Tillamook County Wellness
Live Music in December
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Headlight Herald
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2021
TILLAMOOK, OREGON • WWW.TILLAMOOKHEADLIGHTHERALD.COM
VOL. 133, NO. 47 • $1.50
Oregon sheds outdoor mask mandate O
Zoe Gottlieb Country Media
regonians are no longer required to mask up outdoors, effective immediately, according to Oregon Health Authority (OHA). On Tuesday, Nov. 23, OHA Director Patrick Allen, Health Officer and State Epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger, and Oregon Department of Education Director Colt Gill briefed the media on the latest COVID-19 protocols, including a lifting of Oregon’s formerly-issued outdoor mask mandate. On Aug. 11, Gov. Kate Brown expanded the mask mandate to include outdoor settings, effective Aug. 13, following a dramatic rise in COVID-19 case counts and hospitalizations. “This rule was implemented back in August at the peak of the most recent surge,” OHA Director Patrick Allen said. “This (new) decision, which takes effect immediately, reflects the overall progress we’ve seen
on the COVID-19 threat in Oregon.” Allen attributes the changes to what OHA sees as promising developments in terms of the number of COVID cases, hospitalizations, and vaccination rates. “Over the past six weeks, we’ve continued to see a slow but steady decline in hospitalizations and daily cases. Our seven-day moving average of new cases as of yesterday was 822. On September 1, in the teeth of this current surge, that average was 2285,” he said. “That’s a 64% decrease.” Allen also said ICU bed counts and the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 are trending downward, prompting OHA to ease up on restrictions. Allen said a lower daily case count, less hospitalizations, and high vaccination rates are all signs Oregon is moving in the right direction, but he stipulates OHA does not have any plans to remove the indoor mask mandate, keeping in mind the rapid transmission of the Delta variant.
Allen said a bad flu season kills 600 Oregon in a year, while COVID-19 claimed over 5000 as of Nov. 22. Allen continues to recommend mask wearing for the unvaccinated, elderly and the immunecompromised, people are high risk
Go figure...skate
Oregon preparing to spend infrastructure windfall W
“Although the COVID-19 landscape has markedly improved, we are not yet at a point where we can consider relaxing the guidelines on wearing masks in indoor public settings,” he said. “The Delta variant remains a significant threat to all of us and especially to the one in five Oregonians who are vulnerable to the disease.” Allen said lifting the indoor mask mandate and transitioning from a pandemic mode to an end-demic mode depends on several factors including the trajectory of cases, the Delta variant, and less hospitalizations. “We’re going to need to be at a place where we have much less transmission of disease, much less hospitalization. We’re still sitting at over 90% of hospital beds full, same thing with ICU beds. A large portion of those ICU beds occupied by largely unvaccinated people. We need to get out of this phase and get to something that looks a lot more like the flu.”
David Rupkalvis Country Media
ith the bipartisan infrastructure package now signed into law, Oregon is preparing to spend the extra funding coming its way. Last week, the Oregon Department of Transportation discussed the new funding and what it is expected to be spent on. Travis Brouwer, assistant director for revenue, finance and compliance, said the money will make a big difference in the state, especially in the more crowded metro areas. “It’s truly historic in size and scope,” Brouwer said. “That’s for all types of infrastructure, everything from wastewater and water to broadband and transportation and other areas of infrastructure as well.” Brouwer said not all the money in the package is new money, but he said there will be a lot of new funding as well as $100 billion set aside in a discretionary fund that will be doled out via grants. “We are all going to be getting our grant writing pens out and spending a lot of time trying to bring additional money back to Oregon,” Brouwer said. “This is one of known unknowns. With that much money on the table, we know there are going to be opportunities, but we don’t know how much money Oregon will bring home.” Brouwer said traditionally Oregon receives 1% of federal funding, which would bring an additional $1 billion to the state. Some of the projects being eyed with the discretionary money is interstate work around Portland as well as major bridge repairs in the state. Brouwer said the package funds the traditional highway funding the state receives for five year and adds $1.2 billion for transportation repairs and $200 million for public transportation. Exactly where the money is going to be spent has not been decided yet, but Brouwer said those deci-
n See OREGON, Page A3
of contracting the disease and people living with someone in one of those categories. Allen also issued a recommendation for school districts to transition from lengthy quarantines to a test-tostay option for students exposed to COVID-19.
Booster shots available for adults T
Skaters of all ages showed up to Garibaldi Elementary on Saturday and Sunday to enjoy some ice scating, games and a visit from Santa. Pictured are those learning how to keep their ankles straight while figuring out how to navigate around the rink. Photo by Joe Warren
Tillamook County begins process of updating land use ordinance T
Hilary Dorsey Staff Writer
illamook County Board of Commissioners initiated Wednesday, Nov. 24, the amendment process for the updates to the Tillamook County Land Use Ordinance. This is the green light for community development to start the public review process on the amendments. Sarah Absher, director of community development, said there has been a work plan in place for the past couple of years that has included updates to the ordinance, as well as other items that address Tillamook County’s housing crisis. One of the updates is amending the rural residential two-acre zone to allow for an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) on a property. “There are some benchmarks and some development standards that will be tethered to properties to determine eligibility for an ADU,” Absher said. “Those will be reflected in the ordinance amendment for the rural residential two acre zone.” Another amendment would be bringing back a proposal for an ADU ordinance that would apply to unincorporated communities of the county, Absher added. Oceanside is in talk of potentially incorporating. The first step is to hold two hearings in January and February. “They have a series of proposals they would like
to go before you for consideration and adoption,” Absher said. Absher and Commissioner Erin Skaar have been taking a closer look at county Ordinance 85. “It is the county ordinance that is for short-term rental operator license fees,” Absher said. “This ordinance was adopted at the end of 2020. We had an opportunity to now put the ordinance to test.” Absher said there are a few things that require additional attention and potential amendment. “I’d like to reopen the fee determination portion of Ordinance 85 and propose an alternative method and bring that back to you by the end of this year,” Absher said. Absher and Skaar met with the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association and talked with them about other possible ways to figure the fee. Absher said there are a lot of important ticket items in terms of updates. “You will not see all of those things at once but they will be trickling through from the end of this year probably through the spring of 2022,” Absher said of the various amendments. The commissioners approved the text amendment request. Absher will begin scheduling and prioritizing those tasks. Send comments to: headlightreporter@countrymedia.net
Hilary Dorsey Staff Writer
illamook County Health Department reported during a community update call with the county Tuesday, Nov. 23, four COVID-19 cases over the weekend from Nov. 19 through Nov. 21 and 25 cases for the 7-day case count from Nov. 14 through Nov. 20. “Our 14-day case count was 68,” Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Ed Colson said. “That’s from Nov. 7 through Nov. 20.” During the month of November from Nov. 1 through Nov. 23, 137 new COVID-19 cases were tracked in Tillamook County. The county is now at 45 COVID-19 deaths. Three new COVID-related deaths were reported this week. Of the total deaths, 36 individuals were unvaccinated, eight were fully vaccinated and one had no vaccine record. “We have one confirmed outbreak, 12 pending investigation, for a total of 13 under monitoring,” Colson said. Oregon Health Authority confirmed an outbreak as of Wednesday, Nov. 24, at Tillamook County Creamery Association with 22 cases. COVID-19 testing remains available at the health center’s acute care clinic, located at 2111 8th St. in Tillamook. The clinic is open 1-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and appointments are required. Call 503-842-3900 to schedule an appointment. Rinehart Clinic and Adventist Health also have testing available. “When it comes to COVID-19, booster shots are available now,” Colson said. “Now that they’ve been approved, boosters are available for all adults 18 and older six months after their completion of the Pfizer of Moderna series and two months after the completion of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson.” Pfizer for youth ages 5-11 are approved and available in Tillamook County. Parental consent is required for anyone 14 years of age and younger. Vaccines are available at the health center’s walk-in clinic, regular health care offices and local pharmacies. The health center’s walk-in clinic is open from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Tillamook County Fairgrounds Convention Center. The outdoor mask mandate has ended, although the health department strongly encourages people to wear masks when outdoors in crowded areas and for people who are immune-compromised and people not yet vaccinated. Masks are still required in all indoor public spaces, regardless of vaccination status. Send comments to: headlightreporter@countrymedia.net