IN PROGRESS.
- Group 4: Healthcare personnel in other outpatient, public health, and early learning settings; death care workers. This includes allopathic physicians; dentists; chiropractic physicians; naturopathic physicians; physical, massage, and occupational therapists; acupuncturists; opticians; mental health therapists (unless covered in Group 2); veterinarians; and any other outpatient health practitioners. This includes office staff in these healthcare settings. IN PROGRESS.
In Hood River County, Phase 1a also includes those working in/residents of group homes and senior living settings; foster care; personal paid or unpaid caregivers; those assisting with intellectually or developmentally delayed people; and vaccine support industries, particularly public utilities and public works.
If you are in Phase 1a and have not yet been contacted by the health department or your supervisor/administrator about receiving your first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, please email [email protected].
We have a plan in place for Phase 1b but do not have a start date yet; it is dependent upon when the county receives additional vaccines. Phase 1b will include: child-care, preschool and K-12 school and school district staff; people 65 and older; other essential workers; and high-risk populations.
Phases 2 and 3 will include critical populations and the general population.
Please do not call the health department if you are in Phase 1b or Phases 2 or 3. We will continue to release vaccine availability information via public service announcements, letters to medical providers, social media, website announcements and more to notify Hood River County residents when they can get vaccinated. For more information about administration of the COVID-19 vaccine in Hood River County:
Visit: www.HRCCovid19.org
Call: 541-399-8022 (English) or 541-399-8023 (Español) Email: [email protected]