The North Wasco County Education Foundation is embarking on a fundraising effort to enhance its classroom mini-grants program.  Foundation Director Rebecca Thistlethwaite says the program has helped eight-to-ten teachers a year since its inception in 2017, and they want to double that for this year knowing the need will be greater with state school funding expected to be impacted by the pandemic.  The Foundation has set a goal of raising $10,000 for the grants.  As part of that, they are holding a raffle with a grand prize of a family vacation on the Deschutes River in Maupin.  For information, go to northwascoed.org.

With Hood River County seeing 13 new COVID-19 cases after going a couple of weeks without one, County health officials are once again emphasizing the need to wear face coverings in public settings.  County Health Department Health Officer Dr. Christopher Van Tilburg does emphasize face coverings are just one of the key components in trying to prevent the spread of the virus, along with physical distancing, hand hygiene, and staying home when sick.  Van Tilburg adds if you think you have a reason not to wear a face covering consult your physician, but also do not go into public places.

One of the topics that gets tossed around in social media in regards to COVID-19 is the concept of herd immunity, in which people develop immunity through prior infection.  But North Central Public Health District Health Officer Dr. Mimi McDonell and other health experts say that’s not possible with this virus.  McDonell says it would take potentially 80 percent of the population to be exposed the virus and mount an immune response, and the human cost of that would be great with a death rate of 1% makes it unacceptable and not realistic.  McDonell adds she is hopeful about a COVID-19 vaccine…noting there is a lot of work and a number of trials underway for that.

Wasco County added five confirmed and presumed COVID-19 cases Thursday to move its pandemic total to 102, and Hood River County health officials said they added two more to move up to 101.  North Central Public Health District Health Officer Dr. Mimi McDonell said on Mid-Columbia Today that she had expected that to go over the century mark.  McDonell reminds people that while the rising numbers they hear can be concerning, there are steps they can take to reduce risk for themselves and their family.  Those steps include wearing a face covering in public settings, especially indoors, practicing physical distancing, and washing your hands frequently.  Mid-Columbia Medical Center’s Stephanie Bowen told the Wasco County Commission on Wednesday they currently have two COVID-19 patients hospitalized, but bed capacity is not an issue.

The Oregon Health Authority has changed its definition of what it considers as recovery from COVID-19, requiring at least 60 days to pass beyond the onset of symptoms.  Hood River County Health Department Director Trish Elliott explains many people have an inflammatory response to the virus, and it can cause problems later on.  Elliott said local health officials don’t have the resources to track for 60 days, so in conjunction with the definition they will now be reporting the number of people that have been released from isolation and are no longer spreading virus.  In Hood River County’s case, 88 of the 101 COVID-19 cases it has had have been released from isolation.  

Mid-Columbia Medical Center’s Infection Prevention Coordinator says there are options for people who find some face coverings uncomfortable.  Connie Jubitz says some of the possibilities for face coverings include trying a looser covering, a scarf, a bandana, or neck gaiters that sit over the top of the nose.  Jubitz points out the face coverings are one tool in the list of things for people to do to help prevent COVID-19 spread, including social distancing, avoiding crowds in public, and washing your hands.  She also emphasized people need to stay home when they are exhibiting symptoms.  

The Northern Wasco County Aquatic Center will be closed through Friday after two staff members reported feeling ill on Tuesday with COVID-like symptoms.  In a statement, Northern Wasco County Park and Recreation District Executive Director Scott Baker said they made the decision out of an abundance of caution as they await test results on the two who fell ill, and to coordinate testing for all staff who may have been in close contact.  Baker added the district’s number one goal is the health and safety of community members.  Those with questions or concerns can call the District office at 541-296-9533.

Wasco County has seen 52 confirmed and presumed COVID-19 cases in the past two-and-a-half weeks.  Interim North Central Public Health District Director Shellie Campbell told Wasco County Commissioners on Wednesday morning that they are keeping up with contact tracing at this time, but they are hiring more people to help and working with community partners to also assist in their efforts.  District Health Officer Dr. Mimi McDonell said they are seeing certain groups disproportionately affected by COVID-19, including Native American and Latinx populations.  The Oregon Health Authority put it out its weekly update of workplace outbreaks on Wednesday, and three agricultural operations in Wasco and Sherman counties were added to the list.  Orchard View Farms was listed by the OHA with six cases, and Polehn Farms and Azure Standard had five apiece.  McDonell pointed out that medically an outbreak is defined as two or more cases, and the OHA publishes an outbreak of five or more.  Mid-Columbia Medical Center’s Stephanie Bowen said they currently have two COVID-19 patients hospitalized, but bed capacity is not an issue and they continue to be maintaining a 30-day supply of personal protective equipment.

Skamania County health officials reported that they had received word of two more positive COVID-19 cases on Wednesday morning during a County Board of Health meeting.  The County has seen 17 reported COVID-19 cases in the last two weeks, and only having three over the course of three months.  County Community Health Director Kirby Richards said the cases are spread from Underwood to Washougal.  County Deputy Health Officer Dr. Steve Krager told the board that they are feeling the effects of a region-wide increase in transmission, adding much of that comes from workplace settings and emphasizing the importance of following safety protocols on the job.  Richards said none of the current COVID-19 cases in Skamania County have required hospitalization, but she added a number of them are sick.  The board approved a contract with Public Health Institute to help with contact tracing.  Skamania County is joining onto a contract with Clark County for those services.

Hood River County Health Department Director Trish Elliott says they added two confirmed or presumptive COVID-19 cases between Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning, moving the County up to 11 in the past week, and 99 since March.  Elliott says the cases in the past week are a combination of workplace outbreak, travel-related, and a couple of sporadic cases.  She notes the travel-related cases do not involve tourists coming to Hood River, but rather people who went to an area with a high rate of transmission.  Elliott says none of the cases in the last week have resulted in hospitalization, and they are seeing more younger people testing positive.  She adds they continue to investigate the workplace exposures, and they are awaiting test results.