State of Emergency for CTWS

Warm Springs Tribal Council issued notice to Tribal Membership on Friday, March 13, 2020, that a State of Emergency is declared.  You can read their notice HERE  and below.

March 13, 2020

To: Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Tribal Membership

The Warm Springs Tribal Council per motion today declared a “State of Emergency”.

“Warm Springs Tribal Council is responsible for the Health and Welfare for our people and promotes our general welfare. Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs in partnership with Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Indian Health Service (IHS) declares a State of Emergency as a proactive measure to ensure access to resources in addressing COVID-19 Corona Virus.”

With the concerns of the Corona Virus (COVID-19) increasing in our community as well as across the nation, the Tribal Government is working closely with the Warm Springs Health and Wellness Center to  evaluate and ensure the health and safety of our community.

There are NOT any confirmed or presumptive cases of COVID-19 on the reservation as of t oday. The Warm Springs Health and Wellness center has activated their Incident Command Center . This is to help the community receive the best quality of care and be able to service the community in an effective and efficient manner. They are having all patients come through the main entrance for triage screening.

The Tribal Council has passed a motion to restrict travel of all tribal employees to be determined by the General Managers and Directors. This was done for the safety of our community. This travel restriction will be in place until the Tribal Council removes the restrictions.

We ask that you utilize the Warm Springs Health and Wellness Center call in number at (541)553-5512 available Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Also, if you are ill or a family member is ill, please stay home from work and try not to come in close contact with others. Please keep yourselves and your family safe by continuing to thoroughly wash your hands and use good hygiene practice. Consider keeping your distance from others at 3 to 6 feet. Be aware of personal contact and limit handshaking or high fives and be aware of potential exposures by limiting your activities that involve large crowds or groups of people, elders and others that have compromised immune systems. You can find more information about COVID-19 at www.cdc.gov.

Keep in mind the best way to protect yourself from the COVID-19 is to prevent the spread by frequent and thorough handwashing, avoiding contact with your face, eyes, nose, or mouth , cover your cough or sneeze with tissue then dispose of the tissue. Please clean and disinfect surfaces of your home and the points of entry to your home and vehicles.

The COVID-19 symptoms include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, please call the Warm Springs Health and Wellness Center at (541) 553-5512. PLEASE DO NOT GO STRAIGHT TO THE CLINIC, call first so that your condition can be assessed. Medical professionals will be standing by and available to talk to you and help determine whether you should be seen by a doctor at the clinic or if someone needs to potentially come to you. If you are showing signs of COVID-19, please express those concerns on the phone to the st aff so we can triage you properly and safely.

We will continue to assess our community and keep you informed of any changes that are recommended and how we will operate as the situation progresses.

Stay Safe,

Raymond Tsumpti Sr., Chariman, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Tribal Council