The Covid 19 era Grows but who is affected?
Last weekend Lane County suffered 40 new cases of Covid 19 bringing the county’s total yesterday to 419, of those 15 cases have been found in Florence. Several area businesses, in an abundance of caution, had to close for deep cleaning and sanitizing including Dutch Bros who sent out a notice Tuesday that two of their employees had tested positive with Covid 19. Also closing were Nosh, their employee tested negative. Nosh reopens to day. 1285 Restobar closed for deep cleaning as a precautionary measure. Hukilau who wrote on Facebook, “Due to the high number of cases popping up in our community and out of concern for our customers we have decided to close the restaurant to complete a thorough cleaning.” Hukilau will then reopen. Jason Davis, the Lane County Public Health Information Office said that of the 73 cases reported in the last week, 35 cannot be linked back to a known case, 46 percent travel and 37 percent small gathering related.
201 “In the terms of demographics of our cases, nearly 50 percent of our cases are under 30. So you’ve seen that number grow steadily. It does show that there is a high degree of transmission in that age group.”
Davis said 315 people are being monitored as known exposures from those 73 positive cases. Davis said on the up side 35,526 test have been performed as of Thursday morning, the 419 positives put Lane County at just over 1 percent of testing. The CDC says counties and state’s need to stay under 5 percent.
>>>
Douglas County has maintained low positive testing until Thursday’s announcement of a work place outbreak of Covid 19 cases. 20 employees of Norris Farms, a blueberry operation in the Umpqua Valley tested positive for Covid 19 giving Douglas County their highest one day tally since mid March taking their total positive case count from 92 to 107.
>>>
Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Dave Beck is retiring Saturday after 40 years of volunteer service to the community. A celebration of his career and his retirement will be held tomorrow beginning with a parade, according to the district’s Operations Manager, Matt House,
203 “ Cause of the Covid 19 environment that we are in, the parade to salute Battalion Chief Beck will actually start at the middle school and travel east bound to the fire station parking lot”
House said those who want to participate in the parade can meet that the Siuslaw Middle School parking lot at 12:45. So who will Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue select to replace Battalion Chief Beck?
204 “ Good Question: How do you fill giant shoes? You know that are left behind with 40 years with being part of an agency? We’re looking within our agencies and how we can redevelop and restructure to fill giant shoes.”
The Celebration of Beck’s career will be held Saturday from 1 to 3pm at the Main Fire Station at 26th and Highway 101.
>>>
Restrictions in the wake of covid 19 are causing community organization to come up with fundraising solutions. A Pancakes to go breakfast will be hosted by the Pregnancy and Parent Center on Saturday, July 25th. Held at the First Baptist Church on 25th street in Florence the PPC will offer up Pancakes, eggs, and sausage will be safely and freshly packed just for you to pick up, take away, and enjoy at home. The breakfast is free but donations will be accepted. PPC provides free and confidential pregnancy and parenting support and education in the surrounding Florence area.