Local News
KWSO News for Wed., Jul. 29, 2020
Jul
The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Covid-19 Tuesday afternoon update (7/28/20) reported three more cases of coronavirus for a total of 168. 109 people have recovered. There have been three deaths.
The total number of tests done at the Health and Wellness Center is 1887. There are 45 test results pending. So far, sixteen hospitalizations have occurred due to Covid-19 with 8 of those individuals having been discharged.
The Warm Springs Tribal Council plans to meet with the COVID-19 Response Team this Friday to hear their recommendations for reopening the tribal organization next week. The current shutdown is through August 3rd. The Council will decide whether the organization will reopen August 4th or extend the shutdown.
The number of positive cases on the reservation has increased rapidly this month, with more members requiring hospitalization. Tribal Community Health Services Manager Katie Russell told the Spilyay Tymoo that “If we want to stop the spread of the virus in the community, we need to stay home, especially when instructed by medical staff.” “Wearing a facemask when around others is helpful, but staying away from people outside of the house is a better way to stop the spread of the virus.”
COVID-19 has claimed 14 more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 303. The Oregon Health Authority reported Tuesday, 342 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 bringing the state total to 17,416.
Out of an abundance of caution for the safety of tribal fishers, and lower than expected catches, member tribes have opted not to set another commercial gillnet opening this week for Zone 6. The platform fishery, however, will remain open for both subsistence and commercial use. The tribes urge fishers to stay healthy, observe social distancing, wear masks, and prepare for the upcoming fall season commercial fishery.
Two Warm Springs youth, Yvonne Greene and ChaCha Ramirez , have been asked to represent the Pacific Northwest basketball team at an international basketball tournament planned for next summer in the Dominican Republic. Yvonne and ChaCha are raising the funds to cover their travel expenses. You can read more about the girls fundraising efforts in the latest edition of the Spilyay Tymoo.
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Officials say under new COVID-19 metrics, students in most Oregon counties may not be able to return to their classrooms this fall. Gov. Kate Brown on Tuesday said in order to start any form of in-person learning, counties must have fewer than 10 cases per 100,000 population over a span of seven days for three weeks in a row. In addition, the county and state must have a positivity rate of 5% or less over seven days. State epidemiologist Dean Sidelinger said at a press conference Tuesday that currently, Oregon is not where it needs to be to safely reopen. Portland Public Schools said Tuesday that it will have online classes only until at least Nov. 5.
The Oregon Department of Human Services says it has received approval by the federal Food and Nutrition Service to continue in August to provide increased food benefits and waive the interview requirement for new applicants – making it faster and easier for Oregonians to access benefits. Current SNAP households will automatically receive the additional allotment in the same way they receive their current benefits. For most customers this is an EBT card and no additional action is needed. The additional benefit amount will be disbursed on August 11th for current SNAP households not receiving the SNAP maximum allotment, and on August 29th for new customers who did not receive the August 11th allotment and are not receiving the maximum benefit.
Despite the pandemic’s disruption of the 20-20 Census, officials are hopeful they can avoid repeating the nearly 5 percent undercount of American Indian and Alaskan Natives in 20-10. KLCC’s Brian Bull reports:
