UPDATE (12:55 p.m. PT) — Less than 30 minutes after opening up its portal for low-income Portlanders to apply for direct cash assistance, the city's housing bureau has stopped taking applications.
The bureau had set aside enough funds to provide $250 to about 740 low-income households who have been financially harmed by COVID-19. By 10:30 a.m. Monday, the city received more than 1,000 applications, according to a bureau spokesperson.
Out of the $1 million the housing bureau set aside in March for its new “emergency household stabilization fund,” $200,000 was devoted to this cash assistance. The other $800,000 will be distributed by social service providers who serve "culturally specific communities, and individuals and families experiencing homelessness and housing instability,” according to the bureau.
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler has said they’ll look for ways to expand the fund, potentially through the federal coronavirus relief package.
Colorado and Nevada join West Coast states' pact on coronavirus
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak today announced their respective states are joining Oregon, Washington and California in the Western States Pact, an effort of governors coordinating regionally to control the spread of COVID-19.
Related: West Coast Governors Announce 'Pact' For Reopening Economies
Under the pact, decisions to lift stay-home orders will be made once the spread of COVID-19 has declined, and the states are able to identify and prepare for potential waves of the disease in the future.
"There’s no silver bullet that will solve this pandemic until there is a cure, so we must have a multifaceted and bold approach in order to slow the spread of the virus, to keep our people safe and help our economy rebound,” Polis said.
Under the pact, states commit to sharing their best practices regarding testing, tracking and isolating to protect their respective populations.
"Millions of visitors from our fellow Western states travel to Nevada every year as a premier tourism destination, and this partnership will be vital to our immediate recovery and long term economic comeback,” said Sisolak.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said the partnership is similar to how states work together during wildfire season, and that states are taking decisive action based on science and data from health officials as they calculate how to safely reopen the economy.
“We will work together as we recover from the impacts of this pandemic — with a shared vision, a common purpose, and individual paths forward tailored to the needs of our states — to reopen our communities and economies and prepare our constituents for a safe return to public life,” Brown said.
Poultry plant in Kelso continues employee virus testing
Washington health officials will test approximately 115 additional employees at Foster Farms in Kelso, Washington on Monday.
Cowlitz County Health officials announced that four employees of the poultry processing plant already tested positive for COVID-19. Officials said over the weekend that 77 employees had been tested, with six test results pending.
Other food processors in the Northwest are struggling to stem coronavirus infections at their work sites. A Tyson beef plant near Pasco, Washington, has had over 100 workers test positive for COVID-19. And a Stemilt fruit operation in the Wenatchee Valley has seen more than 30 employees test positive.
Stemilt has another facility in the Yakima area with more than 900 employees. And separating that many workers is difficult – even when they are scheduled over multiple shifts.
Celilo Village leader dies of COVID-19
The Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission has announced the death of Bobby Begay over the weekend from complications of COVID-19.
On its Facebook page, CRITFC describes Begay as Celilo Village leader, Yakama tribal member and the lead fishery technician for CRITFC.
Oregon's latest coronavirus numbers
Health officials in Oregon report that Oregon's confirmed caseload of coronavirus has reached 2,354.
The number of people who have died of COVID-19 in Oregon is at 92 as of Monday.
Oregon COVID-19 Map
Jacob Fenton, The Accountability Project at the Investigative Reporting Workshop
Clark County marks 21 deaths
In Southwest Washington, Clark C0unty has tallied 339 known coronavirus infections as of Monday, and 21 confirmed deaths from COVID-19.
Addiction recovery during a crisis
Gigi Goodrich has been in addiction recovery treatment for months and was going to regular 12-step meetings when the pandemic hit. Goodrich sent OPB’s daily talk show “Think Out Loud” an audio postcard about her struggle to stay sober while maintaining social distancing, with her dog Brock as a constant companion.