Klickitat County officials have reported the fatality in the Mid-Columbia region resulting from COVID-19.   The County’s Emergency Management and Public Health Department made the announcement Saturday night, saying the individual had tested positive and then treated outside of Klickitat County.  There have been seven COVID-19 cases reported in Klickitat County.  Also on Saturday evening, Hood River County reported its second case of COVID-19.  Hood River County Health Department Director Patricia Elliott says that person is self-isolating at home.  Health officials have notified close contacts of the infected person, and there have been minimal contacts in the community.  Earlier Saturday, two more cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Wasco County, bringing the total number to four.  A statement from the unified command team for Wasco, Sherman, and Gilliam counties indicated both individuals have been in isolation at home.  Infection appears to be from community transmission.  The Oregon Health Authority today reported 65 new cases of COVID-19 statewide, bringing the state total to 479.  On Friday, OHA senior health advisor Dawn Mautner said the number of confirmed cases is rising, but added that was expected with increased testing, and the key numbers are hospitalizations.   Statistics from the OHA today showed 117 of the confirmed cases have required hospitalization, but 96 of the 479 had not reported whether hospitalization was required or not.  31 of the patients are on a ventilator, and the state has 746 available.   The 13th COVID-19 death in Oregon was reported Saturday, a 93-year-old man in Yamhill County with underlying medical conditions.   Washington has reported 3,700 cases, with 147 deaths, 125 of those in King County.

The House of Representatives gave near-unanimous approval Friday to historic legislation designed to prevent the economy from collapsing and rush resources to overburdened health care providers and struggling families during the deepening coronavirus epidemic.  The unprecedented $2.2 trillion relief package passed the chamber by voice vote after an impassioned session conducted along the social distancing guidelines imposed by the crisis.   Oregon Second District Congressman Greg Walden said it was time to act, adding Americans expected Congress to act in a bipartisan manner.  Many lawmakers sped to Washington to participate — their numbers swollen after a maverick Republican signaled he’d try to force a roll call vote — though dozens of others remained safely in their home districts.  The vote sent the bill to President Donald Trump, who quickly signed it.  The Senate passed the bill unanimously late Wednesday.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Checklist for Small Businesses for Coronavirus Small Business Loans.

The Oregon Health Authority reported 98 new cases of COVID-19 today, bringing the state total to 414.  OHA senior health advisor Dawn Mautner said the number of confirmed cases is rising, but said that was expected, and increased testing is a big reason why.  She added the key numbers are hospitalizations.  Statistics from the OHA today showed 102 of the confirmed cases have required hospitalization, but 94 of the 414 had not reported whether hospitalization was required or not.  31 of the patients are on a ventilator, and the state has 715 available.  The 12th COVID-19 death in Oregon was reported, an 82-year-old woman in Marion County with underlying medical conditions.  Washington has reported 3,207 cases, with 147 deaths.

FISH Food Bank is temporarily discontinuing Saturday distributions at its Hood River location in order to properly clean and sanitize our building and equipment between food distributions,   FISH Food Bank’s Tucker Road location will continue to be open on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  Those with questions can call 541-490-5109.

Many boat access sites have been closed or will be closed soon on the Deschutes and John Day Rivers.  The Oregon Marine Board will be temporarily closing stretches of the rivers to all boating beginning on Saturday.  The restrictions are scheduled to be in place through April 30 and will protect boaters from entering a river system where the availability of access and take-out points is uncertain.  All boating activities on the Deschutes River will be restricted from the Pelton Dam at River Mile 97 to its confluence with the Columbia River near Biggs Junction.   The temporary closure on the John Day River extends from the mouth of the North Fork John Day River in Kimberly, downstream to Tumwater Falls, about 10 miles from the Columbia River.

Klickitat County Emergency Management, Washington Gorge Action Programs, and multiple volunteer groups have organized a delivery service for County residents in quarantine, isolation, or are in a high risk and vulnerable population in need of groceries and other necessary supplies.  Those wishing to access the service can call the WAGAP call center at 509-493-2662 or 800-755-1192 for assistance in setting up delivery service.  After the initial setup call, the customer then orders the groceries from a participating store, and then once again contacts WAGAP’s call center with the pick-up details.  Goldendale Market Fresh and Holcomb’s Sentry in Goldendale are participating stores.  Delivery personnel are First Responders from various local fire departments, the Klickitat County Sheriff’s Posse, and Klickitat County Search and Rescue.

Mid-Columbia Economic Development District’s business loan program is gearing up to help businesses in need of assistance during the COVID-19 crisis.  Jessica Metta of MCEDD says the organization’s boards for its loan program for Wasco, Hood River, Sherman, Klickitat, and Skamania counties and the Oregon Investment Board’s focused on the Oregon side of the National Scenic Area discussed how to help current loan clients and potential new businesses.  Metta says the two different entities have slightly different programs and amounts available.  She adds more business assistance options are expected to be available as federal and state aid packages are put in place.  MCEDD has numerous resources for businesses through its website, mcedd.org.

New projections of COVID-19 cases in Oregon show the state is at a critical moment in the fight against the disease.  Models presented during an Oregon Health Authority media briefing show social distancing measures could alter the trajectory of new infections, which gives Oregon’s health care system the chance to ramp up to meet the coming surge, but the state has little margin for error.  Dr. Dean Sidelinger of the Oregon Health Authority says a return to “business as usual” or slight differences in actual infection rates, compared to projected ones, could swamp hospitals with more coronavirus cases than they could treat.  Models show under the aggressive interventions put into place on Monday, with high public adherence, could keep the estimated number of infections down to 1,000, with a wide range of variance, by May 8, and keep hospital bed needs to a minimum.  In contrast if there was a return to business as usual there would be an estimated 15,000 COVID-19 cases by May 8 with 1100 people needing in-patient beds, and if the measures that were in place through the weekend and been left as is the estimate for May 8 was 6100 cases with 340 hospital beds need.

Members of the Governor’s Joint Task Force for Health Care Systems Respnse to COVID-19 outlined their objectives in the fight against the coronavirus in Oregon.  Oregon Health Authority Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dana Hargunani says the plan addresses four urgent areas including procuring critical medical supplies, optimizing hospital capacity, mobilizing the health care workforce, and maintaining a unified and coordinated response.   She says the state is collecting PPE for re-distribution to facilities in need, working with providers to develop new alternate care locations, sharing hospital bed utilization data for managing use across the region, and developing childcare options for health care workers.  Hargunani emphasized people need to stay home and practice social distancing to help in the effort to reduce the number of COVID-19 infections and save lives.  The latest models show that only aggressive interventions, like the Stay Home, Save Lives executive order Governor Kate Brown issued on March 23, are predicted to decrease the number of active infections.

Klickitat County announced on Thursday a seventh confirmed case of COVID-19…Wasco County confirmed its second…and the first case has been diagnosed in Skamania County.  Klickitat County officials have not yet released a general area of the county where the patient was found to have COVID-19.  Five of the six previous cases had been in the central portion of the county.  Wasco County said its second COVID-19 patient is currently receiving care in Mid-Columbia Medical Center but released few other details…other than to say this case is not related to the individual who tested positive at the Oregon Veterans Home.  Skamania County officials say the investigation into the case there shows the individual has been isolated within his home and has already notified close contacts, family and friends.  Those that have been contacted are self-quarantining to their residence for 14 days after their last contact with the confirmed case.