KWSO news for Fri., Jan. 8, 2021

All 400 doses of the Moderna Vaccine received in Warm Springs, have been administered at the Health and Wellness Center.  Shots have been given to health care workers, first responders. folks at High Lookee Lodge.  The current focus is to vaccinate individuals 75 years of age and older plus public facing essential staff in the community at markets, stores, casino, etc.   More doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine are expected next week.  Once received, they will continue the current focus for vaccinations.  Once that phase is completed, they will give shots to people 65 and older and 55-64 year olds with risk factors.  The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is given in two doses, 28 days apart.  The vaccination is completed shortly after the second shot.  It is going to take many months for everyone in our community to receive the vaccine so continuing to do everything possible to prevent the spread of COVID-19 remains super important.

There were 5 new positive cases of COVID-19 in Warm Springs according to yesterday’s (1/7/21) Community COVID-19 report.  That’s from 58 tests conducted on Wednesday (1/6/21).  There are currently 31 Active Cases of COVID-19 in Warm Springs with 17 close contacts being monitored by public health.

Limited In Person Instruction (or LIPI) will return to the Warm Springs K-8 Academy for Kindergarten, 1^st & 2^nd grade students starting next Tuesday (1/12/21) thru Friday in the afternoons from 1:30-3:30.  Everyone will still do Comprehensive Distance Learning in the morning.  LIPI attendance is not mandatory so if families want to continue with Comprehensive Distance Learning – they can.  For K thru 2^nd grade students who want to attend LIPI – the bus schedule is available HERE.  All Covid-19 precautions will be in place for LIPI including social distancing and wearing facemasks at the school and on the bus.

On Monday afternoon the WSK8 is having a Winter School Supply and Gift Distribution from 3:30-5:30.  Families can come resupply and pick up a gift for students.

The Oregon Department of Human Services will continue to offer increased food benefits in January 2021, to help Oregonians struggling as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.  This benefit increase applies to current Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients who are receiving less than the maximum allotment. Additionally, in response to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, there is also a temporary increase in SNAP benefits of approximately 15% for all recipients.   SNAP recipients do not have to take any action to receive additional benefits as they will be placed directly on their Oregon EBT cards.

Oregon recreational-cannabis sales soared in 2020, peaking during a challenging summer of racial justice protests and coronavirus lockdowns. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports the result was a record year of business for the state’s marijuana purveyors, based on data from the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, which oversees marijuana sales. Total marijuana sales in Oregon jumped from $795 million in 2019 to more than $1 billion — for the year that just ended. State tax revenue from marijuana sales in 2020 likely will exceed $150 million. Much of that will go toward substance-abuse screening and programs to address addiction.