Mid-Columbia COVID-19 cases held steady as the Oregon Health Authority released its daily report on Thursday.  Wasco County remains at 212 total cases, with its number of recovered up to 167 using a 30-day standard.  The OHA reported no new cases for Hood River County in its Thursday report, leaving the pandemic total at 236, with the County having said on Wednesday that 223 are out of isolation, leaving 13 active cases.  Sherman County’s still at 18 total cases for the pandemic, but active cases are down to three with the North Central Public Health District adding a 15th case as recovered.  The OHA reported 274 new and presumptive COVID-19 cases statewide on Thursday, moving the state’s pandemic total to 27,336.  Three deaths that occurred between August 21 and August 23 were listed on Thursday, moving that number to 470.  In Washington, Klickitat County late Thursday night said it had no new cases to add to stay at 194 total cases for the pandemic, and that active cases were down to one.  Skamania County’s total case count remains at 59, with no active cases.  Statewide, Thursday’s update from the Washington Department of Health reported 479 new cases to move the statewide total of COVID-19 cases to 75,856, with ten deaths to put that total at 1,945.

Hazy, smoky air conditions will be an around this weekend in the southern part of the Wasco County as work on the White River Fire continues.  Dr. Kat Navarro is an air resource advisor for the U.S. Forest Service.  She says the areas around the White River Fire will see some smoke over the weekend, mainly around Highways 26 and 126 along with Tygh Valley.  Navarro adds there may be smoke coming in to the region from other fires, in particular the Lionshead fire on the Warm Springs Reservation and the Evans Creek Fire northwest of Yakima.  Navarro recommends if you see smoke in your area to limit vigorous outdoor activity and limit your exposure to the smoke.

The Oregon State Patrol says a man injured in a motorcycle accident on Highway 216E in Wasco County last weekend has died.  According to the OSP, 46-year-old Jason Burchfield of Milwaukie succumbed to his injuries at Oregon Health and Sciences University in Portland on Wednesday.  The accident occurred on Highway 216E at milepost 1.5 at about 2:30 last Saturday afternoon.  A preliminary investigation showed the motorcycle operated by Burchfeld was westbound when it failed to negotiate a curve and struck the rock embankment.

The City of The Dalles has received $200,000 from Business Oregon to distribute COVID-19 Emergency Business Assistance Grants in Wasco County.  The City has provided $150,000 and Wasco County $50,000 to match the grant funds.  Grants will be disbursed on a first come, first-served basis with $300,000 in funding available to businesses located within The Dalles and $100,000 in funding available to businesses in Wasco County outside of The Dalles city limits.   Eligible applicants are small businesses and non-profits with 25 or fewer employees that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic between March and August of 2020.  Businesses that have received federal emergency assistance under the federal CARES Act, the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program, Economic Injury Disaster Loan Emergency Advance Program or other federal emergency pandemic assistance funding may be eligible and are encouraged to apply.  Applications and a full list of eligibility requirements can be found at the City of The Dalles website.  Wasco County Economic Development Commission staff at MCEDD will begin accepting applications on Wednesday.

The containment level for the 16,356 acre White River Fire has been moved up to 40%.  Fire officials reported Wednesday night that the fire perimeter continues to hold and looks good while firefighters manage hotspots within the Tuesday night burn out area.  Incident Commander Trainee Randy Johnson said this morning progress has been made on all portions of the fire.  In the canyon, the Redmond Hotshots were able to complete fire line down to the White River.  Johnson says crews are also doing mop-up where they can.  Johnson added as roads are reopened they are asking people to be careful and watch for fire crews and apparatus working in the area.

As the Labor Day weekend approaches, health officials continue to emphasize the need to wear face coverings and social distancing.  Hood River County Health Department Health Officer Dr. Christopher Van Tilburg says outdoors is still best for small gatherings.  He also said in a Facebook posting while the state’s current guidelines puts a maximum of ten people for indoor gatherings, smaller is still better, preferably five or less.  Van Tilburg emphasized social situations are leading to the COVID-19 cases seen in the community.

Oregon State University Extension in Wasco and Hood River counties are unable to hold their usual food preservation classes during the pandemic, but on-line learning opportunities are available.  Lauren Kraemer of OSU Extension points out a lot of people currently have the products of their garden ready to be preserved to enjoy through the winter, but it’s important they follow the right steps.  Kraemer says they have a number of on-line options for people to learn how to preserve foods safely.  Resources are available through the extension.oregonstate.edu website by searching for food preservation.  Also, OSU Extension’s statewide hotline is available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1-800-354-7319 to answer food preservation questions.  And the OSU Extension Service Food Preservation Facebook page is monitored for questions, and live sessions take place on Mondays at 10 a.m.

Wasco County Sheriff Lane Magill says progress on the portion of the White River Fire above Pine Hollow has led to a reduction in evacuation levels.  Most notably Pine Grove has been reduced from Level 3 to Level 2 “Get Set.”  All residences on the east side of Endersby and Kelly Springs roads to Highway 197, along with the area from Woodcock Road to Driver Road to White River Crossing have been lowered to Level 1 “Get Ready.”  Sportsman’s Park remains at Level 1.  Level 1 advisories for Pine Hollow, Wamic, Maupin, and the east side of Highway 197 have been lifted.  Detailed evacuation advisory information is available on the Wasco County Sheriff’s Facebook page.  White River Fire officials report burn out operations in the Bear Springs area went well Tuesday night.  Incident Commander Noel Livingston said during an operational update this morning that they were able to create a fire line they can hold, and mop up will take place there today.  He said today are working on lines dropping down into the White River Canyon, where the fire has been holding for the last few days.  Livingston said Highway 216 has been reopened, but he emphasized that there is still a lot of fire traffic and the possibility of smoke in the area, so motorists should be careful and do not stop in the fire area.

After seeing a downward trend in case numbers for a number of weeks, North Central Public Health District Health Officer Dr. Mimi McDonell told Wasco County Commissioners Wednesday that the County is now at 212 total COVID-19 cases for the pandemic, up five from numbers released on Tuesday.  McDonell told the Commission investigation into the new cases is continuing, but one is from a workplace, one is a close contact, and the others at this point are sporadic in nature.  The cases figure to bump up the County’s case rate for the current week out of the standard for being able to open schools to in-person learning, and McDonell points out in small population counties it doesn’t take much for that to happen.  Last week’s positive test rate in Wasco County was down under one percent, and the case rate was down to four per 100,000 residents, but that will go up for this current week.

Hood River County Health Department Director Trish Elliott says she is asking the Oregon Health Authority to expand the number of symptoms that would allow them to call a contact a presumptive COVID-19 case.  Elliott says it would make easier to link COVID-19 cases together, noting they see cases with a link through common contact, but that person does not meet the criteria for presumptive case, so they cannot be linked together.  Elliott said she is still awaiting an answer from the state.  Hood River County currently has 13 active COVID-19 cases, but they also doing contact checking for 30 to 40 others.