June 2, 2020



Today, the Union County Incident Management Team transferred command of the Union County coronavirus response to the Center for Human Development, Union County Public Health. The local response to COVID-19 has slowed to a pace that allowed this transition. Public information functions will return to local public agencies.

The Union County Incident Management Team involved a total of 30 representatives from various agencies as well as individual volunteers. This included four members of Union County Search and Rescue (volunteers); three La Grande School District employees; three members of the La Grande Rural Fire Protection District; seven City of La Grande employees to include Law Enforcement, Fire Department, and City Parks; two employees of Grande Ronde Hospital; one Center for Human Development employee; one Life Flight employee; two Oregon Department of Forestry employees; one Oregon State Police Trooper; and six Union County employees to include the Administrative Office, Sheriff’s Department, and Union County Emergency Services. Many other Center for Human Development employees and Grande Ronde Hospital employees have been actively working on the incident and will continue to do so within their organizational structure.

The Incident Management Team came together to serve the community beginning in late March and continued to collaborate, communicate, and provide a coordinated response to the citizens of Union County. Planning and coordination meetings were held throughout the incident to support local efforts. Although the team held a close-out meeting today, all members will stand ready to support Center for Human Development or stand up again should the situation necessitate reactivation.

Press releases and social media postings will continue, but will be provided by individual agencies. Information regarding the coronavirus can be found on Facebook on the following pages: 

https://www.facebook.com/Center-for-Human-Development-Inc-CHD-122728710568/
https://www.facebook.com/grh01/
https://www.facebook.com/eouadmissions/
https://www.facebook.com/UCEmergencyServices/
https://www.facebook.com/OregonHealthAuthority/

This will be the last daily update received from the NE Oregon Joint Information Center for the coronavirus response unless significant changes occur.