Unacast, a data company that provides cellphone location data and analysis, recently revealed a product called the Social Distancing Scoreboard. The scoreboard provides letter grades for every county and state in America based on how residents are practicing social distancing.
According to Unacast, Lincoln County received an “A” rating and is one of only two of Oregon’s 36 counties who received this rating, the other being Clatsop County to the north.
Nationally, Lincoln County is listed just 44th out of more than 3,000 counties in the United States.
This data indicates residents in Lincoln County are ahead of over 98 percent of the nation in terms of cutting down non-essential travel and average mobility overall. Non-essential visits are down almost 90 percent and mobility has dropped by over half according to the data.
Unacast’s scores haven’t been reviewed by public health officials, according to the Washington Post.
Unacast isn’t the only tech company mining data for the public good. Facebook uses anonymized data from its users to power its Disease Prevention Maps, Kinsa Health’s data from its smart thermometers is used to detect illness levels for its US Health Weather Map.
Some privacy advocates, such as the Electronic Freedom Foundation, have expressed concern about how civil liberties are being eroded during this crisis, but public health officials contend the benefits outweigh the potential drawbacks, as it allows them to fine-tune their efforts at informing the public.
On April 1 at 11:05 a.m. a northbound vehicle near milepost 152 of US highway 101 slid on hail during a sudden hailstorm.
OSP Trooper Scott Severson reported the vehicle driven by Luis Ricardo Garcia, 45, rotated and left the roadway on the southbound shoulder. The Vehicle collided with a utility pole and came to an uncontrolled rest facing southwest.
The driver reported no injuries. Construction workers nearby arranged for a tow through Rowley’s Towing.
Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office assisted at the scene.
Lincoln County Public Health announced today another positive case of COVID-19. The new case brings Lincoln County’s total to 3 confirmed cases.
This individual is in the “over 80” age range and had contact with a person confirmed to have COVID-19. The person is not hospitalized and is self-isolating per Public Health guidelines.
“Whenever we get a new positive COVID-19 case, Lincoln County Public Health interviews the patient who tested positive. This helps us determine who they had contact with that might be at risk of getting COVID-19.” said Nicole Fields, Deputy Director of Public Health, “When we identify someone who might be at risk, Public Health will call them and explain the circumstances. This happens within a few hours.”
Public Health then asks the person at risk to self-quarantine for 14 days after their last contact with the person that tested positive. During this time they monitor themselves for any potential symptoms while staying at home and avoiding contact with others. If they develop symptoms, they will work with providers to determine if they should be tested.
“Public health consistently investigates disease outbreaks and will continue to do so, but what is important during this pandemic is that we all stay home and stay safe.”
The best way to protect yourself is to avoid exposure to the virus. For the latest information, guidelines, and resources for those affected, go to Lincoln County’s website www.co.lincoln.or.us/covid or call 541-265-0621.
If you have symptoms and think you need testing, contact your doctor. Testing is done at providers’ discretion and does not require approval from public health. As more testing is done, we expect to find more cases in the community. You can find up-to-date numbers on cases of COVID-19 in Oregon at healthoregon.org/coronavirus .
Stay informed
Regional response: Lincoln County updates its site with COVID-19 news and guidance.
Oregon response: The Oregon Health Authority leads the state response.
United States response: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention leads the U.S. response.
Global Response: The World Health Organization guides the global response.
Lincoln County Public Health announced today Lincoln County’s second positive case of COVID-19, bringing Lincoln County’s total to two confirmed cases.
Lincoln County is in close coordination with Oregon Health Authority (OHA) about these cases. Test results are now coming from multiple laboratories and are delivered electronically to providers, counties and OHA throughout the day. As a result, some counties may release county data sooner than it is reported on the Oregon Health Authority website. www.healthoregon.org/coronavirus .
This individual is in their 20s and had contact with a person confirmed to have COVID-19. The person is not hospitalized and is self-isolating per public health guidelines.
“As a public health department, we are prepared to start seeing more positives and to take action to help keep people safe,” Deputy Director of Public Health Nicole Fields said. “However, that certainly doesn’t make the news of another positive case any easier to hear. We’re a small community, and these are our friends and neighbors. Please, stay home and stay safe.”
Health officials continue to urge all Oregonians to take steps to protect those who are most vulnerable to complications from COVID-19.
Slowing the spread helps protect our most vulnerable community members and will help keep our health system working when we need it most. These measures are intended to help us “flatten the curve” or slow the number of people who are ill at any given time to ensure our health systems continue to function well when we need them most.
The best way to protect yourself is to avoid exposure to the virus. There are easy steps you can take to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and many types of illness – including the flu – especially to older adults and those with underlying chronic diseases:
Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue and then throw the tissue in the trash.
Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
Clean and disinfect surfaces that are often touched.
Try to maintain space between yourself and others.
A growing number of commercial labs offer COVID-19 testing. If you have symptoms and think you need testing, contact your doctor. Testing through commercial labs is at providers’ discretion and does not require approval from public health. As more testing is done, we expect to find more cases in the community. You can find up-to-date numbers on cases of COVID-19 in Oregon at healthoregon.org/coronavirus .
Stay informed
Regional response: Lincoln County updates its site with COVID-19 news and guidance.
Oregon response: The Oregon Health Authority leads the state response.
United States response: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention leads the U.S. response.
Global Response: The World Health Organization guides the global response.
Lincoln County Emergency Public Information Call Center is answering the public’s questions and keeping mental health in check with trained volunteers to take pressure off of essential services.
Homepage staff called the Lincoln County Emergency Call Center at 541-265-0621 Tuesday morning to see why people would call and what questions they could ask. A trained volunteer answered the phone and gave us the skinny on what questions they were fielding, what callers could expect to learn and why the call center is necessary.
“If I can be a calm in the storm for somebody, then that makes it worthwhile,” a call center volunteer said. The man said he was a therapist in Lincoln County and is donating his services –three days a week — to help people through these difficult times.
Our therapist told us people can ask all kinds of questions, including, mental health, where to get food, symptoms and concerns of COVID-19 and even why vacation rentals are still renting.
The call center has been established to take pressure off other agencies in emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Freeing up phone lines of essential services by taking the public’s questions is part of why the call center exists.
From the Lincoln County website:
The Lincoln County Emergency Public Information Call Center was implemented in 2018 to provide critical information resources to community members impacted by disaster or large community emergency response. The Call Center, when activated, is staffed by local public safety volunteers under the direction of the County Emergency Operations Center and lead County Public Information Officer.
The center is staffed with Lincoln County professional volunteers from all walks of life, including nurses, behavioral health professionals and law enforcement personnel.
An extensive bank of links is available to call center staff, allowing them to handle most calls and they also have the ability to research information and call people back. In some cases they will rout calls to the appropriate staff.
Mental health has become a hot topic as thousands of Lincoln City residents shelter at home in a concerted effort to slow the virus spread. The call center is ready to take calls from the public about anything they want to talk about.
“We’re here to answer all your questions,” another call center volunteer said. “We can all get through this together.”
The call center is open Monday-Friday 9 a.m. – 1 p.m and can also be reached by email: [email protected]
The Lincoln County Emergency Public Information Call Center was implemented in 2018 to provide critical information resources to community members impacted by disaster or large community emergency response. The Call Center, when activated, is staffed by local public safety volunteers under the direction of the County Emergency Operations Center and lead County Public Information Officer.
Chinook Winds Casino Resort announced Tuesday it will stay closed through at least April 15, lay off employees and cancel hotel bookings due to Covid-19.
The coastal attraction is the largest employer in Lincoln City and the extended closure affects hundreds of Lincoln City citizens.
A decision to shut down all operations took place March 17, with the Siletz Tribal Council and senior executive team setting a goal to re-open by April 1. Employees were paid throughout this initial closure, but Chinook Winds said it “made the difficult decision to temporarily lay off a majority of employees effective April 1.”
The casino resort said the decision was based on their ability to provide a safe environment for employees and guests and would reopen as soon as the “crisis” was over and would “bring all employees back.”
“We look forward to bringing the team back as soon as this crisis is over and it is safe to re-open,” General Manager Michael Fisher said. Employees health premiums will still be paid throughout the closure.
All hotel reservations will be canceled automatically through the closure. Guests with a reservation after the April 15 will be notified of their reservation status if the closure is extended.
Chinook Winds has set up an employee webpage, a Facebook group and is texting its employees so they can receive updates on the casino resort’s status and said the situation is fluid and will be regularly re-evaluated based upon the status of the pandemic.
Lil Sambo’s has been a coastal landmark since the 50s and recently closed along with myriad other restaurants due to COVID-19, but restaurateur Cary Moore has built a drive-up window to bring pancakes and bacon to the sheltered masses.
Moore had the idea to build a drive-up window three days ago and went out in search of the right window. He found it and began constructing a box that juts out from the restaurant. He hired a painter when the drive-up was finished and now customers can get their Lil Sambo’s favorites from their cars.
“People can once again get our super-thick bacon,” Moore said.
Moore’s business is running off a streamlined menu, with a selection of their most popular entrees available for breakfast and lunch. Also ready to consume are espresso and milkshakes.
“We spent the first week doing stuff we couldn’t do while customers are in the restaurant,” Moore said, “We did sheetrock, painting and many repairs. Things you can’t do while customers are sitting in the restaurant.”
Moore said Lil’ Sambo’s staff has undergone special training sessions to implement safety protocols to keep the public safe.
According to Moore, the wait time has been drastically reduced by the limited menu and people can also call ahead and pick up their orders.
Lil Sambos drive-up service is open 8 a.m.- 3 p.m. seven days a week.
Editor’s Note:Lincoln City restaurants have converted operations to serve the public hot meals with some doing curbside pickup and deliveries. Homepage has compiled a list of all of the eateries that are open which is here.
One question Moore is often asked is whether or not they were ever a part of the Sambo’s national chain:
“The answer is no. Our name is borrowed from the hero of a fictional story about an Indian boy, tigers, and pancakes written by Helen Bannerman in 1899.“
Oregon Health Authority Senior Health Advisor Dawn Mautner, MDCOVID-19 has claimed one more life in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 12, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 8 a.m. today.
Oregon Health Authority also reported 98 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the state total to 414, as of 8 a.m. today. The COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Clackamas (10), Columbia (1), Deschutes (3), Douglas (1), Jackson (2), Klamath (1), Lane (2), Linn (2), Marion (26), Morrow (1), Multnomah (22), Polk (4), Umatilla (1), Wasco (1), Washington (18), Yamhill (4). Oregon Health Authority reports new cases once a day on its website: www.healthoregon.org/coronavirus.
Oregon’s 12th COVID-19 death is an 82-year-old woman in Marion County. She tested positive on March 20, and died March 25 at Salem Hospital. She had underlying medical conditions.
Stay informed about COVID-19:
Oregon response: The Oregon Health Authority and Oregon Office of Emergency Management lead the state response.
United States response: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention leads the U.S. response.
Global response: The World Health Organization guides the global response.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beneficiaries can now use their EBT cards to purchase groceries from online retailers Amazon and Walmart due to a rapid adoption after a pilot program and COVID-19.
“We appreciate the accommodations that many retailers have made to support individuals at high risk of serious health consequences from COVID-19,” said Mike McCormick, interim director of the DHS Office of Aging and People with Disabilities. “Anything we can do to help Oregonians access necessities and limit their potential exposure to illness, is absolutely crucial at this time.”
Oregon has been part of a pilot program that allows SNAP recipients the opportunity to purchase groceries online. In March, the Department of Human Services (DHS) gave access to online purchasing in Portland and Grants Pass for Walmart and Amazon. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, both retailers moved up their expansion dates to help those who have difficulty or are unable to get to a store.
DHS officials said purchasing groceries online supports social distancing and is necessary to slow the spread of the virus.
If your work hours are reduced or you lose your job, you may become eligible for SNAP if you meet eligibility requirements. You can apply for SNAP benefits without visiting an office.
Samaritan Health Services put out a request on March 19 to the communities it serves for donations of personal protective equipment. Facemasks and other items were requested as health care facilities grapple with an international supply-chain shortage as a result of COVID-19 response.
Instantly Samaritan received phone calls, emails and responses via social media from people eager to help.
“The response has been remarkable,” said Taylor Gilmour, assistant vice president of Samaritan Foundations. “It is clear that we are surrounded by a caring community who wants to ensure the health and safety of health care professionals and patients and for that we are thankful. We have received donations from individuals and local businesses, including Hewlett-Packard and the Lowe’s and Target distribution centers.”
Samaritan’s original request was for facemasks of all kinds, including but not limited to N95 masks, disposable gowns and gloves, eye protection, swabs and viral transport tubes, and 70% or greater isopropyl alcohol. After four donation drop-off sessions, eight pallets of PPE items were collected and the need for gloves has been fully met.
“While we received donations of commercially-produced facemasks, we also received a lot of homemade masks,” Gilmour said. “The craft of sewing is alive and strong in Benton, Linn and Lincoln counties.”
In settings where facemasks are not available, the CDC does allow for health care professionals to use homemade masks for care of patients with COVID-19 as a last resort. Samaritan’s strategy is to use standard PPE first as it offers the best protection for health care professionals, especially those treating patients with COVID-19. Homemade masks will be used if standard PPE supplies are depleted or will be used in care settings not requiring as stringent PPE use to free up available supplies in COVID-19 treatment areas.
“All donations collected from the community will now be sanitized or sterilized before being circulated in patient care areas,” said Karen Keuneke, infection prevention supervisor at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center.
At the conclusion of Samaritan’s supply drive, the counties of Benton, Lincoln and Linn announced plans to host supply drives, which they will then distribute to organizations in need throughout each county. To learn more, visit co.benton.or.us/coronavirus and co.lincoln.or.us/covid. Linn County’s drive information with be forthcoming.
Anyone still wanting to make fabric masks, please refer to the following instruction video from EasyToSew on YouTube for the now preferred pattern that includes a filter pocket. Samaritan encourages community members to support their county’s efforts.
