Snowfall won’t stop COVID-19 vaccine clinic at Redmond fairgrounds

Those who cannot make their appointment will be contacted to reschedule

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Despite snowfall and a winter storm warning, the COVID-19 vaccine clinic at the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center will continue operations as scheduled for appointments this week, officials said Thursday.

Those who are scheduled to receive a dose on Thursday or Friday and are unable to safely travel to the clinic due to inclement weather will be contacted early next week to have their appointment rescheduled, a brief news release stated.

"We are actively preparing for inclement weather and will have crews onsite to make sure roads are clear and mobility assistance is available," the statement said.

"No additional appointments are available," officials added.

Effective Friday, Deschutes County will move from the “extreme risk” to the “high risk” level of Oregon’s health and safety framework. 

The changes will allow some businesses and facilities to resume indoor services, as long as they still fall within the state’s COVID-19 safety measures and capacity limits.

“Please continue to keep up the good work in keeping your family and neighbors safe from COVID-19,” said Deschutes County Commission Chair Tony DeBone. “Together, we can help keep our case counts low and get businesses back to work.”

• View the Oregon Health Authority's Guide to risk levels and restrictions. 
• View the Oregon Health Authority’s sector guidance.

Deschutes County encourages residents to continue to protect the health of our community by following public health guidelines. 

“The move from extreme to high risk is reassuring, but can also change with a spike or surge in positive COVID cases,” said Dr. George Conway, director of Deschutes County Health Services. “Now more than ever, it is important to remain vigilant and continue practicing the measures we know are effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19 — wear your mask, keep physical distance from others, avoid gatherings and wash your hands often.”

County risk levels are updated every two weeks in response to how COVID-19 is spreading in our communities. The Oregon Health Authority will announce updates to county risk levels again on Feb. 23.