Oregon counties request trucks for bodies as deaths climb

BEND, Ore. – The decease toll from COVID-19 successful Oregon is climbing truthful rapidly that 2 counties person requested refrigerated trucks to clasp the bodies, the authorities exigency absorption section said Saturday.

So far, Tillamook County, connected Oregon's northwest coast, and Josephine County, successful the southwest, person requested the trucks, said Bobbi Doan, a spokeswoman for the Oregon Office of Emergency Management.

Tillamook County Emergency Director Gordon McCraw wrote successful his petition to the authorities that the county's sole ceremonial location “is present consistently astatine oregon exceeding their capacity” of 9 bodies.

"Due to COVID cases of staff, they are incapable to transport for retention to adjacent counties," helium wrote, adding that suicides are besides up successful the county.

The refrigerated motortruck arrived successful the region connected Friday, loaned by Klamath County, Doan said successful a telephone interview.

The Tillamook County Board of Commissioners said Friday the dispersed of COVID-19 "has reached a captious phase.”

Ad

In a connection published online successful the Tillamook County Pioneer, they said that from Aug. 18 to Aug. 23, determination were six caller COVID-19 deaths successful the county, surpassing the 5 full COVID-19 deaths that occurred during the archetypal 18 months of the pandemic.

“In the past week, we much than doubled the fig of COVID deaths successful Tillamook County, from 5 to eleven,” Commissioners Mary Faith Bell, David Yamamoto and Erin Skaar wrote. They begged residents: “Please get vaccinated.”

The petition travel arsenic the coronavirus delta variant tears done Oregon's unvaccinated population.

The region vaccination complaint is 70%, either successful advancement oregon afloat vaccinated.

But successful Josephine County, wherever hospitals are overwhelmed and its morgues are besides reaching capacity, the vaccination complaint is lone 53%, according to Oregon Health Authority data. The immense bulk of COVID-19 patients clogging the state's hospitals and intensive attraction units are unvaccinated.

Ad

Unlike their counterparts successful Tillamook County, Josephine County commissioners are not promoting the vaccine.

Jefferson Public Radio reported that successful a gathering earlier this period with section wellness officials, Josephine County Commissioner Herman Baertschiger Jr., a erstwhile person of the number Republicans successful the Oregon Senate, said: “I’m not going to hog-tie anybody and springiness them a vaccination."

Hospital workers successful Grants Pass, the region seat, said their morgue was afloat arsenic a effect of a surge successful coronavirus cases.

CEO Win Howard of Asante Three Rivers Medical Center successful Grants Pass told commissioners: "We are successful a full-blown wellness attraction situation successful our community. I’ve ne'er seen thing similar this before.”

During the nationalist meeting, the commissioners repeatedly questioned the efficacy of the vaccines, suggested the surge was caused by Mexican immigrants, and alternatively promoted unproven medicines, Jefferson Public Radio reported.

Ad

Josephine County Emergency Manager Emily Ring asked the authorities connected Tuesday for a refrigerated trailer that could clasp “20-48 cadavers.”

She wrote that the region infirmary is regular exceeding its assemblage retention capableness and that the 5 ceremonial homes and 3 crematoriums are “at the borderline of situation capableness daily.”

“Trailer indispensable person hoists for assemblage lifts and shelves,” she said successful her urgent petition form.

Morgues are allowed to legally person lone a definite fig of bodies astatine the aforesaid time, and that creates the capableness issue, Doan said. Her bureau is facilitating the transportation of a refrigerated morgue motortruck from Yamhill County to Josephine County.

"Right now, OEM’s relation is truly successful that aerial postulation control,” Doan said. “It’s like, here’s a need, here’s a assets to assistance them to link the dots done communal aid.”

The Oregon Health Authority connected Friday reported 20 caller deaths, raising the state’s decease toll to 3,115.

Ad

Since the commencement of the pandemic determination person been 268,401 reported coronavirus cases successful this authorities of 4.2 million.

___

This communicative has been updated to close commissioners successful Josephine County are not promoting the vaccine.

___

Andrew Selsky is connected Twitter astatine https://twitter.com/andrewselsky

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.