The Hood River County Health Department’s Health Officer says there is widespread COVID-19 transmission in the County, like the rest of the nation. In a Facebook video this afternoon, Dr. Christopher Van Tilburg says they don’t have a good idea on exact numbers because of the large number of home COVID tests that aren’t reported to the County. Van Tilburg says the Omicron variant is likely the dominant variant in Oregon, adding it will probably be a less severe stage of the pandemic because of the availability of vaccines. He did say a big reason is that COVID vaccines are very effective against the variant. He added those with the most serious illnesses from Omicron are for the most part unvaccinated. Van Tilburg emphasized the importance of boosters, noting how immunity through vaccines can dissipate over time.