Rare Light Day of COVID-19 Cases
It was a lighter day of COVID-19 cases yesterday in Lane County. Lane County Public Health only reported 13 new cases for a total of 2,467. There was also a drop in persons considered infectious. That number dropped by 21 to 148. There were no new cases reported for the Florence area. That number remains at 31. Across the state though there was a new record high reporting with 575 cases. Two counties posted numbers greater than 100 and both are part of the Portland metro area. Multnomah County had 102 cases and Washington County posted 107. Clackamas County also had 62 new cases. Two new deaths were also reported bringing that total to 673.
Hannigan Urges Restraint Over Halloween
Concern over the safety of children over Halloween celebrations bubbled up as the President and CEO of the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce Bettina Hannigan urged businesses not to pass out candy in Old Town tomorrow. She warned that the consequences could be severe.
“You are violating the governor’s orders and if there is a case can you imagine what your liability exposure is going to be?”
Hannigan says there is nothing officially that can be done to stop businesses from soliciting kids to come in for candy, but she says the consensus from all the governing agencies is to not participate.
“The Chamber’s position, the City’s position, the County’s position, the State’s position is Please do not do that it is not safe.”
The Florence Chamber is promoting a more virtual Halloween this year due to the coronavirus pandemic with suggestions of Facebook dance contests, Scary movies in your home or a family cookout with a backyard candy hunt among other things.
DeFazio Says District Members at Risk With Potential ACA Reversal
Representative Peter DeFazio says there are 75 thousand people in danger of losing their health care benefits in his district if the Affordable Care Act were to be overturned. Yesterday in a virtual Roundtable, Defazio and several individuals discussed how a removal of the ACA would affect them. Timothy Morris said the pandemic has already cost him his job and will likely cost him his home in the not too distant future and with pre-existing health conditions, a repeal of the ACA would be the final straw. He says he struggles with whether or not to sell his car to pay bills or perhaps paying for health insurance if the Supreme Court decides against the ACA.
“If I should sell my car or should I keep it because that’s where I am going to be sleeping when I lose my home, that’s the fight that I have with losing my health care coverage.”
DeFazio says that is just one of many stories that he is hearing from his district. And it is something that needs to be addressed by the House and the Senate moving forward.
“Those are going to be really, really critical issues to people, covid relief package, restoration of health care if the supreme court takes it away. Those are things that are life and death for many, many Americans.”
Defazio says the Oregon Health Plan would be unable to cover the addition of almost 400 thousand Oregonians should the ACA be overturned.