COVID-19 Still Here
While Lane County numbers for COVID-19 continue to show declines from week to week, the Florence area, one of the highest vaccinated zip codes in the county, continues to be affected by the virus. 13 more cases have been added to the list of individuals diagnosed with COVID-19. There has been little response to questions about the spread of the virus in the area. Lane County Public Health Liaison Jason Davis has been out on leave for several weeks and according to county commissioner Jay Bozievich the department has been dealing with staffing issues since early summer. There has also been limited information about contact tracing available. There have now been 744 individuals in the community that have contracted the virus, almost 10 percent of the areas full time population.
Doctors Back Pediatric Vaccinations
On November 20th Lane County Public Health will hold a pediatric vaccination clinic for ages 5 and up. Questions arise regarding the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine for children, dr. Antwon Chavis with Doernbecher’s children’s hospital says studies show the vaccine is safe.
“Our data shows that the vaccine for children is safe. And it is more than 90% effective at preventing severe covid illness. And although children are at a lower risk of becoming severely ill from covid-19 compared to adults it is still possible especially with the newer variants.”
Dr. Chavis says they have seen several cases of Multiple Inflammatory Syndrome from unvaccinated children that have gotten the coronavirus and while the instances are low, the illness can be very devastating.
Toys for Tots
Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue will host the annual Marines Toys for Tots on Saturday December 4th. the event will be at the main fire station on Highway 101 from 11am until 5 pm. Children from infancy to 14 years of age are eligible to receive a toy. The Marines Toys for Tots program has been active for more than 73 years providing toys to all income brackets.
Gas Prices
Prices at the pump are expected to be up for the Thanksgiving holiday as is traffic. Marie Dodds with AAA Oregon says traveler numbers are expected to be close to pre-pandemic levels. Gas prices around Oregon are fairly steady, dropping a cent last week to $3.77 for a gallon of regular gas. The average price for Florence is also $3.77. Dodds says about 746,000 oregonians are planning trips, which is about 5% less than a normal Thanksgiving holiday.
Photo Winner Announced
The Florence Area Chamber of Commerce has selected the winner of its photo contest. The winning photo was submitted by Brittany Buhler. Buhler said she and a few girlfriends were visiting to get away and celebrate an upcoming friend’s wedding. The photo depicts sand castles and a playful reach for the skies. Buhler’s photo was chosen out of more than 100 entries and she received a $250.00 prize.
