09/29/2021
To think we were hoping for mask optional education just a month or 2 ago...it does feel like the deck's stacked sometimes. One option that has picked up steam involves parallel learning environments outside the public system. Other efforts are ongoing to move funding to these structures from the public system as the kids move.
I'm continuing to encourage 4J to follow the science regarding kids and infections and hope more of you will join me again. The last meeting only had 4 Public Comments of the 10 allowed, we can utilize this system better.
This afternoon, on a call with Governor Kate Brown, OHA Director Pat Allen and Dr. Tom Jeanne I asked for the *specific, statistical criteria that’s being used to keep the State of Emergency in effect and at what point the Emergency would be rescinded.
The answer came in the form of comments about hospital workforce shortages, (which I might point out aren’t about to get any better after the October 18th vax mandate goes into effect) and infection rates, but nothing about what they’re basing continuing the State of Emergency on:
No answer about a data point or a set of criteria for when the State of Emergency would lifted.
( Still waiting for answers to questions submitted in April and two weeks ago regarding hospital capacity and vaccine breakthrough.)
Considering that the OHA won’t release testing data (PCR info) despite numerous public records requests from myself and Oregon Sen. Dennis Linthicum, how can we determine the accuracy of those tests?
Now we know that half of those hospitalized with COVID-19 have mild or asymptomatic cases (Harvard Medical School, Tufts Medical Center study), and have been hospitalized because of other underlying conditions.
Today, Governor Brown told County Chairs:
“ The only pathway out of the pandemic is vaccination….to avoid “ more draconian measures”.
“ There are two choices; a vaccinated workforce or an unvaccinated workforce depleted by illness”
“ Talk to the vaccine hesitant…if you care about children…care about the future”
“ Business restrictions will stay on the table”
“ We need to double down on our efforts” and get children under 12 years old vaccinated.
When asked about natural immunity, Dr. Tom Jeanne said:
“Evidence for natural immunity is not known…but we know the vaccines are totally safe to use and provide better immunity”.
( Apparently, no one at the State is checking the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) or the research about natural immunity.
Regarding the Biden 100 employee vaccine mandate, Governor Brown said “We have to do what they require; but we could choose to go to 50”.
Klamath County has enlisted the help of local media to encourage vaccination through incentives like “a years- worth of gas, free groceries…even a big truck” and asked for more State funding for additional vaccine prizes.
Governor Brown remarked that those efforts were “ very creative, very clever”.
(Meanwhile, the National Institutes of Health has awarded $1.67 million in grants to five institutions including Johns Hopkins, Harvard Medical School and OHSU to explore potential links between COVID-19 vaccination and menstrual changes, since these are among the side effects being reported).
As we look ahead to even more healthcare staff shortages as a result of the vaccine mandate, Governor Brown shared that taxpayers have spent $100 million to bring in 600 health care workers from out of State, and that doesn’t include the tab for the National Guard.
Rural counties are up against the worst of it with fire, ambulance and hospital staff shortages already being felt.
