ONTARIO
As Malheur County ranks nearly last in the state for COVID-19 vaccine rates, officials are finding creative ways to get people to get their shot. On the heels of Gov. Kate Brown rolling out many cash incentives for people to get vaccinated for COVID-19 on Friday, the health department is gearing up to pass out some freebies, too. As such, the first 250 people who get vaccines at the agencyâs clinic at Four River Cultural Center on Thursday will get a $20 gift card to be used at local businesses.
According to information on Monday from Malheur County Health Department, Malheur County ranks 35th out of 36 counties for COVID-19 vaccination rates, and an additional 8,081 people age 16 and older need to be vaccinated to reach the 65% goal.
Oregon requires businesses to check for proof of vaccination for non-maskers
New guidance from Oregon Health Authority now requires businesses to check a customer s vaccine status if they want to relax their guidelines. Author: Katija Stjepovic (KTVB) Updated: 10:19 PM MDT May 23, 2021
ONTARIO, Ore. Most businesses in Idaho are relying on the honor code when customers without a mask say they are vaccinated, but that s not the case across the border in Oregon.
New guidance from Oregon Health Authority now requires businesses to check a customer s vaccine status if they want to relax their guidelines.
Restaurant owners like Jason Jugling, the owner of Plaza Inn in Ontario, wish the new health guidelines were clearer. Despite the new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Jugling is still requiring masks to be worn in his establishment.
ONTARIO — Origins Faith Community, a local faith-based organization and one of the entities working with the transitional housing shelter in Ontario, offered COVID-19 testing and vaccination clinics free of
Updated: 11:30 AM PDT May 19, 2021
PORTLAND, Ore. About 49% of Oregon s population has had at least one dose of COVID vaccine, but some counties are struggling to boost demand beyond much lower numbers.
Joseph Fiumara is the public health director of Umatilla County, which has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the state. Oregon Health Authority data shows 26% of Umatilla County s total population has received at least one shot. That comes out to 33%-36% of its eligible population. [There s] a reluctance to receive it, or straight up opposition, Fiumara explained.
He said the numbers are likely a little higher due to gaps in reporting. A number of Umatilla County residents receive health care at the Walla Walla VA or in Tri-Cities, Washington. Vaccination numbers on Indian reservations also bypassed the county and state, getting sent directly to the federal government.
ONTARIO
Oregonians who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will no longer need to wear masks or social distance in most public spaces, whether inside or outside. The announcement came Thursday by Gov. Kate Brown, who said the move was in line with the Centers for Disease Controls new guidance issued earlier that day.
âIt is yet another sign that, if we all continue to do our part, the pandemic is coming closer to an end,â said Brown in a video statement.
The CDC says exceptions include public transportation, hospitals, health-care clinics, correctional facilities and long-term care facilities. Per that guidance, Oregon will continue to require masks and social distancing in those circumstances, according to Brown.