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PRESS RELEASE

Baker County hosts virtual town hall to discuss hospital capacity

Baker County will host a virtual town hall meeting on Thursday, September 2nd, from 5:30-6:30 PM, to discuss the current state of COVID-19 and critical concerns regarding hospital capacity. The event will be held by phone and through the online conferencing service Zoom.  A panel that includes Commissioner Mark Bennett, Baker County’s Health Officer Dr. Eric Lamb, Dr. Lily Wittich of St. Luke’s Eastern Oregon Medical Associates and Medical Staff Liaison for Saint Alphonsus, Saint Alphonsus Medical Center-Baker City President and Chief Nursing Officer Priscilla Lynn, and Baker County Health Department Director Nancy Staten will discuss hospital capacity and answer questions from the community.

Questions can be submitted in advance of the meeting by emailing them to pio@bakercounty.org or during the meeting through the Zoom conferencing service.

BAKER COUNTY TOWN HALL MEETING ON HOSPITAL CAPACITY

September 2^nd, 5:30-6:30 pm

To join by phone:

1-877-853-5247 (toll free), enter meeting ID 839 6510 8083, passcode 559535

To join by computer, visit:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83965108083?pwd=RVA2UTlQblcyM3JudEVxOGtSTWFhZz09
Passcode: 559535

To ask a question before the meeting, email: pio@bakercounty.org  

PRESS RELEASE

The Oregon Health Authority announced the nineteenth COVID-19 related death of a Baker County resident. Health Department Director Nancy Staten says, “All of us at the Health Department offer our condolences to those impacted by the loss of a loved one. These reports never get easier. As COVID-19 continues to surge in Baker County, please be mindful – continue to wash your hands, stay home when you are sick and consider getting vaccinated.” 

The Oregon Health Authority reported, “Oregon’s 2,982nd COVID-19 associated death is a 95-year-old woman from Baker County who died on Aug. 17 at her residence. Date of positive test and presence of underlying conditions are being confirmed.” 

To protect the privacy and well-being of the family, and to maintain compliance with health information privacy regulations, no further information about the individual will be released by the County. We encourage everyone to be respectful as a family in our community grieves.

PRESS RELEASE

As Baker County’s Public Health Officer, Dr. Eric Lamb, oversees the health operations for the Baker County Health Department. With the latest spike in COVID-19 cases, the Health Department is working with more people who are sick now than at any other time during the pandemic. Many of them are very sick, and Dr. Lamb is concerned about the health of our community, and what this means for Baker County’s schools, workforce and businesses.

“Baker County has fared better than many other areas of the state and nation. The number of hospitalizations or transfers to other hospitals have been about 50, and unfortunately, there have been 18 COVID-19 related deaths. However, right now we are seeing a spike in cases and hospitalizations that threatens to overwhelm hospital capacity,” says Dr. Lamb. The spike in cases has increased the rate of local hospitalizations. He attributes the surge in cases to the County’s low vaccination rate, which the Oregon Health Authority reports at 47.3% of residents 18 and older. “If we had gotten to an 80% vaccination rate, the pandemic would be over for us right now.”

The Oregon Health Authority reported 665 COVID-19 related hospitalizations in Oregon Wednesday, the highest number at any time during the pandemic.

“This is a call to action, everything you do can make a difference. First, absolutely stay home if you’re sick, don’t pass illness to others. Second, get vaccinated. The virus will keep mutating and spreading until we eliminate potential carriers. I like to think of it like fighting a wildfire. Unless we remove the fuel in front of the fire, it will keep burning.  Widespread vaccination is the quickest way that we can stop this virus. Natural immunity will take another 3-5 years or more for this virus to burn out – if it doesn’t keep mutating. Third, wash your hands often, and fourth, wear a face covering indoors to avoid unknowingly spreading the virus to others.” says Lamb.  

Dr. Lamb recommends everyone 12 and over to get vaccinated. Baker County provides transportation services for those needing assistance to access vaccination and testing. To take advantage of these services, contact the Baker County Health Department at 541-523-8211.

Dr. Lamb has heard concerns about the vaccine approval process being sped up. “President Donald Trump initiated Operation Warp Speed to bypass the bureaucratic red tape to get these vaccines in arms as quickly as possible. What was not rushed was the clinical trials and studies,” said Dr. Lamb. Full FDA approval is expected in September for the Pfizer vaccine, with the other two vaccines closely thereafter. “Help keep our kids in school, get our workforce back to work and our economy moving forward. Consider getting vaccinated.”