w081320

Page 1

eEdition

MOSTLY SUNNY  67 • 48  |  THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 2020  |  theworldlink.com

Follow us online:

facebook.com/theworldnewspaper

twitter.com/TheWorldLink

instagram.com/theworldlink

Oregon’s COVID-19 death toll reaches 375 The World PORTLAND — COVID-19 has claimed seven more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 375, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday. Oregon Health Authority also reported 258 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 Wednesday, bringing the state total to 22,022. The new cases are in the following counties: Baker (2), Benton (4), Clackamas (24), Columbia (2), Deschutes (1), Douglas (3), Harney (1), Hood River (4), Jackson (14), Jefferson (5), Josephine (4), Lane (10), Lincoln (2), Linn (7), Malheur (17), Marion (29), Morrow (2), Multnomah (45), Polk (4), Umatilla (30), Wallowa (1), Wasco (1), Washington (41), and Yamhill (5).

Oregon’s 369th COVID-19 death is a 76-year-old man in Umatilla County who tested positive on June 17 and died on August 10 at Good Shepherd Health System. He had underlying conditions. Oregon’s 370th COVID-19 death is a 95-year-old woman in Washington County who tested positive on August 6 and died on August 8. Location of death is being confirmed. She had underlying conditions. Oregon’s 371st COVID-19 death is a 70-year-old man in Clackamas County who tested positive on June 15 and died on August 9 in his residence. He had underlying conditions. Oregon’s 372nd COVID-19 death is an 81-year-old man in Clackamas County who tested positive on July 30 and died on August 11 in his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 373rd COVID-19 death is an 86-year-old woman in Washington County who tested positive on August 6 and died on August 10 at Kaiser Westside Medical Center. She had underlying conditions. Oregon’s 374th COVID-19 death is a 57-year-old woman in Clackamas County who tested positive on July 17 and died on August 9 at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed. Oregon’s 375th COVID-19 death is an 81-year-old man in Clackamas County who tested positive on June 6 and died on August 2 in his residence. He had underlying conditions.

COVID-19 cases declined last week Daily cases of COVID-19 declined slightly during the

week of Monday, Aug. 3 through Sunday Aug. 9, according to the COVID-19 Weekly Report, released Wednesday. There were 2,122 new cases that week, a slight drop from the previous week’s tally of 2,278. Twenty-nine deaths were reported, a drop from 39 the previous week. The percentage of positive tests also decreased to 5.4%, and hospitalizations have plateaued. The age group most affected by the virus remains 20-29, although the elderly remain the hardest hit age group. Persons 80 or older account for nearly half of all those hospitalized. Most cases continue to be sporadic, meaning there is no known source, which is an indication the virus is widespread.

Outbreaks surpass 20 cases An outbreak of 22 cases of COVID-19 has been reported at Pan American Berry Growers in

Marion County. The case count includes all persons linked to the outbreak, which may include household members and other close contacts to an employee. The outbreak investigation started on July 30, but the initial case count was below the threshold for public disclosure. An outbreak of 29 cases of COVID-19 has been reported at Good Shepherd Health Care System in Umatilla County. The case count includes all persons linked to the outbreak, which may include household members and other close contacts to an employee. The outbreak investigation started on July 16, but the initial case count was below the threshold for public disclosure. State and county public health officials are working with these organizations to address the outbreaks and protect the health of workers.

Tear gas at protests raises pollution concerns

SALEM — Everyone can fish for free in Oregon on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 15-16. No fishing licenses or tags (including a Combined Angling Tag or Columbia River Basin Endorsement or Two-Rod Validation) are required to fish, crab or clam in Oregon during the weekend. Although no licenses or tags are required, all other fishing regulations apply including closures, bag limits and size restrictions. See the Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations to find out more and remember to check for any in season regulation changes at https://myodfw.com/ recreation-report/fishing-report/ While nonresidents can also fish for free Aug. 15-16, there are still special restrictions in place on the coast due to COVID-19. Currently, clamming and mussel harvesting are closed to nonresidents coastwide. Crabbing is open to nonresidents along most of the coast but is closed

to nonresidents in the Columbia River and in ocean areas north of Cape Falcon (nonresidents may crab in bays and estuaries north of Cape Falcon, for example the Necanium River estuary). A few other clamming and crabbing closures are in effect (including razor clamming on Clatsop beaches due to an annual conservation closure), see the Recreation Report page for details. Also, remember to always call the ODA Shellfish safety hotline at 1-800-448-2474 or check ODA’s Recreational Shellfish page before you head out. The Oregon Department of Agriculture regularly tests shellfish and closes areas when naturally occurring biotoxins get to levels that make crabs and clams unsafe to eat. New to fishing and wondering where to go? Check the Recreation Report, which is updated on Thursday each week, for the best opportunities for the weekend. This time of year, the best bets are typically warmwater fishing and high lakes trout fish-

ing. On the coast, try surfperch fishing from beaches or jetties. Crabbing or clamming can be a great activity for families; find detailed maps on where to go on MyODFW.com Crabbing and Clamming pages. Remember to follow ongoing precautions in place due to the COVID-19 virus: • Practice social distancing. Keep six feet between you and anyone who doesn’t live in your immediate household, including while on a boat or at a fish cleaning station. • Wear a mask. Recreation areas can get more crowded on the weekends and during Free Fishing Weekend. Wear a mask outdoors when you can’t maintain six feet of distance from someone who doesn’t live in your household. • Wash your hands often. Keep up on personal hygiene and bring your own water, soap, and hand sanitizer with you. • Stay home if you are sick. • Be prepared. Restrooms and

other facilities may be more limited. Bring your own soap, water, hand sanitizer, toilet paper, food, etc. • Avoid crowds. Go someplace else if your destination looks crowded. • Check for access before you go. Many spots have reopened to public access but some may still be closed, now due to wildfire season as well as Covid-19. ODFW does not control access to land or facilities (such as boat ramps) that it doesn’t manage, so check with the land manager or facility owner where you want to go about what’s open before you leave home. • Pack out what you pack in. Take any garbage with you. “Getting outdoors to fish can be a safe and healthy activity right now, and a good respite during this difficult time,” said Curt Melcher, ODFW director. “We do ask all who participate to please follow all virus precautions so everyone has a safe time this Free Fishing Weekend.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of laid-off workers applying for unemployment aid fell below 1 million last week for the first time since the viral pandemic intensified five months ago, yet still remains at a high level. The pandemic keeps forcing layoffs just as the expiration of a $600-a-week federal jobless benefit has deepened the hardships for many. The number of weekly applications declined to 963,000, the second straight drop, from 1.2

million the previous week, the Labor Department said Thursday. The decline signaled that layoffs are slowing, though the latest figure still far exceeds the pre-pandemic weekly record of just under 700,000. The pandemic, the shutdowns that are meant to fight it and the reluctance or inability of many people to shop, travel or eat out are continuing to weaken the economy and force companies to cut staff. Twenty-three states

have paused or reversed their business re-openings. In a hopeful sign, the rate of new confirmed viral cases has declined in the past couple of weeks, though it remains far above the rates that prevailed during May and June. All told, fewer people are continuing to receive state jobless aid. That figure dropped last week to 15.5 million, from 16.1 million the previous week, reflecting the fact that some employers are hiring or re-hiring.

“Another larger-than-expected decline in jobless claims suggests that the jobs recovery is regaining some momentum, but...much labor market progress remains to be done,” said Lydia Boussour, senior economist at Oxford Economics. Thursday’s figures, Boussour added, underscore “the painfully slow recovery in the labor market.”

SALEM (AP) — The presence of U.S. agents has diminished in Portland, Oregon, but city officials are still cleaning up tear gas residue from the streets, dirt and possibly the storm drains after the chemical was used frequently by both police and federal officers during more than two months of often-violent protests over racial injustice. The Portland Bureau of Environmental Services cleaned and took samples from six storm drains last week around the federal courthouse and a building with a police station and jail that have been targeted in nightly demonstrations. Environmental officials aimed to prevent pollutants from reaching the Willamette River, which runs through downtown and is popular with kayakers, canoeists and boaters, and determine the possible impact if contaminants did flow into the waterway. “There is no American city, that I am aware of, that has endured the level of tear gas,” agency spokeswoman Diane Dulken said. “We are researching and looking through environmental literature. What are these materials and their toxicity?” Officials said they’re testing for pollutants that are found in crowd control agents such as the heavy metals zinc, lead, copper and chromium. Dulken said there is no evidence yet of tear gas residue reaching the river, “but it’s also hard to say because there is so much unknown about the materials and so much unknown about the quantities.” U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon and state Rep. Karin Power sent a letter last month to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality requesting an investigation into “the public health and environmental risks of tear gas and other chemicals to people, wildlife, aquatic life and local air and water quality.” Blumenauer and Power asked the EPA for information on what kind of chemicals federal agents used and how the residue will be cleaned up. “We don’t know yet what has been deployed, but we aim to find out,” Power said. The protests over racist policing often ended with a fog of tear gas as federal agents tried to disperse the crowd. Before they arrived, local police frequently deployed it.

Please see Jobless, Page A2

Please see Tear Gas, Page A2

World File Photo by Zach Silva

A man reels in a fish at Upper Empire Lake in May. Fishing will be free this weekend in Oregon.

Free Fishing weekend Aug. 15-16 in Oregon The World

New jobless claims fall below 1 million


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.