Oregon National Guard To Support COVID-19 Vaccinations
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon will be stepping up its vaccinations against COVID-19, including by administering thousands of doses at the state fairgrounds in Salem this weekend with the support of the National Guard, Gov. Kate Brown said Friday.
“The goal is to vaccinate 250 people per hour, vaccinating thousands of Oregonians,” Brown announced during a Zoom call with reporters.
Those eligible to receive the vaccination are in the top priority category set by the Oregon Health Authority, which includes hospitals, health care providers and residents at long-term care facilities; emergency medical service providers and other first responders.
Those who appear for the vaccination “will be asked to provide … a self attestation that they qualify in the Phase 1a category,” said OHA Director Patrick Allen. “This is part of the process of simplifying 1a and being able to get through the category as quickly as we can.”
On Friday, OHA recorded 7,994 doses of vaccine administered — including 578 second doses — raising the state’s total number of shots given to 74,914.
The agency also reported Friday that COVID-19 claimed seven more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 1,575. There were also 1,755 new cases, bringing the total to 122,847 in a state with a population of around 4.2 million.
