Lane County Moved Down to Lower Risk Category – Begins Friday, March 26
Oregon’s Risk and Protection Framework uses data to help inform safety measures at the county level. Every two weeks, Governor Kate Brown’s office announces the revised risk status of each county based on current data. Lane County has moved down into the lower risk category for the two-week period beginning March 26. With the reduced risk level comes new guidance including what is allowed for indoor activities such as dining, gyms, entertainment establishments and faith institutions. See Oregon Health Authority’s guidance for activities at each risk level.
New Lane County Vaccine Registration; Group 6 Now Eligible
Following the announcement from the Oregon Health Authority, effective today Lane County Public Health has rolled out a new system for scheduling vaccination appointments to address the increased eligibility groups and prepare for vaccinating all who become eligible by May 1.
The Oregon Health Authority determines the priority and eligibility criteria for COVID-19 vaccination. As of today, March 23, all Lane County residents who are currently eligible will be able to schedule a vaccine appointment directly by visiting the Lane County COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics webpage. This system removes the preregistration requirement and has removed the need to wait for an email invitation to schedule an appointment. See Lane County’s Vaccine FAQ for more information on the new registration process.
Currently eligible groups include:Phase 1a, all groups Phase 1b, groups 1-5 Phase 1b, group 6 All Adults to be Eligible for Vaccine by May 1
Oregon Health Authority has announced that everyone 16 and older will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations by May 1. The state will continue to make equity the center of its vaccine distribution efforts, ensuring that seniors, people with underlying conditions, frontline workers, and the Oregonians most vulnerable to COVID-19 have the opportunity for vaccinations as soon as possible. Please remember that vaccine availability may be limited by supply as new groups become eligible.
There is a new statewide eviction moratorium (HB 4401) that will last until June 30, 2021. This means that, with limited exceptions, landlords cannot evict renters for nonpayment or without cause until July of 2021. Renters must sign and return a form to their landlord if they can’t afford their rent. This form is available from the Oregon Judicial Branch. Please spread the word! Learn more in this short video about the eviction moratorium.
Follow the Four
Help us remain at a reduced risk level by continuing to follow these important recommendations:
See a list of Community Resources for physical and mental health, food, housing, businesses, employees, schools and children, as well as information in Spanish.
Also learn how you can help. Our partners have a significant amount of information available online. Please visit these resources for the most up to date information:
One year ago today, the City of Eugene – along with Lane County and Springfield – declared a state of emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We had no idea our city and the world would be so greatly impacted by the virus; the loved ones we would lose, the connections that were no longer safe, and the loss of so many “normal” interactions and events. As of today, 136 Lane County residents have lost their lives to COVID-19, and more than 2,300 Oregonians.
Even with the great loss Oregon has experienced, our county and state were spared the overwhelming surges of COVID-19 patients in hospitals that was seen in other parts of our country. This is, in part, due to the sacrifices we all made. Thank you to all in our community who continue to take COVID-19 precautions. We’re not through this yet, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
While essential City services continued, we formed several new teams to respond to all of the challenges COVID-19 brought. Read on for a message from the City Manager and to learn about some of the work we’ve done since last March to help support the community.
Strike Teams Provide Vaccine Support
Several strike teams have been dispatched to assist at local vaccination events. These strike teams are mostly made up of first responders from Eugene Springfield Fire, and have provided 25,500 vaccinations since early February.
A member of Eugene Springfield Fire vaccinates someone at a first responder clinic.
Childcare for First Responders and the Community
The City of Eugene, in partnership with Eugene YMCA and Eugene 4J School District, provided emergency childcare to first responders and essential workers in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. City Recreation staff then continued to provide safe childcare services to our community throughout the pandemic meeting a critical community need.
Business Support
To support local business, the City initiated several recovery strategies during the pandemic:
Through a partnership with Business Oregon, distributed free PPE to more than 1,584 businesses and nonprofits in Eugene. In total, we distributed:
36,630 boxes of face masks
14,652 packages of disinfecting wipes
14,108 boxes of vinyl gloves
Created the Streatery Program to allow restaurants to expand their serving areas onto sidewalks and on-street parking spaces.
Helped facilitate outdoor fitness classes in parking garages, public sidewalks and via low-cost park rentals.
Opened Kesey Square “Food Hall” to offer space for the public to sit and eat take-out food from downtown restaurants and food carts.
Provided designated free parking spots in front of local restaurants for carry-out customers and delivery companies.
Established a Business Help Team to assist employers by answering questions about financing options, reopening guidelines and other topics.
COVID-19 created a new and challenging landscape for providing services to people experiencing homelessness. Our goal is to balance the varying needs for community safety and recovery. We worked with critical community partners to support the unhoused with programs including: – Designated temporary shelter sites: We worked with non-profit social service providers to establish designated temporary shelter sites to give people experiencing homelessness a safe and sanitary place to live, while reducing the need for the residents to move around the community. Watch a video highlighting the positive impact of the designated temporary shelter sites. – Microsites: The City established two microsites to provide longer-term transitional shelter to small groups of individuals who are currently experiencing homelessness. Staff continue to seek additional sites, exploring both public and private property partnerships. – Sanitation Stations: We distributed portable restrooms and hand washing stations throughout the community to support sanitation and hygiene needs. See current locations of all sanitation stations. – Mobile outreach teams: The City stood up mobile outreach teams to reach out to people sheltering where they were, monitor community health, provide COVID-19 education and essential hygiene needs, and give appropriate referrals to services. This work continues as the City adapted this model to create a longer-term outreach team that connects with people experiencing homelessness and supports them in getting assistance.
The City continues to work with Lane County and partners in the community to find safe places for unhoused community members, including creating more low-barrier shelter, affordable and permanent supportive housing, as well as rest stops and additional microsites. Read more about these efforts.
Eugene Community Recovery
Eugene Community Recovery represents the work of the City of Eugene, regional partners and members of our community who are working together to restore and improve the health and prosperity of our city as we begin the road to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Through our efforts and partner collaboration, the Recovery Team was able to get CARES Act Funding dollars out into the community by the December 31, 2020 deadline. We’ve been focused on ensuring equity and access in resource distribution – we know certain portions of our community have had a greater negative impact from COVID-19 and we have been committed to ensuring our resources are going to those who need it most. Read about our recovery focus areas and specific actions to support the community.
A Message From Your City Manager
I can’t believe I’m writing a one-year anniversary reflection of COVID-19 arriving in Eugene. I’m carrying strong feelings of hope while also acknowledging and feeling the exhaustion and pain of a long and challenging year. Many of you have experienced the direct health-related impacts of this virus, and my heart goes out to each of you who has suffered a loss or are still fighting for your own health. As we celebrate the cases going down and vaccines becoming increasingly available, it’s as important as ever to stay vigilant in prevention. My handwashing routine is forever changed, and I can’t imagine a day that I won’t have face masks in every corner of my life.
Hear from Eugene Mayor Lucy Vinis, Springfield Mayor Sean VanGordon, and Lane County Commission Chair Joe Berney about the past year at Lane County’s weekly press conference tomorrow, Thursday, March 18, at 10:30 a.m. on their Facebook page, or watch later on the County’s Vimeo channel.
Our deepest gratitude goes to the frontline workers in our community. From health care professionals treating COVID-19 patients to those who enabled vital services to continue at grocery stores, post offices, childcare centers and all of the places people need to visit in-person. Your daily work is greatly appreciated by everyone in Eugene.
And to you – our friends, neighbors and community members – thank you for your commitment this past year to help save lives. Your sacrifices have made a difference and you may never know whose life you saved. We hope you are able to take a moment this week to reflect on all we have been through this past year. Through our collective action and sacrifice we are now able to begin to look towards the future with hope and optimism.
We are grateful to our partners at Lane County Public Health for their tireless work over the last year to lead our county through the COVID-19 pandemic and now their enormous effort pivoting to the largest vaccination effort our country has ever undertaken. Each week the County is able to vaccinate more and more of our community. Please make sure you are pre-registered to get your vaccine when you become eligible and the vaccine doses are available.
With vaccine distribution underway we can all look forward to slowly reintroducing some of our favorite traditions, and perhaps most importantly, safely hugging the people dearest to us in the near future. We have many exciting projects on the horizon for our community and we can’t wait to see you!
COVID-19 Resources
See a list of Community Resources for physical and mental health, food, housing, businesses, employees, schools and children, as well as information in Spanish.
Also learn how you can help. Our partners have a significant amount of information available online. Please visit these resources for the most up to date information:
The Federal Health Service Administrations Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program is designed to ensure our nation’s underserved communities and those disproportionately affected by COVID-19 are equitably vaccinated against COVID-19 by allocating a limited supply of vaccine doses directly to health centers.
Please remember that there is only enough vaccine supply to vaccinate a small portion of eligible residents each week. Lane County will continue vaccinating as quickly as vaccine supply allows.
All individuals in Lane County are encouraged to utilize the Vaccine Preregistration Form to ensure they are contacted for scheduling as early as possible. Although you may not receive an appointment until summer, this is the best way to claim a spot for your shot.
THANKS TO THE EFFORTS OF OUR COMMUNITY LANE COUNTY MOVED TO THE MODERATE RISK LEVEL ON MARCH 12, 2021
What does it mean?
Rate of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 over 14 days is between 50-100. Percentage test positivity over previous 14 days is between 5% – 8%.
37,733: Fully Vaccinated (received both prime and booster doses) 33,083:Have received first dose only 108,769:Total doses administered
7.19%: Percentage of Lane County population FULLY vaccinated 1,922: People per 10,000 vaccinated
8,410: Vaccine Allocation Prime doses for the week of March 8 6,710: Vaccine Allocation of Boost (2nd) doses for the week of March 8
The data reported is direct from Oregon Health Authority’s database, current to the time it was pulled. Since the data is constantly being updated, numbers can vary. Total vaccinations refers to doses, while persons vaccinated is referring to the people who received doses. There is sometimes a delay in reporting of doses administered (meaning the vials of vaccine have been distributed) and the connection to the persons who received it. The percentage of fully vaccinated does refer to those who have received both doses.
If you want more information on vaccination statistics, please visit: OHA Data Page
Learn more about the Johnson & Johnson Single Dose Vaccine from Lane County Senior Health Officer Dr. Patrick Luedtke.
All individuals who match the criteria listed in CDC Phase 1A:
Hospital staff with patient care responsibilities
Urgent care
Skilled nursing and memory care facility healthcare personnel (HCP) and residents
Tribal health programs
Emergency medical services (EMS) providers and other first responders
All health care interpreters and traditional health workers in any setting within Phase
Other long-term care facilities, including all paid and unpaid HCP, all staff and contractors, including residents who meet the age requirements of:
Residential care facilities Adult foster care
Group homes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities
Other similar congregate care sites
Hospice programs
Mobile crisis care and related services
Individuals working in a correctional setting
HCPs in outpatient settings serving specific high-risk groups
Day treatment services
Non-emergency medical transport
Paid or unpaid caregivers (including parents or foster parents) of medically fragile children or adults who live at home
Adults and age-eligible children who have a medical condition or disability who receive services in their homes
All other outpatient HCPs
Other HCP who provide direct service to people with I/DD and other high-risk populations.
Other public health settings, such as HCP serving WIC, or CBO’s with direct or indirect exposures
Sign up to get vaccinated
White Bird Clinic can only provide vaccinations to individuals from the eligible groups listed above. If you’d like to be vaccinated, please click the button below.
Note: Our system uses text messaging to confirm that an appointment has been made. If you don’t immediately get a text confirmation, you don’t have an appointment. If necessary, you can redo the scheduling process in order to create an appointment.
Please call 541-246-2341 to register by phone or learn more about vaccination. You can also email Emily Lowery at ELowery@whitebirdclinic.org with any questions.
Standby List for Expedited Vaccination
White Bird uses a standby list to ensure that no vaccine doses ever go unused. If you are currently eligible for vaccination, you should register above. Joining the standby list may expedite your vaccination. In order to join the standby list, you need to be able to make it to the WOW Hall in 30 min or less, and be available at one or more of the following times:
The NAACP would like to announce that the Mims Food Pantry and Distro hub is up and running at the NAACP office located at 330 High Street in Eugene. And we are offering the following items:
Fresh produce
Frozen/ Refrigerated, and shelf stable staples
Household items such as shampoo/conditioner,
Baby formula, diapers, toothbrushes/toothpaste
Laundry soap & dish soap are some of the items that can be found at the Food/Distro hub for community members in need.
The Mims Food Pantry and Distro hub is available:
Monday – Friday 9:00 am – 1:00 pm. To access the Food/ Distro hub during the week, please call ahead at (541) 484-1119. Or email Jessie at jessieg@naacplanecounty.org.
Drop in hours are every Thursday 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm.
Once a month home deliveries are available upon request on Tuesdays, or Thursdays between 11:30 am – 4:30 pm.
We ask that community members fill out the NAACP Community Assessment form to give our office a better idea of what items and resources are needed to better serve our community.
If anyone would like to donate to the Mims food and distro hub, we ask that they consider only donating the following items:
If you have any friends or family who reside in the Whiteaker Neighborhood the WCC, in partnership with the Oregon Health Authority and Wallgreens will be conducting a Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine clinic on Friday, March 12th from 10:00am – 6:00pm.
This clinic will be conducted in the Whiteaker, prioritizing eligible Whiteaker residents, but we have slots available for other neighborhood residents who are eligible under the State guidance (Phase 1A groups 1 – 4 and Phase 1B groups 1 – 5) per Oregon’s Vaccine Distribution plan. You must sign up with the form to attend.
WCC Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic on Friday, March 12th from 10:00am – 6:00pm
WCC has 400 doses of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine for prioritized distribution to the Whiteaker community (who live, work or own property there). This is a Whiteaker-based vaccine clinic for Friday, March 12th from 10:00am – 6:00pm.
The doses are only for persons who are eligible by state guidelines (Phase 1A groups 1 – 4 and Phase 1B groups 1 – 5) per Oregon’s Vaccine Distribution plan.
Social distancing and mask wearing will be adhered to at all times.
The WCC is scheduling people for appointments only if they complete this survey. Walk-in appointments are not accepted at this time.
Any questions about the clinic can be addressed to WCC at-large board member Ian Winbrock at WhiteakerCommunityCouncil@gmail.com or by phone / text to (530) 574-1592.
Lane County Lowered to Moderate Risk Category - Begins Friday, March 12
Oregon’s Risk and Protection Framework uses data to help inform safety measures at the county level. Every two weeks, Governor Kate Brown’s office announces the revised risk status of each county based on current data. Lane County has lowered into the moderate risk category for the two-week period beginning March 12.
Lane County Starting to Receive and Distribute Third Vaccine
The federal government recently issued an Emergency Use Authorization for Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine, making it the third COVID-19 vaccine available for use in the United States including Pfizer and Moderna. The Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup, which includes Oregon, also completed its review of the federal process and has concluded the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective for use in the western states.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is the first single-dose vaccine against COVID-19. It can be stored in a refrigerator for months, making it easier to distribute and transport without the need for ultra-cold storage. Due to these considerations, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is uniquely qualified to be used with difficult to reach populations, including those that are hard to schedule for a second dose or require a mobile strike team. Lane County has started to use the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for mobile vaccination efforts.
Lane County Vaccine Pre-Registration and Scheduling an Appointment
If you haven’t already done so, you can fill out Lane County Public Health’spre-registration for vaccination, available to all members of the public. Pre-registration will help create a centralized database to help health partners countywide contact those who wish to be vaccinated and schedule an appointment when they are eligible. If you have a friend or loved one who does not have internet access or has difficulty navigating the internet, we encourage you to help by assisting them in preregistering online. The contact information field on the form only requires email OR phone. If someone does not have an email address the field can be left blank as long as a phone number is listed.
If you are unable to complete the online form you can also preregister by phone by calling 541-682-1380 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, but please use the online form if possible.
You will receive an invitation from Lane County Public Health when an appointment is available for you to schedule. Remember to check your SPAM folder for any scheduling messages. Please follow instructions for your vaccine appointment and show up on the date, time, and location as scheduled.
Commercial Rent Relief to Help Small Businesses Behind on Lease Payments
As of March 8, Oregon commercial building owners can now apply for grants to help them cover outstanding lease payments from small business tenants that are behind on rent because of COVID-19. Grants are available up to $100,000 per business tenant lease and $3 million total per landlord. The landlord must agree not to evict the tenant for six months and waive any rights to collect outstanding penalties or interest, or enforce eviction clauses related to the delinquent lease payments between March 1, 2020 and Feb. 28, 2021.
Both the business tenant and property owner will need to participate in the application process and sign the grant agreement, but the initial application needs to be completed by the landlord.
Visit our Business Support webpage for more information on this program and other financial relief.
Free PPE for Eugene Nonprofit and Small Businesses Opens for Second Round of Distribution
Businesses and non-profits are allowed to request a second appointment for PPE. The City of Eugene, in partnership with Business Oregon, continues to offer free personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies to nonprofit and small businesses located in Eugene with 100 or fewer employees.
Businesses can book their appointments online as long as spots are still available. We will add new appointments as the current schedule is filled.
We currently have a supply of disposable masks and antiseptic wipes. Our supply of gloves has run out. Supplies will be dispersed on a first come, first served basis. Appointments will continue to be available until we have run out of supplies, please check our website for a current list of available supplies.
COVID-19 Resources
See a list of Community Resources for physical and mental health, food, housing, businesses, employees, schools and children, as well as information in Spanish.
Also learn how you can help. Our partners have a significant amount of information available online. Please visit these resources for the most up to date information:
EVEVA online meeting on March 8 at 5:00pm PST with Rep. Peter DeFazio on Transportation Electrification in our community. Contact Phil Barnhart for the Zoom link phil@philbarnhart.com Information can be found on the Facebook event page here.
Congressman Peter DeFazio will address federal initiatives to support transportation electrification at EVEVA’s Quarterly Meeting, by Zoom. We’ll discuss pending state legislation to support electric vehicles as well. Please join us! Write contact@eveva.org to get on a list to receive the Zoom link. Visit our website at eveva.org and look under “Upcoming Events” for more details.
EVEVA, is also offering our free Zoom workshop again on March 11 and March 16 at 7:00 pm. The online workshop is for anyone interested in finding out about electric vehicles. There is even a $1000 discount offered on the purchase of an electric car from a local dealership. The workshop is offered in partnership with the City of Eugene, EWEB, and the University of Oregon Office of Sustainability.
The Eugene Wildfire Preparedness Coalition is having another Zoom presentation to help residents of our neighborhood prepare. This meeting is one in a series on preparing your neighborhood & home home for fire. The event will be held on Wednesday, February 24th at 6:00pm. Join us on Zoom.
SHiNA 