News & Stories for Oregonians
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” –Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., 1957 Meet Dr. Bukhosi Dube, senior health advisor for Oregon Health Authority (OHA). Dube’s work on the “Ask a Black Doctor” podcast and other outreach programs has been a frequent source of COVID-19 and vaccination information for […]
The first time Angela Doescher tested positive for COVID-19 was March 2020, back when a vaccine was merely a hope on the horizon. The Bend resident was sick for seven months, and to this day suffers long-haul symptoms. She tested positive a second time in July 2021, after being vaccinated, and felt better just two […]
Update (2/28/2022): Oregon’s mask mandates for schools and most indoor public settings will be lifted on March 12. No matter when Oregon’s indoor mask requirement is lifted, there are several places across the state where masks will still be required — health care settings. As COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations trend downward, health care settings continue […]
You can protect yourself against all COVID-19 variants by getting vaccinated and getting a booster if you are eligible. Sites around the state are accommodating large numbers of people seeking vaccinations. These “high-volume” sites offer all three COVID-19 vaccines and are open to everyone eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination or booster. There is no cost and you do not need to register.
Update (2/28/2022): Oregon’s mask mandates for schools and most indoor public settings will be lifted on March 12. Oregon’s current hospitalization rates remain high at more than 1,000 per day. However, health scientists predict that by late March, approximately 400 or fewer people in Oregon will be hospitalized with COVID-19, which led to the decision […]
While COVID-19 case rates are dropping, Oregon’s current hospitalization rates remain high at more than 1,000 per day. In response to the strain the Omicron variant has placed on Oregon’s health care system, Governor Kate Brown asked the Oregon National Guard (ORNG) to assist health care facilities with logistics and administration. About 1,300 ORNG members […]
This was updated on 2/7/2022, clarifying advice to seek medical attention if you have a fever of 102 or higher. The last couple of years has brought a near-constant stream of stress, worry and loss for so many of us. Those feelings are often worsened by the helplessness and lack of control we feel. While […]
Last week, Oregon Health Authority updated its weekly breakthrough report to include breakthrough cases in people who have received booster doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. This new set of data shows how well booster doses can protect against COVID-19 infection and severe disease. In the report, a graph divides case numbers into three categories, “unvaccinated,” […]
The town of Otis, Oregon, is tiny, known to most as a blink-and-miss-it spot on the road to the coast. Its 3,000+ residents reflect different backgrounds, ethnicities, politics and gender identities. But one thing they share is a passion for each other. In the past two years, Otis has been through a lot. It’s still […]
Oregon is one step closer to helping protect its residents from severe disease from COVID-19 and the highly contagious Omicron variant. Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has purchased six million iHealth COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test kits, with each kit containing two tests, for a total of 12 million tests. So far, 1.3 million kits have been […]
