Health

Despite surge in cases, Southern Oregon county leaders oppose COVID measures

By April Ehrlich (Jefferson Public Radio)
Sept. 30, 2021 5:20 p.m.

County leaders in Southern Oregon continue to oppose the state’s COVID-19 health measures, even after a massive surge of cases and deaths in the region.

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Jackson and Josephine counties were slammed with coronavirus patients this summer; so much so that the National Guard had to help hospitals that were over capacity.

Now that surge is slowing, and county leaders are declaring their opposition to Governor Kate Brown’s vaccine mandate for health and education workers.

The Providence Medford Medical Center in Medford, Ore., is pictured in this undated file photo.

The Providence Medford Medical Center in Medford, Ore., is pictured in this undated file photo.

Julie Denney / Providence

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At a public meeting, Josephine County’s three commissioners, including Darin Fowler, described the mandate as a government overreach.

“You have no right to ask me a medical question, Mr. Government,” Fowler said. “And I don’t have to answer it. Get that through your thick heads: that you cannot mandate things in America. That’s not the way it works.”

The commissioners are considering a resolution declaring vaccine mandates as “the direct enemy of liberty.” They agreed to table the resolution until their next meeting on Oct. 6.

Commissioner Dan DeYoung blamed the “mainstream media,” “big tech,” and “cancel culture” as reasons why they can’t discuss unproven treatments for the coronavirus — including medicines like ivermectin — which the commissioners have supported in the past.

Jackson County commissioners on Tuesday passed a resolution declaring a state of emergency in response to the state’s mandate. They say the mandate will drive workers from their jobs.

In the resolution, the commissioners call for “never again imposing the ‘Extreme’ risk category restrictions in Jackson County” and “removing all other mandatory restrictions imposed in Jackson County.”

The resolution includes a number of misleading statements about the pandemic, including one that says Jackson County hospitals “are not overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases.” State data show that Jackson and Josephine county hospitals have been at or above capacity in their intensive care units for weeks. As of Wednesday, there were only three available ICU beds.

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