Apr 13, 2020
Today Situation Status Report is attached…
Though the overall numbers are increasing, our ratio of positive results still remains right around 5%. That’s much lower than the national average (still over 19%).
I thought this was an interesting new piece:
Figure 1. Reported signs and symptoms for all confirmed COVID‐ 19 cases (n=1099)
Rapid testing is happening…
Governor Brown announced distribution of first COVID-19 rapid testing instruments in Rural Oregon. The first hospitals to receive the COVID-19 rapid testing instruments are Curry General Hospital in Curry County, Pioneer Memorial Hospital in Morrow County, and Lake District Hospital in Lake County. The point-of-care COVID-19 testing machines are capable of returning positive or negative test results in minutes. But….although Oregon received 15 Abbott ID NOW instruments, the federal government shipped only five boxes of testing kits with the machines, with 24 tests in each box. Until more Abbott test kits are secured, the additional rapid testing machines cannot be distributed to priority areas.
I am sure you heard, the Governor has extended the Coronavirus school closures through end of school year…
For those of you with kids – this is a good resource regarding distance learning (you can blame it on me) https://www.oregon.gov/ode/educator-resources/standards/Pages/Distance-Learning-for-All.aspx
The Governor also made a statement on homemade masks:
“This is a rapidly-evolving situation, and each day we learn more about this virus. Early in this pandemic, health experts advised that masks were not an effective way to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Now, the CDC has updated their guidance regarding the use of cloth, homemade masks in public: they now say that wearing cloth masks in public places like grocery stores can help prevent those who are sick––particularly unknowingly infected, asymptomatic people––from spreading the virus further. That last point is a very important detail: wearing a cloth mask may not keep you from getting sick, but it can help you prevent spreading the virus to others. The best way to stop the spread of COVID-19 is to keep following the strict social distancing guidelines we put in place early in our outbreak. Staying home is saving lives in Oregon. When you’re in public for essential activities like grocery shopping, stay six feet away from other people. Continue to wash your hands and properly cover your coughs and sneezes. I know this hasn’t been easy, and I appreciate the sacrifices Oregonians have made. The Oregon Health Authority’s projections for the outbreak in Oregon indicate that the social distancing measures we’ve put into place may be working to stop the spread of the virus, and we must stay the course. Like every other strategy we have used to address this crisis, wearing homemade masks will only be effective if we all work together. Continue to stay home to the maximum extent possible, and add wearing a homemade mask to the list of precautions you are practicing when you go out in public. Make sure you are still abiding by all the social distancing measures we have in place. And, please only wear homemade masks, not medical masks that are desperately needed by our frontline health care workers treating COVID-19 patients.
I received
an interesting update from Port of Portland’s Ivo Trummer:
The Port of Portland is open and
operational. The health and safety of employees and passengers continues
to be the our main focus. At PDX, our airport partners estimate that passenger
volumes at last week were down approximately 92% to 94% compared to the same
week last year. In the month of March, we saw revenue declines of more
than 50% across many airport business measurables, including parking
transactions, rental car operations, and concessions business. (This is
compared to March of last year).
Oregon Office of Economic Analysis Posting…
With the quarterly revenue forecast reports set for May 20, the numbers people are at work trying to figure out how COVID will impact state coffers. One scary word: Recession. We are there. The post here: https://oregoneconomicanalysis.com/2020/04/07/covid-19-the-square-root-recovery/
Tax Day…
In conjunction with the federal tax deadline extension the state of Oregon has also extended the state income tax filing deadline to July 15, 2020. The Oregon Department of Revenue has created a COVID-19 tax relief options page for people wondering about their options for postponing tax payments and other adjustments being made in the midst of the COVID emergency.
Be Well!
Written by:
Cindy Robert, Rainmakers Government Strategies