Latest Covid
With the decrease in COVID-19 cases since the end of the pandemic the virus has not gotten the attention it did when everyone was paying attention to it. Cases over the months have decreased with spikes coming at various times. A spike in September and one in December saw cases being reported but not to previous numbers. Then earlier this month a report of a cluster of cases here in Florence begged the question what is the current status of the Virus. Dr. Willie Foster with Peace Harbor Medical Center says it is not going away although its also not as serious as before.
“currently, you know, we seeing not that much respiratory infections.”
Dr. Foster says we are at the tail end of the season for respiratory infections which includes covid. Yet the potential for infections will exist beyond the typical fall and winter time frames. He says there are some new thoughts from the CDC on how long the virus is contagious.
“If you do test positive the current recommendation is isolating for 5 days, after that you are really not considered contagious anymore.”
And as it has always been preached, wash your hands with regularity and if positive wear a mask.
Reedsport to Unveil Traffic Study
The City of Reedsport is proactively looking at the future when it comes to traffic. Over the past year Reedsport, ODOT, and the Port of Coos Bay have been studying the effect that a new container ship terminal might have on traffic along the coastline south of Florence. The “Reedsport Rail Crossing Study” has been completed and the results will be discussed in an upcoming meeting on Monday April 1, at 7 pm at the Reedsport City Hall. With access to i-5 in Reedsport much of the traffic concerns will reside south of Florence, but an increase along Highway 101 could be seen at some level. If you are interested in the study’s findings you can videoconference the meeting by visiting cityofreedsport.org.
Egg Hunt
Tomorrow morning at Miller Park is the annual Interact Easter Egg Hunt. The forecast for the quick moving dash is expected to be sunny, but likely a little cool. The event is scheduled for 10 am and parents are encouraged to bring their pre-k to 5th grade children a little early. While the hunt starts at 10 sharp there are considerations like parking and finding the age related field. the hunt is separated by ages to avoid collisions by older children with younger children. Historically the hunt only lasts a couple of minutes, but in that time 4,000 eggs are collected. There are also a few golden eggs that have larger prizes.
Busy Weekend
Spring break for Oregon is coming to a close, but this weekend’s forecast for sunshine and warmer temperatures will likely mean a last minute burst of people heading to the coast. Residents should be prepared for increased traffic.
Data Says Rethink Closed Days
Travel Lane County has compiled some numbers for travel and tourism that has a surprising piece of information for Florence. Data received from various sources including anonymous cell phone monitoring shows that travel spikes early in the week in Florence rather than before the start of the weekend. Florence Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Bettina Hannigan says the information was shared with the chamber this week.
“We have more visitors in Florence on Monday than we do on Fridays. So if you’re a business that closes on Monday because you have been busy all week I encourage you to close on Tuesday because you are missing more business on Monday than you have on Fridays.”
Hannigan says visitors find choices in town are limited on Mondays especially for restaurants.
