March 20, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Daily Situation Status Report

Sign up for daily situation status reports on Coronavirus (COVID-19) from Coos Health & Wellness. This email provides Coos County, Oregon, United States, and worldwide information as well as relevant public service announcements. Emails are sent Monday – Friday at 8pm Pacific. You can find the sign up form on our COVID-19 page on our website.

For questions regarding COVID-19 and the most up to date guidance, please email covid19.questions@chw.coos.or.us or visit our COVID-19 page on our website.

March 24, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Coos County WIC
To support our families during the COVID-19 outbreak, WIC services are being offered over the phone. If you have a scheduled appointment, a WIC staff will contact you to conduct your appointment over the phone, make your WIC benefits available and schedule your next WIC appointment.

If you are interested in receiving WIC services, fill out the WIC Interest Form on the Oregon WIC website, https://www.oregon.gov/oha/ph/HealthyPeopleFamilies/WIC/Pages/index.aspx, email WIC at WIC@chw.coos.or.us or call 541-266-6705 and our team will contact you as soon as possible.
For questions regarding COVID-19 and the most up to date guidance, please email covid19.questions@chw.coos.or.us or visit our COVID-19 page on our website.

March 26, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CASPER Door-to-door Survey Cancellation

With the ever-evolving COVID-19 virus pandemic, Coos County strives to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all of its residents. This is a task that all levels of the county system take seriously and we intend to do our best to continue all efforts in maintaining your health and wellbeing.

That being said, many of you have expressed concern regarding the proposed door-to-door assessment to understand our community readiness. It is for this reason we will not be conducting the CASPER door-to-door survey.

If you have any questions regarding the COVID-19 virus, and how you can be more prepared, you can email us at covid19.questions@chw.coos.or.us or visit our COVID-19 page on our website.

March 25, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WIC Grocery Shopping

During the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, Coos Health & Wellness understands that people are concerned about gathering enough groceries, cleaning supplies, over-the-counter medication, and other goods. This is leaving many stores’ shelves empty, making it difficult for others to purchase what they need. This is especially true for families who depend on WIC.

WIC is the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. Nutrition education, healthy foods, breastfeeding promotion and support, and referral services are the key benefits of the WIC Program.

Under the WIC program, people are limited to purchasing WIC-approved products only, which are marked with a WIC label. If WIC-approved products are gone, then unfortunately WIC-dependent families are left with no other choice but to go home empty handed.

Coos Health & Wellness is asking our community to please leave WIC-approved products on the shelf, unless you qualify for the WIC program. We encourage you to double check the back of products for the WIC label and to leave WIC-approved products behind.

For questions regarding COVID-19 and the most up to date guidance, please emailcovid19.questions@chw.coos.or.us or visit our COVID-19 page on our website.

March 27, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Behavioral Health Services are Available During this current health crisis, Mental Health and Behavioral Health services are still available through Coos Health & Wellness. We have moved most of our services to online platforms and telephone delivery to continue to provide needed services while ensuring safety for all of our community.

If you or a loved one need services please do not hesitate to call our office at 541-266-6700 for appointment information and telehealth options. If you are in crisis, our 24-hour crisis line at 541-266-6800 is also always available.

For questions regarding COVID-19 and the most up to date guidance, please emailcovid19.questions@chw.coos.or.us or visit our COVID-19 page on our website.

March 27, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Rumors Surrounding COVID-19 We at Coos Health & Wellness would like to take the time to address the constant rumor circulation happening in the community. Please understand that if a report of a positive COVID-19 case did not come from the Public Health Division of Coos Health & Wellness, or the Oregon Health Authority, it is most likely false and misleading.

A recent example would be the rumor of an individual in Bandon being in contact with a positive COVID-19 case from Wisconsin. This has been proven to be a rumor and has no factual basis.

If you are ever in question of a situation regarding this virus, please email us at covid19.question@chw.coos.or.us, visit our COVID-19 page, subscribe to our daily situation status report, or give us a call at 541-266-6700 where we can share the most up to date information on this situation.

March 31, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COVID-19 is an Increased Threat to Those Who Use Tobacco

The COVID-19 global pandemic has everyone concerned. Those who smoke or vape e-cigarettes, or care about someone who does, may be especially worried because the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 attacks the lungs. This can increase the threat of the virus for tobacco users. It is more important than ever that tobacco users quit to protect their health. We are here to help! If you are looking for help to quit smoking or vaping please see the following resources.

This is Quitting—-is an anonymous text message program designed to help teens and young adults quit vaping. The program, which was built with input from young people who have attempted to or successfully quit, is tailored by age group to give appropriate recommendations about quitting. It offers tips, encouragement, and a sense of community including information about building skills to help manage stress and reduce anxiety related to quitting. Teens and young adults can access this program by texting “DitchJUUL” to 88-709 and get immediate help. Parents of young people who vape can get support at www.becomeanex.org. 

You can also contact the Oregon Quit Line today: 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) or online at quitnow.net/oregon. 

We know what you're going through. We don't nag or lecture. We help you feel more confident about quitting for good. There are many different ways to quit. We'll help you make a plan that will work for you. If you've tried to quit, we'll talk about what hasn't worked and new things you could try. We'll tell you about medications that can help you quit. We may be able to send you free nicotine patches and/or gum.

If you have any additional questions about resources for tobacco cessation you can contact Katrinka McReynolds, Tobacco Prevention Specialist at 541-266-6766 or email: katrinka.mcreynolds@chw.coos.or.us

March 25, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Please Do Not “Panic Buy” or Excessively Purchase and Hoard Items

Coos Health & Wellness urges those living in Coos County not to “panic buy” or excessively purchase and hoard items while shopping. It's OK to stockpile some supplies. A two-week supply of food, cleaning supplies, medicine and other goods is recommended. 

When individuals purchase more than they need for their household it empties the shelves, not leaving enough for others. This creates excessive work and stress on our truck-drivers and store employees to re-stock sold out items. Also, this requires some of our most vulnerable individuals (i.e. elderly, those immune compromised, or disabled) to search multiple stores for basic necessities putting them at greater risk of contracting COVID-19.

If we can all please consider prioritizing our most immediate needs, it will allow us to best serve the needs of our entire community. It's not only good for your health, but crucial to ensuring that others around you stay healthy as well.

April 2, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Should I Wear Gloves if I Work in a Retail Setting?•Wearing gloves can create a false sense of security. 

•While gloves can serve as a layer of protection, they can also transmit the spread of germs if they are not used properly. 

•If you choose to wear gloves, things to consider: 

o How often will I be able to change my gloves?

To avoid transferring germs, gloves should be changed after each customer contact, along with proper hand hygiene.

o Will wearing gloves potentially reduce the amount of times that I wash my hands or use hand sanitizer throughout the day?

Frequent, effective handwashing is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of germs. If you do not have access to a washing station, it is recommended that you alternatively use an alcohol based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol after each customer contact.

The public health department recognizes the hard work that you and your staff are doing to keep the community healthy and we thank you for continuing to provide services.

If you have any questions or concerns, please call Coos Health & Wellness at 541-266-6700, access our website at cooshealthandwellness.org or email questions to covid19.questions@chw.coos.or.usIf you have food safety questions, please contact the Oregon Department of Agriculture at 503-986-4720.

April 6, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Use of Cloth Face Coverings

COVID-19 can spread between people interacting in close proximity—for example, speaking, coughing, or sneezing—even if those people are not exhibiting symptoms. In light of this new evidence, CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies) especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.

It is critical to emphasize that maintaining 6-feet social distancing remains important to slowing the spread of the virus. CDC is additionally advising the use of simple cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it fromtransmitting it to others. Cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost can be used as an additional, voluntary public health measure.

The cloth face coverings recommended are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators. Those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance.

Non-medical cloth face coverings can supplement but not replace Governor Kate Brown’s Stay Home, Save Lives executive order. Learn more from CDC about the use of cloth face coverings.

You can find a template for sewing cloth face coverings for yourself and your family or for donation on our COVID-19 page on our website (scroll down to Volunteer Opportunities). For questions regarding COVID-19 and the most up to date guidance, please emailcovid19.questions@chw.coos.or.us or visit our COVID-19 page on our website.

Eric Gleason MS, DBH

Health Care Integration & Promotion Director

Public Information Officer

Pronouns: He/His

Coos Health & Wellness

Together, inspiring healthier communities

281 LaClair St.

Coos Bay, OR 97420

p. 541-266-6741

f. 541-888-8726

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