Hood River County Health Department Public Health Officer Dr. Christopher Van Tilburg said increased testing is a big reason why its COVID-19 cases are going up.  Van Tilburg noted the number of tests they did last week were way up, and now they are testing asymptomatic patients.  He notes in a Facebook video the County has been working with agricultural sector businesses, and felt those employers have been doing a good job at efforts to minimize contagions.  Van Tilburg noted as the County looks at moving into Phase 2 of reopening, his biggest concern is social and recreational group gatherings.  Van Tilburg says people still need to wash their hands, wear a mask or face covering in public, keep practicing physical distancing measures with people not in your household, and stay home if sick.

The Dalles Public Works has begun installation of a stormwater sewer main on East 10th Street between Clark and J streets.  Construction is expected to take until next Tuesday.  Full road closures will be in effect 24 hours a day but, but the street will be open over the weekend.   No parking within the work area will be allowed during work hours due to heavy equipment use and the location of the trench.  A detour to East 11th Street will be in place when East 10th St. is closed.  Local access for homes within the work zone will be arranged.  Motorists are encouraged to minimize through traffic and use alternate routes when possible.  Construction is scheduled from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on weekdays.

By a 3-2 vote, Hood River County Commissioners decided to send a letter to Oregon Governor Kate Brown to request the County be allowed to move to Phase 2 of reopening on Friday.  The move was made in spite of a continued increase in COVID-19 cases in the County, with County Health Director Patricia Elliott putting the latest count at 61 positive tests and six presumptive cases.  But Elliott said all of the new cases in the last week have been connected to outbreaks at agricultural facilities, there still has only been one COVID-19 hospitalization in the County, and they have been able to keep up with contact tracing.  She felt there would be very little difference between being in Phase 1 or Phase 2.  Commission Chair Mike Oates, who had voted no on sending the letter last week, joined Bob Benton and Karen Joplin in voting yes on Monday, saying his concerns about being able to keep up with tracing have been addressed.  Les Perkins and Rich McBride voted no, with Perkins saying he was concerned about the gathering limitations being too high, but County legal counsel indicated if local officials tried to have tighter restrictions than the state they could be open to constitutional challenges.

Klickitat County officials say its jump of 16 COVID-19 cases in nine days are linked back to the Memorial Day weekend and increased community activity.  A statement from the County’s Emergency Management and Health Department on Tuesday said a few of the cases are linked to known outbreaks in Oregon as well.  They add the cases have been a low risk to the county based on rapid case investigation and management done early in Oregon and with the help of the residents choosing to isolate.            Some of the other positive cases have been linked to previous close contacts which were able to be addressed very quickly through contacting all close contacts and asking them to self-quarantine.  The other remaining cases have been traced to travel to other counties and states.  Klickitat County officials note they entered phase 2 in Washington just one week ago and have yet to see the impact on case activity from that factor.  They expect to see increasing case activity simply due to the increased risk of more businesses and activities opening up.  They also stressed the importance of taking proper health and hygiene precautions to reduce COVID-19 activity.  

The Dalles City Council approved the municipal budget for the 2020-21 Fiscal Year on Monday night.  It includes $510,000 for an economic recovery fund coming out of COVID-19 restrictions.  City Manager Julie Krueger said the City is applying for matching funds from Business Oregon, and that will help determine some of the criteria for using those monies.  She added other potential uses are unidentified, except for a proposal for an outdoor seating plan currently being considered for retail businesses and restaurants.

The Hood River City Council talked with Police Chief Neal Holste for over 90 minutes about last Monday’s response to a social media threat of violence in downtown Hood River.  Many on the Council expressed their concern with a number of people openly carrying firearms that evening.  Holste told the Council that those with the weapons had a Second Amendment right to carry them, and that he did engage them verbally and reminded them of law enforcement’s expectation of a peaceful evening.  Many on the Council expressed a desire to make some kind of public statement against that sort of action, and finding a way to create an internal review of City practices to ensure all citizens feel safe.  Mayor Kate McBride discussed developing a statement as a Council of their principles and what they do and don’t condone.  The Council also discussed having a third-party review done of the City’s practices and the ability of citizens to register complaints and feel secure in doing so.

Oregon Senator Ron Wyden pressed a Forest Service official at a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on Tuesday for more specifics on its plans to protect firefighters and communities from COVID-19 during this wildfire season.   In an exchange with Forest Service Deputy Chief John Phipps, Wyden said he wants the details within a week.  Phipps had told the committee that without having a robust mobile response that can come to a fire camp, they fear overwhelming local health officials.

Positive tests for COVID-19 in the Mid-Columbia keep trending upward.  Hood River County health officials on Monday put its latest count at 61 positive tests and six presumptive cases, with Health Director Patricia Elliott telling County Commissioners all of the new cases in the last week have been connected to outbreaks at agricultural facilities.  Wasco County reported a cumulative total of 35 positive tests, while Sherman County remains at one and Gilliam County zero.  Klickitat County’s total went up to 40 on Monday, while Skamania County remained at three.  All of those numbers are cumulative since the pandemic began.

Hood River County Commissioners will be discussing next week the budget for 2020-21 that has been sent from the County’s budget committee.  It was a process that was made easier by County voters in May approving a five-year public safety levy, but also complicated by the unknown impacts the pandemic will have on County revenues.  County Administrator Jeff Hecksel says much of that unknown is the kind of cuts the state may pass down to the County, and a number of departments could feel that impact.  County Commissioners will consider the budget at their June 15 meeting.

Klickitat PUD will have a planned power outage on Tuesday from 5:00 a.m. to 5:20 a.m. while Bonneville Power Administration switches the transmission line feeding the Spearfish and Lyle substations.  Outage phone calls are being made through the PUD’s automated phone call system.  If you have questions regarding this power outage, contact the Klickitat PUD Operations Department at (800) 548-8357.