coronavirus
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Zero COVID-positive cases found in OSU Study

Researchers conclude one in 1,000 people in Bend had an active case of COVID-19 during study
Laurel Brauns

Last month, a group of field teams working with Oregon State University fanned out across Bend to test households for COVID-19. They tested 615 people in Bend, and no one tested positive. The Team-based Rapid Assessment of Community-Level Coronavirus Epidemics, or TRACE study, is led by a group of researchers at OSU who want to […]

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Phase Two Reopening… Already?

Movie theaters, pools, bowling alleys, summer camps and churches could reopen as soon as Friday
Laurel Brauns

The Deschutes Board of County Commissioners voted on Monday to send its Phase Two application to the State. Big changes like gatherings up to 100 people outside—and indoor gatherings of 50 people—may be enough to restore some summer traditions like BBQs and neighborhood Fourth of July parties. It also might save some weddings and family […]

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Rick Steber’s Giant Toilet Paper Emporium

Prineville author and shop owner, ready to move on, hosting parties in ‘open defiance’ of closures
Avatar photo Cayla Clark

COVID-19 has impacted the majority of Central Oregon businesses, and business owners are reacting in different ways. Some have yet to reopen; some have found themselves sneaking in customers for stealthy haircuts. And some, like Prineville’s Rick Steber, are changing the names of their businesses in order to stay essential. A prolific, self-published author, Steber […]

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Raising the Bar

Serving drinks to thirsty customers is fraught with concerns for bartenders—but customers have a role to play, too. Read what happened during a recent Friday morning at a local greasy spoon.
Avatar photo Cayla Clark

Serving drinks to thirsty customers is fraught with concerns for bartenders—but customers have a role to play, too. Read what happened during a recent Friday morning at a local greasy spoon.

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Unmasked Questions

Exploring the great divide: to wear masks, or not to wear masks? A local disease ecologist weighs in
Avatar photo Cayla Clark

With the rise of COVID-19 came the rise of misinformation. Scientific facts became topics of debate. “One of my residents is heart broken that the country he fought for in WWII can’t manage to wear a mask for his safety.” One of the most controversial topics in the current climate is mask wearing: should we […]

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‘The Church is Not a Building’ ▶ [With Video]

Local clergy look to the positive side of moving online—including increases in participation
Avatar photo Cayla Clark

On Friday, President Donald Trump officially declared that all houses of worship were to be considered essential services. “Some governors have deemed liquor stores and abortion clinics essential, but have left out churches and houses of worship. It’s not right. So I’m correcting this injustice and calling houses of worship essential,” Trump said. While he […]

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Will Deschutes County Reopen? We Still Don’t Know (Update: Now we do.)

Deschutes County Commissioners get word from the State about the county’s application to begin reopening
Laurel Brauns

Editor’s note: Deschutes County Commissioners told the Source early Wednesday that the state had approved the County’s application to begin Phase One of reopening, starting Friday. We’re working on an update; check our home page for a longer story soon. The Deschutes County Board of Commissioners, along with the rest of Central Oregon, is still […]

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COVID-19 – Myth vs. Fact

A Portland-based epidemiologist and her colleague weigh in on the circulation of COVID-19 misinformation
Avatar photo Cayla Clark

With so much misinformation in circulation, it can be difficult to know which sources to trust. Two West Coast epidemiologists weigh in on coronavirus myths VS. facts.

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Covid-19 Comes to Oregon Prisons and Jails

Deschutes County Adult Jail reduced its population in hopes of staving off an outbreak
Laurel Brauns

Inmates at the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Adult Jail share everything: small dormitories, cramped dining spaces, showers and bathrooms. They use the same phone to connect with loved ones and touch the same door knobs as they move through the facility. This makes inmates and prison staff especially vulnerable to the spread of COVID-19. It’s […]

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