What went wrong and how we fix it: Oregon’s sluggish rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations
Updated Jan 10, 2021;
Posted Jan 10, 2021
Receptionist Maribel Hidalgo displays her vaccination card after receiving the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at the Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center in Hillsboro, Oregon, on January 8, 2021.Brooke Herbert/The Oregonian
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As Pat Kaczmarek walked through Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Washington County recently, she was startled to see a COVID-19 vaccination clinic underway.
She said she saw only clinic workers standing idly by. No one, it appeared, was in line to receive the vaccine.
Kaczmarek works at a grocery store and is at greater risk of coronavirus complications due to her age, 66.
Oregon Legislature: Special session covers COVID-19 relief as protestors try to wrest open doors Claire Withycombe, Salem Statesman Journal
VIDEO: Arrests made following protests at Oregon State Capitol
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As protestors and police clashed outside, lawmakers met in a special session Monday to pass measures to deal with the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s the third time lawmakers have met for an emergency session in what has been an extraordinary year, marked by the pandemic, widespread protests and blistering wildfires.
Here’s what lawmakers did on Monday:
Extended a statewide ban on evicting renters until the end of June
SALEM, Ore.- When Governor Kate Brown called a long-anticipated special session, the one-day limit put pressure on law makers to take action.
“When the governor decided not to call a session where we could all operate completely remotely, it was really important for us to have a narrow agenda with some agreed upon ground rules so we could get done in a day,” said Speaker of the House Tina Kotek.
One of the biggest measures passed? An extension on the rent moratorium, meaning the threat of eviction no longer hangs over some renters this holiday season.
“This bill is a deeply reasonable compromise that protects both tenants and landlords,” said Cybill Head with the Oregon Law Center. Following the session, Head spoke alongside the Stable Homes for Oregon Families coalition.
Oregon lawmakers make quick work of COVID-19-related special session Claire Withycombe, Salem Statesman Journal
As protestors and police clashed outside, lawmakers met in a special session Monday to pass measures to deal with the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s the third time lawmakers have met for an emergency session in what has been an extraordinary year, marked by the pandemic, widespread protests and blistering wildfires.
Here’s what lawmakers did on Monday:
Extended a statewide ban on evicting renters until the end of June.
Partially shielded schools from lawsuits from people who get COVID-19 as long as they comply with emergency health precautions meant to stem the spread of the virus. Lawmakers in favor touted this as a first step toward opening more schools for in-person instruction.
Oregon lawmakers zipped through a one-day special session today, their third special session of 2020. As protesters unhappy with public health precautions against COVID-19 rallied outside the Capitol, smashing windows and bullying reporters, lawmakers dealt with weighty policy bills. At one point, some of the protesters entered the building, which was closed to the public. Senate President Peter Courtney (D-Salem) and House Speaker Tina Kotek (D-Portland) told reporters Monday evening that the Oregon State Police were investigating the security breach. It was very serious, Kotek said. Earlier in the day, lawmakers passed House Bill 4401, which extends an eviction moratorium until June 20, 2021, and appropriates $150 million to a landlord relief fund and $50 million for rental assistance. They also passed Senate Bill 1801, which allows restaurants and bars to sell cocktails and single servings of wine to go, and House Bill 4402, which provides liability protection for schools