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WASHINGTON (AP) – The new, looser recommendations from federal health officials on masks have almost overshadowed another major change in government guidance: Americans who are fully vaccinated can largely go without getting tested for the coronavirus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said last week that most people who have received the full course of vaccines and have no symptoms of COVID-19 do not need to be screened for the virus, even if they are. exposed to an infected person.

The change represents a new phase in the epidemic after nearly a year in which testing was the main weapon against the virus. Vaccines are now at the heart of the response and have dramatically reduced hospitalizations and deaths.

Experts say the CDC guidelines reflect a new reality in which nearly half of Americans have received at least one vaccine and nearly 40% are fully vaccinated.

“At this point, we should really ask ourselves whether the benefits of the tests outweigh the costs – which are a lot of disruption, a lot of confusion, and very little clinical or public health benefit,” said Dr A. David Paltiel of the Yale School of Public. Health, which championed widespread college testing last year.

Although vaccinated people can still catch the virus, they are at little risk of serious illness. And positive test results can lead to what many experts now call worries and unnecessary interruptions at work, home, and school, such as quarantines and time outs.

Coronavirus cases at lowest level since June

NEW YORK – New cases of coronavirus in the United States have declined to rates not seen since June.

This is raising optimism that vaccination campaigns are stemming both severe cases of COVID-19 and the spread of the virus.

The seven-day average for new cases fell below 30,000 per day this week. CDC director Rochelle Walensky said cases had not been this low since June 18.

The average number of deaths over the past seven days has also fallen to 552, a rate not seen since July.

Health experts attribute the vaccine rollout to a dramatic turnaround since January. But they also warn that too few Americans have been vaccinated to completely extinguish the virus. President Joe Biden is trying to convince people to sign up for vaccines by reminding them that vaccines offer a return to normal life.

More than 60% of people over 18 have received at least one vaccine, and nearly half are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. Alabama’s vaccination rate – 34% of people have received at least one dose – is one of the lowest in the country. Health experts fear that some areas with low vaccination rates, such as parts of southern states, could give rise to new variants of the virus that could be more resistant to vaccinations.

– The Associated Press

Oregon offers lottery prizes for vaccinations

Oregon will introduce a COVID-19 vaccine lottery to combat slowing vaccination rates, Governor Kate Brown announced Friday.

This makes Oregon the fourth US state, after Ohio, New York and Maryland, to offer residents the chance to earn money in exchange for a vaccine.

Brown’s “Take Your Shot Oregon” campaign will automatically enter all Oregonians aged 12 and over who get at least one shot by June 27 in the lottery.

A draw on June 28 will offer adults 18 and over the chance to win a $ 1 million prize and 36 $ 10,000 prizes (one in each Oregon county). Young people will have a chance to win one of five $ 100,000 Oregon College Savings Plan Scholarships.

The cash prize, totaling $ 1.86 million, will come from Oregon Coronavirus Relief Act funds.

“If you’ve been waiting to get a vaccine or haven’t gotten to it yet, we’re going to give you an extra push,” Brown said at a press conference on Friday. “What about a million dollars?”

Maryland and New York both announced vaccine lotteries on Thursday, joining Ohio which announced its lottery last week.

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Lane County Reports 39 New Cases, No New Deaths

Lane County reported 39 confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 on Friday, bringing the countywide number of cases to 13,287, according to Lane County Public Health. The death toll remained at 149 for an eighth consecutive day.

There were 154 people considered contagious, up from four compared to Thursday.

Eighteen people were hospitalized, one down from Thursday, four in intensive care, two down from Thursday, and none were on ventilators, unchanged from Thursday.

As of Wednesday, 159,047 residents of Lane County were fully immunized, 41.7% of the population, with 347,778 first and second doses administered.

Lane County rent assistance applications open until May 28

Lane County Human Services has opened another round of requests for rent assistance, the county said on Friday.

This app is intended for residents of Lane County whose household income is 80% or less of the median income for the area, the press release said.

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Be a tenant living in Lane County.
• Have an income equal to or less than 80% of the region’s median income.
• Loss of income suffered due to factors related to COVID-19, affected by business closure due to COVID-19 or experienced financial hardship due to COVID-19.

Applications will be prioritized based on income, unemployment history and need, the release said. Applications will be handled by community partners who will contact tenants and request additional information and eligibility documents.

To apply, visit LaneCounty.org/RENT before 5 p.m. on May 25. Renters can complete an application online or can be assisted in completing a form over the phone at 541-682-3776.

Oregon reports 504 new cases of COVID-19, 7 new deaths

Oregon reported seven new COVID-19-related deaths on Friday, bringing the state’s death toll to 2,613.

The Oregon Health Authority has also reported 504 new confirmed and suspected cases of COVID-19.

Vaccinations in Oregon

The OHA reported that 48,028 new doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been added to the state’s immunization registry. Of this total, 28,686 doses were administered on May 20 and 19,342 were administered on previous days, but were entered in the vaccine registry on May 20.

The seven-day moving average is now 29,816 doses per day.

Oregon administered a total of 2,048,515 first and second doses of Pfizer, 1,518,646 first and second doses of Moderna, and 129,770 single doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines. As of Friday, 1,685,321 people had completed a series of COVID-19 vaccines. There are 2,136,133 people who have received at least one dose.

To date, 2,472,795 doses of Pfizer, 1,991,240 doses of Moderna and 282,200 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine have been delivered to sites across Oregon.

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospital patients with COVID-19 in Oregon is 285, down 16 from Thursday. There are 78 COVID-19 patients in intensive care, one more than Thursday.

The total number of COVID-19 positive patient bed days in the past seven days is 2,236, a 4.9% decrease from the previous seven days. The maximum daily number of beds occupied by COVID-19 positive patients in the past seven days is 342.

Cases and deaths

The new confirmed and suspected COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Benton (5), Clackamas (57), Columbia (10), Coos (7), Crook (4), Curry (2) , Deschutes (35), Douglas (23), Hood River (1), Jackson (19), Jefferson (10), Josephine (4), Klamath (31), Lane (38), Lincoln (1), Linn (38 ), Malheur (1), Marion (56), Multnomah (67), Polk (4), Tillamook (1), Umatilla (23), Wasco (6), Washington (50), Wheeler (1) and Yamhill (10 ).

• The 2,607th death from COVID-19 in Oregon is an 82-year-old man from Umatilla County who tested positive on May 3 and died on May 19 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.
• The 2,608th death from COVID-19 in Oregon is a 77-year-old man from Clackamas County who tested positive on April 19 and died on May 18 at Kaiser Permanente Sunnyside Medical Center. The presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.
• The 2,609th death from COVID-19 in Oregon is a 70-year-old man from Lane County who tested positive on April 23 and died on May 18 at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center in Riverbend. He had underlying conditions.
• The 2,610th death from COVID-19 in Oregon is a 73-year-old woman from Linn County who tested positive on May 3 and died on May 19. The place of death is being confirmed. She had underlying conditions.
• The 2,611th death from COVID-19 in Oregon is an 89-year-old man from Deschutes County who tested positive on April 25 and died on May 14 at St. Charles Bend Hospital. He had underlying conditions.
• Oregon’s 2,612th COVID-19 death is a 91-year-old Linn County woman who tested positive on May 10 and died on May 18 at Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital. She had underlying conditions.
• The 2,613th death from COVID-19 in Oregon is an 80-year-old Washington County man who tested positive on May 15 and died on May 19 at the Portland VA Medical Center. The presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

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