Ore. governor defends shots for teachers first
Timetable for seniors’ vaccinations changes
PORTLAND, Ore. — Gov. Kate Brown on Friday defended her decision to reject federal guidelines and prioritize teachers for the COVID-19 vaccine before the elderly, stating that if all of Oregon’s seniors were vaccinated first teachers would likely not be vaccinated before the school year and many students would not return to in-person learning.
In addition, during a news conference, officials from the Oregon Health Authority presented a new vaccination timeline that delays the eligibility for seniors 65 to 69 years old to be vaccinated until March 7 and those 70 to 74 pushed back to Feb. 28.
“I know there will still be some who disagree with this choice,” Brown said about prioritizing teachers. “I also know there are many Oregonians who are eager to get the vaccine. The harsh reality is we are managing a scarce resource right now. I wish we had more vaccines to give.”
Last week, following news that state’s would not receive as many vaccine doses as they had been told by the federal government, Oregon officials announced a change to the vaccine distribution: Instead of vaccinating teachers and seniors at the same time, teachers would be vaccinated beginning Jan. 25 and Oregonians 80 or older beginning Feb. 8.
During Friday’s briefing, the governor addressed and further explained her decision — laying out estimated amounts of vaccines administered to certain groups each week, as well as hosting teacher and student speakers to discuss the struggles they have faced with distance learning.
“If schools remain remote the potential education loss could be substantial,” Brown said. “This is especially true in mathematics, with students likely to lose five to nine months on learning by the end of this school year.”
Before winter break, less than 10 percent of Oregon’s estimated 580,000 students were receiving some form of in-person instruction, according to data from the Oregon Department of Education.
In other developments:
■ The numbers of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Arizona are declining despite the state having the worst infection rate in the country, health officials said Friday. The number of patients and even the positivity test rate have dipped slightly in the last few weeks, according to Dr. Cara Christ, director of the Arizona Department of Health Services. It was the one bright spot of news as Arizona reached a grim milestone with a pandemic death toll of more than 12,000.
■ The Navajo Nation is extending its stay-at-home order with a revised nightly curfew and lifting weekend lockdowns to allow more coronavirus vaccinations. Tribal officials announced the measures will take effect Monday and run through at least Feb. 15. Officials say the daily curfew will run daily from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
■ California is reporting a oneday record of 764 COVID-19 deaths, but the rate of new infections is falling. The deaths reported Friday by the California Department of Public Health top the previous mark of 708 set on Jan. 8. In the last two days California has recorded 1,335 deaths.
■ Limited coronavirus vaccine availability, confusion over which Idaho residents should be vaccinated first and rumors of line-jumpers are all complicating the state’s vaccine rollout. Members of Idaho’s COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Committee met Friday to help clarify exactly who should have dibs on the state’s doses.