Hospital Staffing
Dr. Dean Sidelinger says hospitals continue to suffer from the effects of COVID-19. The Oregon health officer says it is the virus as well as other diseases that is having an impact of the workforce. An issue that echoes with Peace Harbor CAO Jason Hawkins. Hawkins says they have been impacted by the pandemic and continue to adjust and find solutions.
“Staffing is a challenge going forward. We are working on different things, you know, how do you keep the ones you have, because we love working with them we love taking care of our community. What incentives we can put in place. We’ve had some creative incentives for those kind of things.”
Sidelinger says the public can help ease the burden placed on hospitals by vaccinating and staying up to date on boosters. Currently there are no specific guidelines for getting a second booster dose, but a conversation with your primary care provider could shed light on that. Sidelinger also noted the rise of monkey pox cases with 32 now recognized in Oregon including Lane, Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties.
Halibut Expansion
While the Chinook salmon will not have a fishing season this fall, the ODFW has added all-depth Halibut days to their schedule for areas along the central Oregon Coast which includes the Florence coast. The season begins August 4th and will now include every Thursday through Sunday until the quota is met. Lynne Mattes is the Recreational Groundfish and Halibut Project leader for ODFW she says early poor weather conditions on the ocean hampered the effort of anglers to catch the popular fish leaving plenty of quota remaining. Previously the schedule offered every other Thursday through Sunday. Information on the specific regulations regarding Halibut is available at dfw.state.or.us
TV Crew Gets Tour of Florence
A crew working with the British broadcaster “Independent TV News” had a day off from working at the World Track and Field Championships in Eugene Wednesday. The foursome had the opportunity to spend the day in Florence and it was a chance meeting at a coffee shop in Old Town that made their day. The four were chatting with other patrons of the shop and asked if anyone knew of someone who could give them an impromptu and casual tour of the Florence area. Tim and Amy Tregoning spoke up instantly. They called an acquaintance who offered the used of a 12-passenger van, and off they went. They spent the morning at Sea Lion Caves and hiking the Pioneer Trail on upper North Fork Road. After lunch in Old Town they took in a few more sights before heading back to Eugene. The World Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field end Sunday.
