Clackamas County Providing PPE
August 5, 2020
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Clackamas County Emergency Operations Center is providing face coverings to small businesses, community based organizations, and agricultural employers that meet the following criteria:
- Small Businesses: Must have 25 or fewer employees and be located within Clackamas County. Priority is given to minority-owned, women-owned, veteran-owned, those with disabilities, and emerging, small businesses, in accordance with the State of Oregon Equity Framework in COVID-19 Response and Recovery.
- Community Based Organizations (CBOs): Organizations providing services to seniors, people with disabilities, culturally-specific communities, communities of color, people with underlying health conditions, people living in congregate settings, people experiencing houselessness and groups impacted by inequities.
- Agricultural Employer: Any person, corporation, or association who owns or operates an agricultural establishment in Clackamas County and hires employees who work for an agricultural establishment including a farm, ranch, nursery, greenhouse, or production facility.
More information and the online request form can be found here.
Eviction ban extended through October 1
During this pandemic, many Oregonians are having trouble paying rent. As it's the beginning of a new month, we want to remind you that the legislature and Gov. Kate Brown extended the eviction ban through October 1. They also extended the deadline to pay back rent to March 31, 2021. You can't be evicted for not paying rent, fees or utilities that are due between April 1 and Sept. 30, 2020. Tell your landlord in writing as soon as you know you are unable to pay. You will still have to pay your past due rent, but you have until March 31, 2021, to do so.
To see if you qualify for rent and utility assistance, call 211 or go to 211info.org.
Learn about how to avoid coronavirus scams
The COVID-19 pandemic has given scammers a variety of different opportunities to commit fraud. Learn more about potential scams at the Division of Financial Regulations COVID-19 fraud prevention webpage. Topics include fake mobile banking apps, government imposters, bogus unemployment claims, and more.
Oregonians will continue to receive increased food benefits in August
The Oregon Department of Human Services has received approval by the federal Food and Nutrition Service to continue in August to provide increased food benefits and waive the interview requirement for new applicants making it faster and easier for Oregonians to access benefits.
This will result in an additional $30 million to eligible Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients in August 2020. As the pandemic continues, access to food has worsened greatly according to Self-Sufficiency Programs Deputy Director Claire Seguin. Providing another month of emergency assistance will help ease the threat of chronic hunger in Oregon.
No additional action is needed from Oregonians already enrolled in SNAP. The increase brings all households to the maximum SNAP benefit. Households that already receive the maximum benefit will not receive any additional benefits.
Keeping Workplaces Healthy and Safe
Oregon OSHA is responsible for ensuring that Oregon businesses follow state and federal workplace health and safety guidelines. This includes ensuring:
- Adequate physical distancing, including at in-person meetings.
- Good hand hygiene, with access to soap, water and hand sanitizer.
- Employees and contractors wear masks, face shields or face coverings if required for their specific line of business, with accommodations to comply with applicable laws.
- Compliance with the Statewide Mask, Face Shield, Face Covering Guidance. This includes informing customers and visitors about the requirement.
- Limited gathering in shared spaces such as conference rooms and break rooms.
- All employees are trained in safety requirements and expectations at physical worksites.
To view all employer workplace health and safety guidance related to COVID-19, visit the Oregon OSHA website. If you feel your workplace is not meeting these requirements, you can submit a workplace complaint with Oregon OSHA.
Fact Check: Hydroxychloroquine is Not a Treatment For COVID-19
There have been many questions about whether there's evidence for using hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19.
According to Joshua M. Sharfstein, MD, of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: "Early questions about whether hydroxychloroquine might be of help to patients with COVID-19 have been addressed by high quality research, and the results do not support the medication's use. In June, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found no benefit for decreasing the likelihood of death or speeding recovery and revoked the medications authorization for us in treating COVID-19."
Other studies are underway to identify medications or treatments that are effective at preventing or treating COVID-19, but many of the home remedies people have tried are dangerous.
Please avoid self-medicating and consult a healthcare professional for your health needs. If you have questions about poisoning, contact the Poison Center of Oregon, Alaska, and Guam at 1-800-222-1222.
Watch Out for Imposter Contact Tracers
With COVID-19 cases increasing in our area over the past several weeks, answering the call from a contact tracer is an important way we can work together to help stop the spread of the virus. Contact tracers reach out to anyone who may have been exposed to COVID-19, and they will leave a message asking you to call them back. They never ask for Social Security numbers, bank information or credit cards. If you are concerned about fraud as it relates to contact tracing, visit the Oregon Department of Justice.
