The latest news stories in the Klamath Basin and around the state of Oregon from Wynne Broadcasting’s KFLS News/Talk 1450AM/102.5FM, BasinLife.com and The Herald & News.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 2020
Klamath Basin Weather
Today
Scattered snow showers at times, then partly sunny this afternoon, high of 46. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. Overnight, cloudy and 24 degrees.
Thursday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 52.
Friday
Sunny, with a high near 55.
Saturday
Sunny, with a high near 58.
Sunday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 57.
Road Conditions
Traveling? Click and check these cameras below for the latest road conditions.
Lake of the Woods Hiway 140
Greensprings Drive at Hiway 97
Doak Mountain looking east
Chemult, Oregon
LaPine, Oregon
Bly, Oregon
Medford at I-5 -Biddle Road & Crater Lake Parkway
Today’s Headlines
18 New Cases of Coronavirus in Oregon
Oregon now has a total of 65 people who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. The Oregon Health Authority announced 18 new reported cases of the novel coronavirus as of 9:30AM today.
OHA is reporting 18 total new cases in the following counties: Clackamas (4), Linn (5), Marion (1), Multnomah (1) and Washington (7). Of the Linn County cases at the Oregon Veterans’ Home in Lebanon, four were previously reported by Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs in a media released last evening. These results came in after OHA updated its daily count. OHA updates it daily count on the website once a day.
Stay informed
Oregon response: The Oregon Health Authority leads the state response.
Governor Kate Brown today announced an extension of Oregon’s statewide school closure to a total of six weeks, until April 28, and also issued further guidance for Oregon’s public schools. What ultimately it turns into from here is anyone’s guess as the nation begins to come to a halt.
This order now dramatically extends an initial two-week closure of Oregon’s schools that was set to end on March 31, after the usual Spring Break.
The orders, outlined in Executive Order 20-08, are as follows:
- Schools are to remain closed through Tuesday, April 28, 2020.
- Districts are to provide learning supports and supplemental services to students and families during the closure period, including meals and child care. This includes the delivery of food assistance and offering child care for essential health care professionals and first responders.
- School districts may call on public school educators and employees to deliver limited learning and support services.
- Each district will pay all their regular employees during the closure.
- The Oregon Department of Education, Oregon Health Authority, and Department of Human Services are directed to support public schools in the continuity of mental health services.
“I do not take the decision to extend school closures lightly,” said Governor Brown. “This will have real impacts on Oregon’s students, parents, and educators. But we must act now to flatten the curve and slow the rate of COVID-19 transmission in Oregon, otherwise we face a higher strain on our medical system and greater loss of life to this disease.”
The Klamath County Board of Commissioners declared a local state of emergency Tuesday in response to the COVID-19 Coronavirus in order to make the county eligible for state and federal reimbursement funding for resources used to address the global pandemic and allow the county flexibility in contract and acquisition rules.
Klamath County only has one case of the virus as of Tuesday afternoon.
Commissioner Donnie Boyd expressed support for declaring an emergency in the county, even though he doesn’t feel we’re necessarily experiencing an emergency at this time.
Board Chair Kelley Minty Morris agreed that she doesn’t feel that the county is in a state of emergency in terms of the scope of the virus in the county, but instead motioned for the declaration so the county can utilize the additional resources and leniency the emergency affords it.
Following newly updated guidance from state and federal public health experts to help slow the spread of the coronavirus/COVID-19, Sky Lakes leadership further tightened visitor restrictions at the medical center.
Beginning today, no visitors will be permitted to inpatient care areas except one family member to be with a loved one in end-of-life care, or Family Birth Center or pediatric patients.
Similarly, only one support person will be allowed to be with surgery patients or those here for an outpatient procedure. Those in a support capacity are encouraged to wait elsewhere rather than in the hospital.
Additionally, waiting areas will be configured so chairs are not closer than six feet from each other. This follows guidance regarding “social distancing” to help minimize transmission of the virus.
To access additional up to date information and resources concerning COVID-19, click the link! https://www.skylakes.org/…/sky-lakes-tightens-visitor-rest…/
In Lake county, Area health professionals are urging area residents to take steps to protect their personal health and the health of their community as concerns increase about viruses like the flu and COVID-19, also known as the novel coronavirus.
Everyone entering the hospital in Lakeview will be screened before being allowed into the rest of the hospital. This includes answering questions and having their temperature taken.
Patients should be prepared for a longer wait to be admitted. The hospital is also now limiting the number of visitors allowed to enter. There will also be limits on elective procedures.
The changes come as Lake Health District and Lake County Public Health prepare for a potential surge in virus spread in area communities.
The Klamath Falls Police Department released a statement saying it is committed to serve the residents of Klamath Falls..
“We must all work together to slow the spread of the coronavirus in a calm and rational manner. We recognize all of us have had several new stressors added to our daily lives that must be addressed. Schools have closed, events have been cancelled, businesses have limited access to community members, etc. With these added stressors, we do not want citizens concerned about crime or personal safety.
We will continue to closely monitor the spread of the disease and the impacts on our community. The Klamath Falls Police Department has begun to implement internal measures designed to protect our staff. This will allow us to continue to serve our community without disruption. For the time being, our office will remain open and staff will be available to the public as usual. This includes all Patrol Units, the Detective Unit, Records Unit, Code Enforcement, and Parking Enforcement.
All citizen “ride alongs,” public tours, and community meetings held at the police department during the month of March have been cancelled. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to call us at (541) 883-5336.”
Aside from the Klamath Falls City Police, The City of Klamath Falls has locked all of the buildings normally open to the public as a precaution to the Covd-19 outbreak.
Residents can access the office and department they need through telephone contact or online.
Essential services will continue to be provided by the Klamath Falls City Police and city utilities.
The Klamath Tribal Council approved a resolution on Monday afternoon to declare a state of emergency, which will make the tribe eligile for federal relief to help the impact on the tribal economy.
Klamath Tribal Chairman Don Gentry said the tribal council also voted Monday to close Kla-Mo-Ya Casino to indoor dining until further notice in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The casino’s Peak-to-Peak Restaurant will continue to offer carry-out services only between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
The Klamath Tribes will be working with U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, (D-OR) and others on obtaining funds in the days to come, that could help the tribal economy. Funds could come from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
In addition, all tribal sanctioned events have been canceled until further notice. Crater Lake Junction Travel Center remains open, with carry out only for fast food orders.
The Klamath County Fairgrounds says due to Governor Brown’s mandate, we are currently in the process of canceling large events of 250+ participants previously scheduled at the Fairgrounds / Event Center within a period of four weeks (March 12, 2020, through April 5, 2020).
It is important to understand that this pandemic could result in cancellations beyond this date if mandated by the Governor’s Office or health officials; however, notification will be provided if this becomes the case.
The hope is that this Governor’s Mandate will protect our community and business partners against infection. The Fair Board will continue to monitor this situation and, of course, will be in discussion with health authorities and government leaders.
The Klamath County Fairgrounds / Event Center will always make every attempt to ensure the highest possible degree of community safety.
Around the state of Oregon
The Oregon Department of Human Services increased restrictions on visitation policies for all licensed long-term care facilities as well as residential group homes to further prevent the spread of COVID-19.
DHS is taking this action in consultation with the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) at the request of Governor Brown. OHA and DHS have determined that, given the increase in COVID-19 cases, these additional restrictions are essential to protect those at greater risk of the most severe outcomes of this disease.
The updated restrictions limit all visitors except essential medical and emergency personnel and visitors to residents who are in the end of life.
“To effectively stop the spread of this disease, we must take every action possible to slow the rates of infection, especially to individuals for whom COVID-19 is life threatening,” said OHA director Patrick Allen.
The new all-visitor restrictions apply to:
- Nursing facilities;
- Assisting living facilities;
- Residential care facilities;
- Adult foster homes; and,
- Group homes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“We know that these restrictions are a hardship for residents of care facilities as well as their families and friends, but they are essential to mitigate the spread of disease,” said DHS Director Fariborz Pakseresht. “We encourage facilities to use technology to help residents maintain connections with their families and loved ones.”
The restrictions on all visitors are effective immediately; they follow a March 10, 2020, policy that limited visitation for long-term care facilities.
OHA continues to recommend that older adults and people with underlying conditions take the following steps to stay safe and healthy:
- Minimize contact with people who may be ill.
- Avoid community gatherings.
- Order prescriptions by mail.
- Take daily precautions: wash your hands frequently, don’t touch anywhere on your face, and clean surfaces.
Links to updated visitation policies:
Developmental Disabilities Services
Aging and People with Disabilities Long-Term Care
For more information:
- OHA Coronavirus page
- CDC COVID-19 page
- CDC travel notices
- World Health Organization (WHO) COVID-19 page
To support Oregon’s working families dealing with the spread of COVID-19, Governor Brown directed the Oregon Department of Human Services and and the Early Learning Division to make changes to child care benefits.
The temporary changes, which are effective immediately, will help more low-income, working families access child care and help providers stay in business during the state of emergency.
“At a time when Oregon’s families are weathering numerous difficulties in their daily lives due to the spread of the coronavirus and its impact on our economy, we need to do everything we can to make sure child care providers can keep their doors open so parents can continue to work,” said Governor Kate Brown.
The changes are:
- Eliminating co-pays for eligible families.
- Providing access to more families by increasing the income limit from 185 percent of the federal poverty level ($4,040 per month for a family of four) to 250 percent of the federal poverty level or 85 percent of the state median income, whichever is higher for the family size ($5,899 per month for a family of four).
- Ensuring more certainty for providers. Child care providers are able to continue to receive payments from DHS, even if children are unable to attend or if they have to temporary shut down during the state of emergency.
“It is important that we come together and help one another through this difficult time,” said Fariborz Pakseresht, Oregon DHS Director. “Child care providers play an important role in supporting families, and we want to make sure families can still access this important service.”
“These measures are helping families access safe care for their children and will help stabilize child care businesses during an unprecedented time,” said Early Learning System Director Miriam Calderon.
Providers and parents/caretakers may contact the DHS Direct Pay Unit with questions Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 1-800-699-9074.
In response to the spread of COVID-19 across the state of Oregon, the Emergency Coordination Center (ECC) at the Oregon Office of Emergency Management (OEM), was activated March 9. All state and local agencies are collaborating in the ECC to support the Oregon Health Authority Agency Operations Center (AOC), which is the lead agency for public health operations, to ensure timely and consistent messaging and response.
The State ECC coordinates and supports state and local recovery efforts for COVID-19 through statewide emergency support function agencies (e.g., transportation, business, agriculture, etc.). This response team includes the Joint Information Center which will respond to all non-health related press inquiries regarding the COVID-19.
On March 7 the Governor convened the Coronavirus Response Team, comprised of the following state agencies and commissions: Department of Administrative Services, Oregon Health Authority, Department of Human Services, Oregon State Police, Oregon Department of Transportation, Oregon Office of Emergency Management, Oregon Military Department, Oregon Department of Education, Department of Corrections, Oregon Youth Authority, Secretary of State, Oregon State Treasurer, and the Higher Education Coordinating Commission to provide policy guidance.
The Employment Department Releases Oregon’s February Unemployment Rate
Oregon’s unemployment rate was 3.3 percent in both January and February, the lowest on comparable records dating back to 1976. The U.S. unemployment rate was 3.5 percent in February.
“It’s too early to have data showing the employment impact, but the response to COVID-19 is causing a reduction in economic activity both nationally and in Oregon. It will be weeks before we can accurately quantify the extent of the damage to Oregon’s labor market,” said Nick Beleiciks, Systems and Economic Analysis manager at the Oregon Employment Department.
Oregon’s labor force data for February shows little impact from the spread of the coronavirus since the February unemployment rate is based on people’s activity during the week that included February 12th. The monthly unemployment rate is always based on a person’s employment status for the week that includes the 12th of each month. By mid-February, there had been relatively limited economic impact from the disease in the U.S. In February, there were 69,000 unemployed Oregonians, which was the lowest number in more than 40 years.
Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 3,100 jobs in February, following a loss of 300 jobs in January. Two major industries added more than 1,000 jobs in February: construction and professional and business services. Only one industry cut jobs substantially: manufacturing.
Oregon State Parks Notice
The Oregon State Park system will continue to adapt to the COVID-19 outbreak by limiting park services and events. These changes will happen as new guidance is released by the State of Oregon team and federal Centers for Disease Control, and could affect operating hours for parks, the facilities that are open within a park, and what services staff provide.
Rather than issue individual news releases for each change, we will keep a running tally online at https://bit.ly/OPRD-covid and update this page as needed. Please advise your readers and reporters to check this web page for updates before visiting or requesting information from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.
General advice for state park visitors:
- Getting outdoors is good for the body and mind. When you can, do it, whether it’s a state park or not.
- If you’re ill, stay home.
- Cover sneezes and coughs with a tissue (then throw it away) or inside of your elbow.
- Avoid touching your face.
- Wash regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. It’s up to you to practice good personal hygiene, and not every place at every park can be kept clean all the time.
- If place is so crowded you can’t maintain a healthy social distance—at least six feet—find a different place to go.
- Some parks will see reduced service to trash, restrooms, and other facilities like visitor centers. Visit https://bit.ly/OPRD-covid before you travel to understand how a destination might be affected by reduced services and resources.
Britt Music and Arts Festivals has made the decision to limit staff presence in the administrative offices as much as possible until further notice. This means that most staff members will be working remotely, with full access to phones, information, and technologies to continue serving our patrons and partners.
For now, only critical Department Managers will be in the office. While in the office, we will communicate via email, and maintain adequate social distance. Luckily, our building is large, and maintaining safe social distances will be easy to accomplish.
The Box Office Lobby in Medford will officially close to walk-ins at 5:00 PM today, Tuesday, March 17. Ticket orders and memberships will still be available by phone (541-773-6077) during normal business hours, Monday-Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and 24 hours a day online at www.brittfest.org.
The Box Office Manager will be in the office and available to process your orders. As far as the public and our partners are concerned, it should be business as usual.
Given that the first concert of the Britt Presents Season is not until June 9, we are confident that the Britt season will go on as planned. Throughout these rapidly-evolving circumstances, Britt will continue to closely monitor updates provided by the CDC and Oregon Health Authority including all reported cases, locally, regionally, and nationwide. As of today, the shows will go on.
In compliance with Governor Brown’s recent executive order on social distancing, Oregon Lottery is disabling play on its statewide network of Video Lottery terminals, effective at 5 p.m. today.
Video Lottery terminals will be disabled until further notice. Terminals will remain in the field and Lottery staff will continue providing scheduled maintenance.
The Oregon Lottery is closing its Salem headquarters today in response to new information received late yesterday.
A non-public facing employee who is sick with flu-like systems was tested for COVID-19. Lottery is not waiting for the results to come in before acting.
The building will remain closed through this week. Lottery is also contacting anyone who worked in close contact with the individual, so they can self-quarantine as a precaution.
Players needing to collect prizes may still do so at the Wilsonville payment center, or through the mail. Upon completion of a deep clean, Lottery will evaluate re-opening for continued business operations. Employees who can, will telework for the next few days. Those employees without work will be placed on administrative leave with pay until further notice.
…For complete details on these and other stories see today’s Herald & News. Wynne Broadcasting and the Herald and News…stronger together to keep you informed.
More Klamath Local News Here.