Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced Tuesday that he is extending current restrictions on businesses and social gatherings through Jan. 4 due to a continued spike in new coronavirus cases that is straining the state’s hospital system.  Inslee said the issue isn’t just hospital space, but the number of people available to provide care is strained because of a lack of available reserve personnel available.  He noted in the spring personnel could be sent to virus hotspots, but that’s not available with the entire state dealing with increased COVID numbers.  The current set of restrictions that took effect last month — including limiting restaurants and bars to to-go service and outdoor dining — were set to expire this coming Monday, but will now be extended an additional three weeks.  Indoor social gatherings with people from more than one household are also prohibited unless attendees have either quarantined for 14 days before the gathering or tested negative for COVID-19 and quarantined for seven days.  Inslee also announced $50 million in additional grants for businesses, on top of the $135 million in grants, loans and other assistance he announced two weeks ago to help businesses and workers impacted by the restrictions.

Oregon Food Bank has purchased a warehouse building in The Dalles to be the permanent home for the Columbia Gorge Food Bank.  The building at 3525 Crates Way has five times more space than the organization’s current leased facility.  This purchase was funded by what the Columbia Gorge Food Bank called a “generous donor.”  The building does require renovation and additional equipment to be an effective food bank, including freezer and cooler capacity and other food handling and storage equipment.   Oregon Food Bank plans to raise additional funds for the renovation process and equipment, and a formal assessment and buildout planning is currently underway.  A grand opening will be held when renovations are complete and gatherings are no longer a risk to public health.

Hood River County Health Department Director Trish Elliott says they have instituted their surge protocol for contact tracing of COVID-19 cases, telling County Commissioners on Monday that they have more cases than they can keep up with right now.  Elliott explains that means they are limiting the phone calls they make to low-risk COVID cases and contacts, while still continuing with initial assessments and making sure people’s needs are met.  Like other areas, Elliott says Hood River County’s increase in COVID cases that can be traced back to family gatherings along with workplace outbreaks.  She does not expect to see a big decrease in cases until after the holiday season.

The Oregon School Activities Association Executive Board has revised the organizations calendar for high school athletics, pushing back the start of competition to the beginning of March and changing its plans to now start with fall sports and move primarily indoor winter sports to late spring.  Fall sports would begin practice in February with multiple activities permitted by state guidance in the hope that COVID-19 case counts decrease in the new year.  Cross country and soccer, as outdoor sports, are permitted by the state in all counties, while as an indoor activity volleyball is tied to the Governor’s County Risk Level, and football remains on the Governor’s prohibited list of activities at this time.  Traditional Spring activities that are all permitted by state guidance as outdoor activities would begin April 5 and extend into the third week in May.  The calendar would wrap up with traditional winter sports including swimming, basketball and wrestling beginning in mid-May and extending into late June.  The board reasons the shift of wrestling and basketball to the end of the calendar provides the most runway for their prohibition to be lifted by the state.  Activities like choir and band/orchestra have been pushed back to the end of the school year to provide their programs the opportunity to rehearse in person if school district policy allows.  Cheerleading and dance/drill culminating weeks have also been adjusted to allow more time for facilities to open or have weather improve enough to move outdoors.

The Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division is asking for the public’s assistance with identifying whoever was responsible for the unlawful taking of a buck deer in the White River Unit.  The OSP says citizen reported finding a fresh deer on Sunday that had been dumped near a fence line off of Highway 30 on United States Forest Service property about five miles east of Mosier near Marsh Cut-off Road.  An Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Trooper responded and found a freshly killed buck deer with the antlers removed from the skull along with the hide, legs and a fresh gut pile.  Due to the condition of the head and gut pile left at the dump site it is believed that the buck was taken sometime this past weekend.  Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to the Turn in Poachers hotline at 1-800-452-7888 or *OSP on mobile devices.

Klickitat County is currently at record highs for COVID-19 active cases and hospitalizations.  County Public Health Director Erinn Quinn says they have 38 active COVID cases and four are hospitalized.  Quinn says four hospitalizations may not sound like a lot…but for a small county it is a big problem, adding while their COVID hospitalizations usually go to the Portland area, medical facilities are taxed there, and the impact is felt in other areas.  Quinn said last week’s number of new COVID cases was higher in Klickitat County than for September and October combined, and she anticipates this week will be just as busy if not more so.

Businesses in Hood River and Wasco counties have the opportunity to acquire free personal protective equipment from Business Oregon next week.  In Hood River County, the County’s Emergency Management office will have a drive-thru distribution center set up at Hood River Alliance Church on Rand and Montello giving out masks, hand sanitizer, and alcohol wipes.  Hours of operation will be from 9 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.  You must bring basic proof of Hood River business ownership, such as wearing your uniform, bring a business card or checkbook or a cell phone photo of your business license.  In Wasco County, The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce has request forms available to businesses that need PPE supplies.  Forms need to be filled out by Tuesday at 9 a.m.  For information call The Dalles Chamber at 541-296-2231 or email info@thedalleschamber.com.

A man was taken into custody in Ellensburg, Washington on charges stemming from an early Friday morning stabbing in The Dalles.  According to The Dalles Police Department, 63-year-old Clay Parsons was taken into custody in Ellensburg and booked into jail on attempted murder and assault charges.  Police say that at about 3:45 a.m. Friday, officers arrived at a residence on the west side of The Dalles and located the victim, who had multiple stab wounds.  The suspect had fled, and was then identified as Parsons.  Information gathered at the scene indicated he was traveling northbound on Highway 197 from The Dalles.  Police did not release the condition of the victim.  The incident continues to be investigated by The Dalles Police and the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office.  Anyone who may have information on the case is encouraged to call The Dalles Police at 541-296-2613.

Like the statewide numbers, both Hood River and Wasco counties saw record highs of daily COVID-19 case counts on Friday.  Oregon Health Authority statistics reported 27 new confirmed or presumptive COVID-19 cases in Hood River County and 21 in Wasco County.   Wasco County is now at 575 total cases…with 350 listed as recovered by the North Central Public Health District using a 30-day standard since the onset of symptoms and in stable medical condition.  Hood River County is now at 464 total cases for the pandemic…with the County Health Department indicating the Oregon Health Department is changing how out of isolation is reported.  Gilliam County had one new case Friday and is at 24 with 17 recovered.  Sherman County also had one new case to also be at 24 with 23 recovered.  The OHA reported 2,176 new COVID cases statewide on Friday to move the pandemic total to 81,437.  There were 30 COVID-related deaths that occurred between November 15 and Thursday included in the OHA’s Friday report…moving the total to 1,004.  The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients across Oregon decreased by two in Friday’s report to 557.  The OHA says there were 115 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit beds on Friday, six more than Thursday.  Klickitat County on Thursday reported 13 new COVID cases to move its pandemic total to 312…with its active cases up 11 to 55…25 of them listed in White Salmon.  Skamania County on Friday added ten new cases to move to 118 total for the pandemic…and the number of currently active cases went up to 17.   The Washington Department of Health on Friday reported 1,853 new confirmed COVID cases and 25 deaths, moving its totals to 174,290 known cases and 2,925 deaths.

As state officials emphasized the danger of continued increases in COVID-19 cases during a Friday press conference, they also outlined their plans for how the first supplies of COVID vaccine expected to arrive this month would be used.  Oregon Health Authority Director Patrick Allen said over 147-thousand first doses of vaccines, fairly evenly divided between the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, will arrive by December 22.  Allen emphasized front-line health care workers will be prioritized to receive the first doses, along with first responders, workers in long-term care facilities and congregate care settings, and long-term care facility residents.  Allen said guidelines for prioritizing the next phase 1 groups, including essential workers, adults with high-risk medical conditions, and those 65 and over, remain under development.  He also said they are setting up a state-wide “cold chain network” of locations to provide ultra-cold storage for the Pfizer vaccine.