Of the 20 letters submitted, 12 support starting the transition to a hybrid schedule now, while eight are in opposition.
Walla Walla County has reported 33 cases of the coronavirus since Friday afternoon, and Oregon issued updated face covering guidance.
As of Friday, Umatilla County had 16 new confirmed positive cases of the novel coronavirus, while Walla Walla County reported another 20 combined between Friday and Saturday for a total of 58 current cases.
The K-12 district switched to the hybrid schedule on Sept. 28, becoming the first in the area to test the approach to education during the pandemic.
The work of public health contact tracers is key to stopping the spread of COVID-19 and other communicable diseases. While the current pandemic has highlighted the approach, it's been used for the past century.
A COVID-19 outbreak in a surgical unit at Harborview Medical Center has killed one patient and infected three others. Ten staffers have also tested positive for the virus that causes the disease and are isolating.
The Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center announced it would close down from Thursday, Oct. 15, at noon through Oct. 16 after two of its staff members tested positive for COVID-19, according to a press release from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.
The long wait will soon be over for College Place students longing to return to the classroom. The College Place School District opens schools for all grades Monday. The schools will use an a.m./p.m. hybrid schedule.
Among Walla Walla County's six new cases reported Thursday are two inmates at the Washington State Penitentiary.
Health officials said Tuesday that Walla Walla County appears to now be stabilizing in case counts, and numbers of active cases, now at 34, have been dropping since September.
Oregon marked a grim milestone on Tuesday as state health officials announced the state had surpassed 600 deaths from COVID-19 since the pandemic began.
The Umatilla County Public Health Department is expecting an initial allotment of “about 1,000” rapid COVID-19 tests as a part of the state’s new testing strategy, according to Public Health Director Joe Fiumara.
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Umatilla County has topped 3,000 cases of residents with COVID-19.
The watch list designation does not impact the county's Phase 2 reopening status, but adds more public health support.
A worksite outbreak in Klamath Falls, Oregon, contributed to Thursday's numbers.
Reports show 21 new virus cases between Umatilla, Walla Walla counties
Of the 62 people with active COVID-19 illness in Walla Walla County, 15 are Washington State Penitentiary inmates, officials said. Oregon officials announced more testing capability coming to the state.
