Oregon reports 277 new COVID-19 cases, 27 in C. Oregon; 2 more deaths
Positive test rate unchanged from last week, at 5.8%; concern over tighter supplies, results lag up to 2 weeks
(Update: Adding statement from St. Charles President/CEO about ICU beds)
PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) — COVID-19 has claimed two more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 262, and 277 new cases, including 27 in Central Oregon, the Oregon Health Authority reported Monday.
OHA reported 277 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. Monday, bringing the state total to 14,847 cases, along with 325,1978 negative test results.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported Monday are in the following counties: Clackamas (11), Clatsop (2), Columbia (1), Crook (1), Deschutes (19), Douglas (2), Harney (1), Hood River (2), Jackson (5), Jefferson (7), Josephine (2), Klamath (5), Lake (1), Lane (4), Lincoln (2), Malheur (10), Marion (30), Morrow (1), Multnomah (85), Polk (1), Umatilla (41), Washington (38), Yamhill (6).
Crook County has had 28 cases, one death and 1,331 negative test results. Deschutes County has had 371 cases, one death and 14,218 negative test results. Jefferson County has had 206 cases, no deaths and 2,590 negative test results.
As of 7:30 a.m. on Monday, St. Charles Bend reported six COVID-19 patients, four of whom are in the intensive care unit, including three on a ventilator.
St. Charles President and CEO Joe Sluka said in an email update Monday afternoon that earlier in the day, there were seven patients hospitalized with COVID-19, five in the ICU.
Sluka said the organization has 24 ICU beds in Bend and six in Redmond, for a total of 30 beds -- and that as of Monday, 20 of the 30 are occupied, for a variety of reasons beyond COVID-19.
Oregon’s 261st COVID-19 death is a 76-year-old man in Marion County who tested positive on June 22 and died on July 17 at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.
Oregon’s 262nd COVID-19 death is a 92-year-old man in Marion County who tested positive on July 8 and died on July 18 in his residence. He had underlying conditions.
OHA Releases Weekly Testing Summary
OHA released its Weekly Testing Summary Monday, showing 39,301 tests were performed from July 13-18. Of those tests, 2,292 were reported positive, for a percent positivity rate of 5.8 percent, unchanged from the week prior. The most recent weekly testing capacity estimate is 41,000 tests.
The report continues to caution that several major manufacturers have informed OHA that testing supply allocation are being or may be reduced over the next six to eight weeks due to the recent spike in positive COVID-19 cases nationally and increased demand for testing and point-of-care tests continue to be in short supply due to the high demand for testing supplies.
OHA said it is receiving widespread reports of extended turnaround time from commercial laboratories; in some cases, results are being reported two weeks following specimen collection. "OHA will continue to monitor this concerning situation," the agency said.
NOTE: The summary of Oregon test results timeframe in the Weekly Testing Summary is shifting to match with CDC’s MMWR report week, which is reported Sundays through Saturdays. To achieve this without reporting overlapping data, Monday’s report reflects a six-day week (7/13-7/18).
Stay informed about COVID-19:
Oregon response: The Oregon Health Authority leads the state response.
United States response: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention leads the U.S. response.
Global response: The World Health Organization guides the global response.