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Two More Virus Deaths in County Over the Weekend; 16 Residents Hospitalized

Over the weekend Douglas County has lost two more residents to Covid-19. Our 18th and 19th deaths. Hospitalizations are also up to 16 from 15 on Friday. Today there were 33 new cases. "Our eighteenth COVID related death is a 62-year-old woman who passed away, Friday, November 27, 2020, in Roseburg, Oregon. She was admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with COVID on November 26, 2020. In the interest of privacy for the loved ones of this beloved resident, no additional information will be released. Each death related to COVID-19 is painful for all Douglas County residents, and a reminder of the terrible impact COVID-19 has had in our local communities. The Douglas County Board of Commissioners, Dr. Dannenhoffer, DPHN staff and the DCCRT Team extend our heartfelt condolences and sympathies to all family members, friends, relatives, co-workers and community members of those who have passed after contracting this deadly virus. "Our nineteenth COVID related death is a 96-year-old woman who passed away, Sunday, November 29, 2020, in Roseburg, Oregon. She was diagnosed with COVID on November 15, 2020, and admitted to the hospital on November 25, 2020. In the interest of privacy for the loved ones of this beloved resident, no additional information will be released. Each death related to COVID-19 is painful for all Douglas County residents, and a reminder of the terrible impact COVID-19 has had in our local communities. The Douglas County Board of Commissioners, Dr. Dannenhoffer, DPHN staff and the DCCRT Team extend our heartfelt condolences and sympathies to all family members, friends, relatives, co-workers and community members of those who have passed after contracting this deadly virus." “Today, we sadly mourn the passing of another beloved county resident to this terrible virus. On behalf of my family, my fellow Board of Commissioners, Dr. Dannenhoffer, DPHN staff and the DCCRT team, we send our sincere condolences and prayers to the family, friends and neighbors of this beloved resident,” commented Commissioner Tim Freeman. “Remember, COVID-19 does not take a holiday from spreading making people sick. We know that this holiday season will be hard for many of you, but it is so vitally important for our residents to do everything they can to protect the ones they love by preventing the spread of this deadly virus. Please keep your family and friends healthy by celebrating safely this year by choosing virtual visits instead of in-person visits; sending presents instead of dropping them off in person; postponing holiday parties this year; keeping your holiday celebrations small; limiting interactions with others; safely shop and support local businesses; order take out or delivery from local restaurants; delay travel plans for after the holidays; wear a mask and most important, please stay home if you are sick. Please do your part and help stop this virus from ruining your holidays. Please stay safe and stay healthy." Douglas County, OR - COVID-19" Here is the latest update from DCCRT. JOINT INFORMATION CENTER PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – November 30, 2020 DOUGLAS COUNTY COVID-19 RESPONSE TEAM - DAILY UPDATE (Douglas County, Ore.) Douglas County COVID-19 Test Results: As we bring November to an end, we mark 262 days since our first positive COVID case was reported in Douglas County, and sadly over nine months since coronavirus, COVID-19 and worldwide pandemic took over the headlines in global news. While not a new record, our positive case numbers have jumped to over thirty in Douglas County again today. As of 12:00 pm Today, Monday, November 30, 2020, there are THIRTY-THREE (33) people with new positive test results and ONE (1) presumptive that has been moved to positive with a positive test result since our noon case update yesterday*. The total number of cases (people with positive test results and presumptive) in Douglas County is now at 963*. Currently, there are SIXTEEN (16) Douglas County COVID-19 patients that are being hospitalized, 15 locally and 1 out-of-the-area. Our Douglas County COVID-19 Response Team, under the direction of the Douglas County Board of Commissioners, Dr. Bob Dannenhoffer, our Public Health Officer and Douglas Public Health Network continue to devote all resources available to our local COVID efforts. **Please note: OHA has changed how they are tracking and reporting negative test results, and we hope to have an updated number for you tomorrow. Weekly COVID Series: Week 2: Why Wear a Mask? Last week we started a weekly COVID series and we talked about the root causes of our local COVID outbreaks. This week we want to talk about protection and why it is important to wear a mask, not only if you are sick, but also to protect yourself and others while you are at work, traveling, shopping or visiting with others not from your own household. The U.S. Center for Disease Control, the Oregon Health Authority, and your Douglas County Public Health Officer, Dr. Bob Dannenhoffer, all recommend that everyone wear a mask over their nose and mouth when in public or around others. Masks have been shown to slow the spread of COVID-19, because they help keep people who are infected from spreading respiratory droplets to others when they cough, sneeze, or talk. Health experts across the globe say the evidence is clear that masks can help prevent the spread of COVID-19, and that the more people wearing masks, the better. The wearing of masks is also a sign of caring for the health and safety of others. Wear to show you care! Especially During the Holiday Season - You Are the Key to Controlling the Spread of COVID! It is no secret that the key to stopping the continued spread of the coronavirus is, YOU, our residents, our families, our communities and our businesses. Please celebrate safely this holiday season. Prevention is the best medicine, and not just to help stop the spread of COVID, but for your overall health and wellbeing as well. If each and every individual in our county would make a real concerted effort to implement prevention measures into their daily routine, we could see a huge decrease in our COVID case numbers. We need each and everyone one of our residents to take the necessary steps to minimize the spread of germs and contagions. You can help by staying home this holiday season, keeping gatherings to just your household, maintaining healthier eating habits; incorporate exercise and cleaning routines; being cautious and keeping distance from others; making modifications to how you socialize with others; choosing no contact deliveries and services; and staying home if you are sick. The suggestions we make and the guidelines presented by public health are not just for your health and safety, but for the health and safety of everyone, including our kids, our grandparents, our coworkers, our first responders, our teachers and our businesses. We know we sound like a broken record, but our primary focus is to do everything we can to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of our residents. Dr. Bob Dannenhoffer, Douglas County Public Health Official, urges residents to stay home when they are sick to help protect others from getting sick and spreading disease. This means not only staying home from work and school, but also staying home from all other activities and social events. Please, if you are sick, even if you just have a runny nose or stuffy head, do not got to work or attend gatherings, church, parties, events, weddings, game nights, prayer groups, or go work out at the gym and expose others to your illness. Tips to Help Stop the Spread of COVID Make a habit of washing and sanitizing your hands, regularly. That means washing after you eat, if you touch new surfaces, go to the bathroom, open a door, go to the store, go to the post office or after a meeting. Also try and avoid touching your face as much as possible. Please wear a mask when you are around others not from your household. Not just for your protection, but for the protection of others. Stay at least six feet apart from anyone that is not from your immediate household. This means paying attention to the distance stickers at the store, the bank, at restaurants and at businesses. Please be respectful, kind and polite, by giving people ample space. Stay home from work, school and play if you are sick. This includes not running errands or going shopping or inviting visitors to your home. If you need help, reach out to friends, family or utilize an app or businesses that offer no contact deliveries or services. Minimize travel, especially out of the state and limit visitors to your home. Minimize attending social gatherings or going places where there are large groups of people. The DCCRT team, under the direction of the Douglas County Board of Commissioners, along with Dr. Dannenhoffer and Douglas Public Health Network encourage residents to make prevention measures a part of their everyday routines. Local Cases Being Supported in Isolation and Quarantine Currently, DPHN is supporting 193 cases in isolation, as well as another 423 contacts in quarantine in Douglas County. Isolation is recommended for confirmed and presumptive cases, quarantine is recommended for contacts of confirmed or presumptive cases. Currently, staff is supporting an astounding 616 total contacts in isolation or quarantine. This number represents a snapshot of the significant amount of work being done by our county and Douglas Public Health Network to help control the spread of COVID-19. Getting Tested & Testing Clinics The next drive-through testing clinic will be Tuesday, December 1, 2020, in Roseburg. As a reminder, if you are having symptoms of COVID-19 including cough, fever, shortness of breath, muscle aches and pains, diarrhea, sore throat or decreased sense of smell and taste, talk to your health care provider about being tested for COVID-19. Patients without a Primary Care Provider, that are looking for a COVID-19 test should contact the Sutherlin Aviva Health Clinic at (541) 459-3788. The first drive-through testing site was piloted in the county on March 17, 2020, there have been 2035 people tested in 95 drive-through clinics, while additional testing continues I n hospitals, urgent cares and clinics. The drive-through clinics are led by DPHN, in conjunction with partner agencies including; Douglas County COVID-19 Response Team, Douglas County Board of Commissioners, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Douglas County Public Works, local volunteers and local health professionals. Oregon COVID-19 Case Update Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reports new cases once a day on their website at www.healthoregon.org/coronavirus. OHA also releases a daily situation status report and a weekly report that details the overall picture of the COVID-19 outbreak within our state. The daily report details positive and presumptive cases, as well as deaths by county and statewide, while the weekly report is more in depth and includes statistical data related the severity of cases by age, gender, zip codes, ethnicity, as well as information on workplace and senior care facility outbreaks in Oregon. Find additional information on the state or Federal COVID-19 response go to Oregon Health Authority, Centers for Disease Control, and 211Info. Oregon COVID-19 Presumptive OHA expanded their reporting for COVID-19 case management to now include presumptive COVID-19 cases in their total case number. DPHN is reporting the number of people with new positive test results and any new presumptives and uses the OHA’s definition of presumptive as having had close contact with a known, confirmed COVID-19 case, showing symptoms and not yet having a positive nasal swab/PCR or antigen test for COVID-19. Testing continues, as DPHN has been holding 2-3 clinics a week and hospitals, urgent cares and clinics continue to test. DPHN continues their epidemiologic investigations, identifying individuals who may have had close contact with individuals that have tested positive for COVID-19, advising and supporting quarantine and isolation. OHA Reporting and Definition for Recovered As per the Oregon Health Authority COVID-19 Investigative Guidelines, the number of recovered cases is no longer being assessed or reported by OHA. Up until May 1st, 2020 recovery from COVID-19 was defined as being afebrile (not feverish), without the use of antipyretics (medicine to reduce a fever), and having resolution of cough, shortness of breath and diarrhea for at least 72 hours. As more was learned about symptoms, recovery and contagious period, the definition of recovered changed. Beginning May 1st, OHA stopped reporting recovered cases while also separating recovery from contagious or isolation period. Many cases were no longer contagious, as they were outside of the contagious period, but still having lingering symptoms. To be consistent with OHA and to adapt as we learn more about this new virus, we removed the column in our chart listing recovered cases. At that point, we added the number of those in isolation, roughly indicating active or infectious cases of COVID-19 in Douglas County. Facebook Live with Dr. Bob Please join us Tuesday, December 1, 2020 at 6:00 pm for the next Facebook Live event with Dr. Bob. hosted by DPHN on the DPHN Facebook page. Dr. Bob Dannenhoffer, our Douglas County Public Health Officer will continue their normal schedule of Facebook “Live Q&A Updates” next week with both his Tuesday night at 6:00 pm and Friday night at 4:00 pm on the DPHN Facebook page. Residents are still able to submit their COVID-19 questions to Dr. Bob during the live shows, but you can also email your questions to: Facebookquestions@douglaspublichealthnetwork.org. Dr. Bob and the DPHN team will do their best to respond to as many questions as they can during their weekly updates. Stay Informed with Accurate Local Information LOCAL COVID-19 INFORMATION Stay up to date on COVID-19 in Douglas County on the Douglas County Government website or the DPHN website. Your Douglas County Board of Commissioners, Douglas County Public Health Officer, Dr. Robert Dannenhoffer, DPHN and the Douglas County COVID-19 Response Team (DCCRT) have been working hard to cooperatively provide accurate and timely information to Douglas County residents since March 8, 2020. Our local COVID-19 updates represent the coordinated effort of the agencies that make up the DCCRT. Douglas County Resource/COVID-19 Hotline: (541) 464-6550 Douglas County Commissioners and Douglas Public Health Network have added a resource and referral service to the current COVID-19 hotline for Douglas County residents. The added service will help residents get connected to resources and services due to the local wildfires. Referral and resource information will be available about local emergency shelters, livestock and animal boarding options, donation locations, volunteer opportunities, welfare check referrals, food and water resources and help with health and wellness questions. This is NOT the hotline for Fire Updates or Evacuation information. Please contact or follow DFPA and DCSO for the most up-to-date wildfire information. The Resource/COVID-19 Hotline is (541) 464-6550. It is staffed from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, 7 days a week until further notice. Questions about Governor’s New Statewide Metrics and Rules? If you have questions or need more information on statewide mandates, guidelines or rules, go to the Governor’s COVID-19 website at https://govstatus.egov.com/or-covid-19/ or call the Business Oregon's Navigator Hotline at (833) 604-0880. For information on COVID-19 in other counties and around Oregon, call 211 or visit 211info. Who Do You Contact to Report Compliance Issues with the Governor’s Statewide Rules? Please do not call 911, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office or Douglas County Offices to report compliance issues with the Governor’s orders. The Governor has directed the State offices for Oregon Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) and the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) to be the enforcement agencies responsible for ensuring restaurants, bars, and other businesses comply with COVID-related rules. For more information or to report compliance issues contact: OSHA: (800) 922-2689 or OSHA website or OLCC (503) 872-5000 or OLCC website