Oregon State Penitentiary (Courtesy/Wikimedia Commons) Felishia Ramirez recalled three desperate days in December trying to get an answer from the Oregon Department of Corrections about whether her uncle was alive or not. Her uncle, Juan Tristan, was incarcerated at the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem during last winter’s surge of[Read More…]
Tag: COVID IN OREGON
For a third time, Salem braces for stringent Covid restrictions
Wild Pear in downtown Salem urges diners to get takeout during the COVID-19 pandemic (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Matthew Rolph, a 33-year-old Salem bartender, had one word to describe bars and restaurants being ordered to again shut down for indoor service in response to rising Covid numbers. “It’s stressful,” he said. [Read More…]
Polk County moved into “high risk” category. But another shutdown is off the table — for now
A sign at a west Salem business helps customers understand the new rules. (Ron Cooper/Special to Salem Reporter) After weeks of rising Covid cases, Polk County will see increased pandemic restrictions on businesses. Marion County has also seen an uptick in cases recently, but restrictions won’t change until more Oregonians[Read More…]
Oregon won’t approve Covid exposure app, citing limited resources
Austin Griffith, a medic with Woodburn Ambulance Service, administers a Covid test during a free drive-through testing clinic on Tuesday, Aug. 25. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Oregon said Tuesday it won’t approve widely adopted technology that would allow smartphone users to be notified if they are potentially exposed to COVID-19, saying[Read More…]
Report from state auditors raises concerns about Oregon’s response to Covid in long-term care facilities
Salem Transitional Care (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Oregon’s reactive approach to regulating long-term care facilities likely contributed to Covid deaths in nursing homes and other congregate care settings, a report by state regulators has found. State officials have highlighted that Oregon has fared relatively well during the pandemic, with fewer infections[Read More…]
After weeks of declining Covid cases, Polk County will see restrictions eased
Customers browse through the Thursday West Salem Farmer’s Market on Edgewater Street. (Ron Cooper/Salem Reporter) Beginning Friday, pandemic restrictions will be a little more relaxed west of the Willamette River in Salem. Polk County, which includes west Salem, will move from the state’s “high risk” category to “moderate risk” after[Read More…]
Uncategorized Oregon health officials expect Covid vaccinations to accelerate, but more contagious Covid variants and looser restrictions could challenge progress
Dr. Dean Sidelinger, the Oregon state health officer, announces new state restrictions in a news conference in Portland on Thursday, March 12. (Jonathan House/Pamplin Media) Oregon health officials and Gov. Kate Brown on Friday said the state is on the verge of conquering the Covid pandemic, but could be waylaid[Read More…]
As harvest season looms, agriculture and farmworker groups clash over Covid regulations
A farm worker in Malheur County. (Yadira Lopez/Malheur Enterprise) As Willamette Valley farmers and agricultural workers prepare for the 2021 season, a regulatory battle is playing out over state rules intended to reduce the risk of Covid spreading in farmworker housing. The Oregon Farm Bureau is seeking to overturn state[Read More…]
Coming to a Salem pharmacy near you: Covid vaccinations
Avi Singh draws up a dose of the Pfizer vaccine during a COVID-19 vaccine clinic at the Oregon State Fairgrounds on Thursday, Jan. 28. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Over the course of his career as a pharmacist, Trushar Patel has given out hundreds of vaccinations. He’s never been as excited as[Read More…]
A state program paying workers to quarantine is sending cash to north Salem and Woodburn
A sign at Salud Medical Center in Woodburn on Wednesday, April 29. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Latinos and residents of less affluent parts of Marion County have been the biggest local beneficiaries of a state program intended to help workers isolate themselves after exposure to Covid. In September, the Oregon Department[Read More…]
