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Oregon state senator honored for pressing for fixes to Oregon’s foster care system
State Sen. Sara Gelser Blouin has been working on child welfare issues for a long time. In 2007, after being elected to the Oregon House for Corvallis, the Democrat sponsored Karly’s Law, which strengthened protections for abused children. In 2015, she was elected to the state Senate, where she spearheaded legislation that makes investigations into […]
Oregon scientists know enough about Omicron to be worried
The latest Covid-19 variant of concern has never appeared in Oregon – ever. Dr. Melissa Sutton, the Oregon Health Authority’s medical director of respiratory viral pathogens, reviewed all of the state’s genome sequencing data on Covid-19 samples last week. She told the Capital Chronicle that none of the samples resembled Omicron. But that’s likely to […]
State officials step up testing for Omicron variant
State officials said they’re stepping up variant testing to identify Omicron when it arrives in Oregon. The new strain, which was first detected last month in Botswana and then South Africa, turned up in California on Wednesday, and on Thursday three new cases emerged in New York, Minnesota and Colorado. It might only be days […]
After more than three decades, U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio is done with Congress
Peter DeFazio was waiting for three things to happen before he ended his decades-long congressional career. First, Donald Trump needed to be out of the White House. Second, Oregon needed its long-awaited sixth congressional district. And finally, Democrats needed to control Congress. He finally checked those three boxes this year, and now he’s ready to […]
DeFazio’s retirement decision triggers political watch for candidates; 2 declare to run
Just hours after U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio announced his intention to retire from Congress at the end of his term in 2022, a state official revealed she hoped to replace him. But Labor Commissioner Val Hoyle, a Democrat, won’t be alone in seeking to represent Oregon’s 4th Congressional District. Democratic watchers said state Sens. Sara […]
Federal government awards Oregon health providers nearly $120 million
The Biden administration has started to distribute $7.5 billion in American Rescue Plan funds to more than 40,000 health care providers in each state and in Washington D.C. and six U.S. territories who’ve been hurt by the pandemic. Nearly $120 million was earmarked for about 480 providers in Oregon. The grants are mostly for hospitals, […]
Oregon health officials work on voluntary digital vaccine card
The Oregon Health Authority plans to offer a digital vaccine card to Oregonians next spring. It is not a passport: The technology is designed as a convenience for people who need to show proof of vaccination on their phone to get into a concert or restaurant, for example. Alarmist rumors circulating on social media about […]
Hundreds still languish in Oregon hospitals, waiting a place to go for continued care
UPDATED: Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021 at 9:56 a.m. Throughout the pandemic, hundreds of people at any one time have languished for weeks and even months in hospital beds they didn’t need. They should have been in a lower level of care. But nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, long-term care and other treatment centers in Oregon have […]
Oregon officials watching for Omicron, urge vaccinations, boosters ‘soon as possible’
The Oregon Health Authority said Monday that the new Covid-19 variant, Omicron, is likely to reach the United States and that Oregonians should be vaccinated to protect themselves. In a news release, Dr. Dean Sidelinger, the state epidemiologist, said the state shares public worries about the variant, which was first identified in Botswana in southern […]
Amazon sites, Salem Hospital have longest lasting Covid-19 outbreaks in Oregon – 20 months
Coronavirus cases have dipped recently in Oregon, and widespread outbreaks in long-term care facilities across the state appear to be in the past, at least for now. But outbreaks continue to dog three workplaces in Oregon: Amazon’s warehouse in Troutdale, another Amazon facility in Salem and Salem Hospital. All three appeared in the health authority’s […]
Medical professionals want mental health program extended to Oregon nurses
The pandemic’s been tough on nurses in Oregon. They picked up extra shifts, worked overtime and endured relentless tragedy. Most are mentally exhausted, and many are considering leaving the profession, surveys show. But help is likely on the way. A lawmaker and a group of medical professionals are working to include nurses in a mental […]
Tribal elders lose their appeal over land on Mount Hood they consider sacred
Two tribal elders lost their latest attempt to regain a patch of land on Mount Hood they consider sacred. In a five-page decision, the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals dismissed the case on Wednesday. It has been pending on appeal since May. The two sides argued their case before the court last week. The […]