On this day, January 4, 1945, Two men working near Medford, Oregon, heard a blast, saw flames, and found a twelve-inch-deep hole in the ground where the bomb had exploded. The U.S. Office of Censorship asked the news media not to publish reports for fear it might cause panic. It was the first of a Japanese balloon bomb, experimental weapons intended to kill and cause fires.
Also on this day, January 4, 2018, the state of Oregon sued Monsanto over pervasive pollution from PCBs and sought $100 million to mitigate pollution , particularly along a 10-mile stretch of the Willamette River. Federal authorities in 2016 announced a $1 billion cleanup in the area.
Health care workers, teachers, staff, and volunteers required to be fully vaccinated
Governor Kate Brown has announced two new vaccination measures to address Oregon’s supposed hospital crisis, caused by the Delta variant. The governor claims this is to help keep Oregon students safe in the upcoming school year and minimize disruptions to in-person instruction.
Oregon’s vaccination requirement for health care workers will no longer have a testing alternative
The governor announced that health care workers will be required to be fully vaccinated by October 18 or six weeks after full FDA approval, whichever is later.
All teachers, educators, support staff, and volunteers in K-12 schools will be required to be fully vaccinated by October 18 or six weeks after full FDA approval, whichever is later.
"The Delta variant has put pressure on our health systems, and health care workers are being stretched to their absolute limits providing life-saving treatment for the patients in their care," said Governor Brown. "We need every single frontline health care worker available to treat patients."
"Our kids need to be in the classroom full-time, five days a week, and we have to do everything we can to make that happen," said Governor Brown. "While we are still learning about the Delta variant, we know from previous experience that when schools open with safety measures in place, the risk of transmission is low. That’s why I’ve directed the Oregon Health Authority to issue a rule requiring all teachers, educators, support staff, and volunteers in K-12 schools to be fully vaccinated."
The Governor also outlined the steps Oregon is taking to support hospitals during the ongoing surge in cases and hospitalizations, including deploying the National Guard and nurse strike teams, establishing temporary decompression units to free up bed space, and removing barriers to discharging patients who no longer require hospital-level care.
Oregon has also made requests to FEMA and the Biden-Harris administration for additional federal resources and support. The Governor announced she has formed a Hospital Crisis Prevention and Response group consisting of health care stakeholders to problem solve in real time and suggest new measures to aid health care workers and hospitals during the ongoing hospital crisis.
