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Hello Friends and Neighbors,

Wishing you a Happy 2021 from our family to yours! I hope this year will bring warmth of love and positivity in your life. I started off the new year by being on-call for my entire medical team, which cares for 1,500 vulnerable patients across the Portland metropolitan area. I love my work, providing team-based medical care for homebound and chronically ill patients so they can live their lives with dignity, respect and compassion.

I look forward to once again bringing my professional experiences on the frontlines of our fragmented health care system to the 2021 legislature, especially in my new role as Chair of the House Health Care Committee. It is an honor to be appointed to this role, and I know my experience as a family nurse practitioner has prepared me well for the important job of leading the House Committee on Health Care.

I have also been appointed a member to the Economic Recovery and Prosperity Committee. I know that the sacrifices to keep our communities healthy have hurt small businesses and their employees, and I am incredibly proud of the Oregonians who have taken this crisis seriously and saved lives, and helping them recover as a member of this Committee is a top priority for me. I voted to protect small businesses from eviction, and I’m working with Chambers of Commerce and individual local businesses to make sure they get the direct relief they need to keep their doors open.

As our communities face the most pressing public health crisis we have seen in decades, the Legislature must act to remove barriers to health care access, support families, assist small businesses and protect our health care workers. Oregonians are facing crises that demand urgent action. I’m grateful for the diverse perspectives that my colleagues will bring as we all work together to help Oregonians navigate the big challenges that lie ahead. The House will convene on Monday, January 11 to swear in members. The 2021 Legislative Session will officially begin on Tuesday, January 19.

While the holiday lights, the menorahs and ornaments were put away and 2020 is in the rear view mirror, the pandemic didn’t disappear. Still ahead are the long dark days of winter. But there is an air of hope. It’s arriving in the form of of health care workers and vulnerable members residing in long term care being vaccinated. We’re still in this together and we’re still forging ahead.

Coronavirus Vaccine Distribution

Oregon health care workers, families, schools, and businesses are all counting on rapid vaccine distribution, and I know Oregonians are eager for more information about the process. Oregon Health Authority Director Patrick Allen and Oregon State Chief Medical Officer Dana Hargunan will be answering media questions today at 2:30, where they will discuss the progress of COVID-19 vaccinations in Oregon. Tune in via zoom here ([link removed]) .
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By percentage of our population, Oregon has administered about the same number of vaccinations as other states, and distribution is continuing to ramp up quickly. We have already increased vaccinations from about 3,700 given in our first week to over 29,000 in the last week. Additionally, Oregon is the only state in the country where dentists can do vaccinations, thanks to legislation passed last year, and a Portland dentist recently became the first in the country ([link removed]) to administer the COVID-19 vaccine.

While distribution has started more slowly ([link removed]) than hoped, progress is expected to pick up soon. Governor Kate Brown has instructed the Oregon Health Authority to partner as widely as possible to ensure we are using all available resources to ramp up Oregon's vaccinations rapidly, and OHA will be working with health care providers, pharmacies, community organizations, and local public health partners to streamline the distribution process. The OHA has also been instructed to achieve the benchmark of 12,000 vaccinations administered in Oregon per day by the end of the next two weeks, which will put us on track to deploy every vaccine we have in our hands each week.

We are making steady progress, but we must move even more quickly when every vaccination has the potential to save someone’s life. All states are grappling with the same logistical and financial challenges. With little central coordination or guidance from the federal level, our state and local health authorities have had a tremendous burden throughout the pandemic. It’s concerning to see the pace of the vaccine rollout hampered by limited federal resources dedicated to distribution. As this story ([link removed]) notes, the federal government is going to fall short of their target of 20 million Americans vaccinated by the end of the year. I acknowledge that this is certainly a monumental effort, but we must vaccinate the population much faster to establish herd immunity, save as many lives, and return to a fully functioning economy.

It’s encouraging to see stories of Oregonians getting the vaccine, likemembers and residents ([link removed]) at nursing homes ([link removed]) , where outbreaks have been a leading cause of deaths ([link removed]) during the pandemic.

Yesterday, OHA recorded 2,550 doses of vaccine administered – including nine second doses – raising the state’s total number of doses administered to 51,275. This figure is based on preliminary reports of 1,663 doses administered yesterday, as well as 887 administered on prior days that had not been recorded.

All vaccinations occurred at Oregon hospitals, long-term care facilities, emergency medical service (EMS) agencies, urgent care facilities and Local Public Health Authorities (LPHAs). To date, 190,500 doses of vaccine have been delivered to sites across Oregon.

As to the prioritization of the distribution, Oregon Health Authority completed recruitment for its Vaccine Advisory Committee (VAC) that will determine the sequence in which new COVID-19 vaccines are distributed around the state. The 27-member committee will advise OHA on vaccine sequencing for phases 1b, 1c and 2 of the state’s vaccine distribution plan, with the goal of prioritizing communities most affected by COVID-19, and will be grounded in OHA’s definition of health equity. Members of this committee represent communities that have been unjustly impacted by COVID-19, including tribal communities and communities of color, and OHA is committed to involving community members in the decision-making processes that affect their lives.

The committee’s first public meeting is Thursday, Jan. 7, from 9 a.m. to noon. The meeting can be accessed via conference line at 669-254-5252; meeting ID: 160 583 9896.

For more information about the committee, visit theVaccine Advisory Committee information page ([link removed]) . Comments or questions can be emailed to [email protected].

Coronavirus Update

As of yesterday COVID-19 has claimed six more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 1,506. Oregon Health Authority reported 728 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 118,453.

As of yesterday, the number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 477. There are 102 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is seven fewer than yesterday. The total number of patients in hospital beds may fluctuate between report times. The numbers do not reflect admissions per day, nor the length of hospital stay. Staffing limitations are not captured in this data and may further limit bed capacity.More information about hospital capacity can be found here
([link removed]) .

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (10), Clackamas (67), Clatsop (2), Columbia (10), Coos (20), Curry (2), Deschutes (45), Douglas (14), Harney (2), Jackson (40), Jefferson (6), Josephine (16), Klamath (31), Lake (1), Lane (62), Lincoln (4), Linn (10), Marion (79), Morrow (4), Multnomah (92), Polk (16), Tillamook (2), Umatilla (24), Union (4), Wasco (2), Washington (141) and Yamhill (22).

Unemployment Updates

Right now, all states are waiting to receive rules and instructions from the U.S. Department of Labor. Written guidance is needed before program changes can be implemented and benefits can get out the door. There is still a lot of information we are waiting on, but here are the latest updates:
* OED hopes to start paying the additional $300 weeklyFederal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) ([link removed]) benefit next week
* If you are receiving PUA and still have several weeks of benefits remaining on your claim, it’s possible that you may continue receiving your benefits next week.
* If you are about to exhaust your benefits or file a new PUA claim, OED does not have an estimate yet for when you’ll begin receiving benefits, but they will share that information as soon as possible.
* Oregon will be implementing the Mixed-Earner Unemployment Compensation (MEUC) benefit for ‘hybrid-workers.’ However, this is a brand new program with many rules that are not available yet , and it is expected to be significantly challenging to implement.

In the meantime: continue to file your weekly claim ([link removed]) , no matter which program you are in, and join our next webinar ([link removed]) , where we’ll share more information about federal benefit programs. The webinar is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 7. If you can’t make it, a recording will be posted online afterward

School Reopening

On December 23rd, Governor Brown announced ([link removed]) that she was directing the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) and the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to allow more local flexibility to decide when schools can reopen for in-person learning. The goal is to put more school districts on track to return students to in-person instruction, with a particular focus on elementary school students.

There have been immense challenges ([link removed]) with distance learning, despite the heroic efforts of our educators and parents. Like a lot of folks, I’m concerned about the long-term consequences of this disruption in children’s education and social-emotional development but I also believe any return to the classroom will have to be done deliberately and teachers must feel safe.

The Governor directed her agencies to review the Ready Schools, Safe Learners ([link removed]) guidance to allow students the maximum access to in-person instruction while maintaining health and safety standards. That review will be completed by January 19. I have been in touch with teachers, school board members and superintendents about keeping safety the priority as we continue this discussion.

Resources

Are you a renter looking for more information about the new statewide eviction moratorium? The Oregon Law Center has great resources, including a template declaration financial hardship: [link removed] ([link removed])

Are you a small business owner looking for support during the pandemic? Business Oregon's Small Business Navigator program might be able to help. Learn more about grants and resources available to youhttp://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qNxFGJkX2zv5qGqc7DfGwdJbD9WmRyV1txcJVl5F6mJvJLS1WOBQspjRiGnEljKcPvtdzY5J5SkByvnMEC8X7n767ur3BvDo41Hu2CUHRxBmtozn0QELm7zqTOIkUQAH-745-1IhI4qg2hWJaC-pKxY_3u6Gq_RtSYy92wTvIpbESWE7ZcphIw==&c=NbeYCtoTH7jiJoSZD-X2P5CTRIKzoUmukJRfQf-x7yqIbOsrwn1k6w==&ch=L3CVMZJyn7t8MzqbIkF3er8s6nJc2B3Ng1n_gHeaAnjhR92kRrnCig==[link removed]

To contact the Employment Department, the contact page on their website is the quickest way to get help or information, instead of calling: [link removed]. Additionally you can apply for SNAP (food) benefits here, Oregon Health Plan here and you can find general resources (including housing, utilities, child care, etc) by dialing 211 or looking online at 211info.org.

Please email me (mailto:[email protected]) if you have specific concerns. Our office will do all we can to help and protect all Oregonians.

Covid-19 Resources:
Oregon Information and Resources ([link removed])
Oregon Health Authority Updates ([link removed])
Federal Government Response ([link removed])
Senator Merkley’s Response Page ([link removed])
SEIU Worker Resource Page ([link removed])
Oregon Unemployment ([link removed])

Thank you for reading and stay safe.

Sincerely,
Rachel Prusak

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