‘We really need help’: Coronavirus overwhelms rural Oregon

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The coronavirus pandemic that's sweeping through major U.S. cities is now wreaking havoc on rural communities.

In Oregon's Umatilla County, infections are overwhelming limited resources in a place where farmers grow potatoes, onions and grains. The county has Oregon’s highest number of confirmed infections per capita.

Across rural America, the virus is swamping health care systems and piling responsibility on government workers who often perform multiple jobs they never signed up for.

Officials attribute much of the spread to outbreaks in workplaces, living facilities and social gatherings. Food processing plants and farms that typically have people working in cramped quarters have proven to be hot spots. 

Read more at: https://apnews.com/9c168598988f6e3a4cf529ba7da62ec2