Flu On The Rise
Flu cases in the state continue to surge earlier in the season than in the past 5 years. The Oregon Health Authority is reporting cases of influenza A are hitting peaks near 5000. The majority of those cases are in the Portland Metro area, but cases are heavy else where. Dr. Willie Foster with Peace Harbor in Florence says cases continue to show up at the hospital along with RSV and COVId-19. He says symptoms are wide and varied.
“They can give you all the other symptoms, you know body aches, fever, headache, sore throat, runny nose sometimes GI issues as well both with COVID and with influenza .
Hospital beds continue to fill up here and around the state as health officials continue to emphasize hand washing, mask wearing and staying home when you have symptoms. The OHA is also reporting that emergency Department visit have sky rocketed compared to the last two years where mandatory mask wearing kept the annual flu at bay with record low numbers.
Gas Prices Continue to Drop
New numbers are out on gas prices from AAA. Spokesperson Marie Dodds with AAA Oregon says the latest drop at the pumps is 18 cents for the state. the average price of a gallon of regular gas around Oregon is $3.98 the lowest is has been in over a year. Dodds says one of the main contributors is the lackluster demand for gasoline, but lower crude prices are also in play. Here in Florence the average price for a gallon of regular is $3.81. Dodds says the price could continue downward during the Christmas break but it may be next week before we know the trend for sure.
Increased Traffic Patrols
You can expect traffic patrols to be increased this holiday season. The Lane County Sheriffs Office says state money to handle overtime has been approved. Chief John Pitcher with the Florence Police Department says they have also received money to increase patrols to be on the lookout for impaired drivers over Christmas and New years. Sergeant Tim Ware with the LCSO warns there is no excuse for impaired driving. He says intentionally or not impaired drivers kill innocent people every day. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that an average 32 people die daily in the US from impaired Drivers.
Volunteers Needed
The Florence Area Chamber of Commerce is in dire need of some volunteers to fill vacancies at the Visitor’s Center. President and CEO Bettina Hannigan says they could use at least 4 people to handle Monday through Friday shifts 10-1 and 1-4. Hannigan says training is available. The Visitor’s center is located on Highway 101 next to the Krab Kettle.