Jackson County Public Health is reporting three new COVID-19 cases, as of 12:01 AM, June 29, 2020. This update brings the total reported COVID-19 cases in Jackson County to 109. To access additional data on the total COVID-19 cases, visit the Situation in Jackson County, Oregon webpage.
“People are beginning to resume their daily activities and their social lives,” says Dr. Jim Shames, Jackson County Health Officer. “People are returning to work; they are attending birthday parties and weddings, going to bars and restaurants with friends and families, resuming their religious practices, they are traveling to places with high COVID-19 cases to see family and friends.” In general, the more closely you interact with others and the longer that interaction is, the higher the risk of COVID-19 is to spread from person to person. Jackson County Public Health highly recommends that everyone continue to protect themselves and others by practicing everyday preventative actions, as there is no vaccine to prevent people from getting this illness.
COVID-19 cases and deaths have been reported in all 50 states, and the situation is continuously changing. Because travel increases your chances of getting infected and spreading COVID-19, staying close to home is the best way to protect yourself and others from getting sick. It is recommended that everyone practices physical distancing (stay six feet away from people who are not in your household), practice good hand hygiene and frequently disinfect surfaces that or touched often. It is also important to stay home if you are sick. “It is critical that if you are experiencing COVID-19-like symptoms or have a pending COVID-19 test, that you do not attend social gatherings, go to work, or travel,” says Tanya Phillips, Health Promotion Manager for Jackson County Public Health. “When you have symptoms, you are likely spreading the disease to other people, especially if you are not wearing a facial covering and or not wearing it properly.” Symptoms of COVID-19 include cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fever, chills, muscle pain, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea, or vomiting, diarrhea.
In addition, it is highly recommended that everyone wears a face-covering made from cloth or paper. Masks with valves are not recommended; these types of masks filter air being inhaled, but do not filter air that is exhaled and can project the germs, exposing others. Face-coverings should be worn in public settings, especially in environments that are indoors and where it may be challenging to ensure that you can stay six feet away from others at all times. COVID-19 spreads mainly from person to person through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. COVID-19 can be spread by people who do not have symptoms and do not know they are infected. Face coverings can slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus from transmitting it to others. Overall, face coverings worn by others protect you from getting the virus from people carrying the virus.
Wear your Face Covering Correctly:
- Wash your hands before putting on your face covering
- Put it over your nose and mouth and secure is under your chin
- Try to fit it snugly against the sides of your face.
- Make sure you can breathe easily
The availability of testing has increased in Jackson County; therefore, if you develop mild symptoms of COVID-19 you should contact your medical provider. Your medical provider can make a referral for you to get tested at the appropriate location. You can also contact one of the medical clinics or healthcare systems that is providing testing. Testing for COVID-19 is available to all people, regardless of documentation status. Current health centers or health systems providing testing for those that meet the criteria for testing in Jackson County are:
- Asante: Services are available to everyone. Call your medical provider first, or call the Asante COVID-19 hotline at 541-789-2813. You can also visit https://www treatment.asante.org/.
- Providence: Services are available to everyone. If you are an established Providence patient, contact your medical provider. If you are a new patient, you can call 541-732-7700. If you are not an established patient, call Stewart Meadows Urgent Care 541-732-9362. You can also visit the Providence website https://coronavirus.providence.org/.
- La Clinica: Testing is available for current La Clinica patients, anyone in the community who is uninsured, has no other doctor, or anyone who speaks Spanish only. Call 541-535-6239 to speak with a nurse.
- Valley Immediate Care: Services are available to everyone. Valley Immediate Care is open seven days a week and their main phone number is 541-734-9030.
For more information:
The public can call 211-information with general questions
OHA Emerging Respiratory Disease page: www.healthoregon.org/coronavirus
CDC COVID-19 page: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
CDC Travel within the US: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/travel-in-the-us.html
Jackson County Health and Human Services: http://jacksoncountyor.org/hhs/COVID-19
# # #