KWSO News Mon., Dec. 14, 2020

There were 6 new cases of COVID-19 reported for Warm Springs in today’s Community COVID-19 Update (12/14/20).  Those results were from 89 tests conducted on Friday (12/11/20).   Last week there were a total of 67 new cases of COVID-19 on the Reservation.  That compares to 41 total cases the week of November 30^th and 35 new cases the week of November 23^rd.  Please remember that if you have not been around family or friends – you need to maintain separation from them to prevent the possible spread of COVID-19.  If someone does not live in your household – don’t gather with them.  Remember to wear a face mask and maintain social distance of at least 6 feet anytime you are around someone that is not part of your household.  That’s something we all can do to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Here are links to the Tribal Council Summaries for November 30, December 7, 8 and 9, 2020:

• CTWS Tribal Council Summary for 120820
• CTWS Tribal Council Summary for 120720
• CTWS Tribal Council Summary for 120920
• CTWS Tribal Council Summary for 113020

Warm Springs Early Childhood Education Center is closed. ECE Manager Casandra Moses announced on Friday that due to unfortunate circumstances from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Early Childhood Education Center is unable to operate the facility and it is anticipated to reopen December 21^st. Billing will be adjusted as needed for families and any questions about that can be directed to Nancy Mendez at ECE.

Due to icy road conditions in some areas, the school district’s food services meal delivery for youth will be delayed by two hours this morning. You can pick up meals at the normal sites, just two hours later than you normally do.

COVID-19 has claimed six more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 1,155, along with 1,048 new cases, the Oregon Health Authority reported Sunday. That brings the state total to 93,853 cases and 2,155,333 negative test results.

(AP) The Indian Health Service says it’s expecting more than enough vaccines to protect all the people working in the hospitals and clinics that it funds. IHS was treated much like a state for distribution purposes, the Associated Press reports. It submitted a plan to vaccinate more than 2 million Native Americans and Alaska Natives. The agency expects to receive 22,425 doses of the Pfizer vaccine this week and 46,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine by the end of the year. Those doses will cover the more than 44,000 people who work at hundreds of facilities that are receiving vaccine allocations through the Indian Health Service.

More than 200 million dollars in direct payments were made from the U-S Treasury Department to all Oregon tribes this year – all part of the CARES Act of 2020, to help native communities’ emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic. But as KLCC’s Brian Bull reports, the allocated money must be spent by year’s end, which puts the tribes in a bit of a bind:

(Support for this coverage comes from Underscore.news, a Portland, Oregon-based public service journalism organization)