Oregon reports 3 more COVID-19 deaths, 314 new cases
(Update: Two counties added to state 'watch list,' for total of three)
PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) — COVID-19 has claimed three more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 563, along with 314 new cases, the Oregon Health Authority reported Friday.
OHA reported 314 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. Friday, bringing the state total to 34,163 cases and 663,130 negative test results.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported Friday are in the following counties: Baker (1), Benton (8), Clackamas (15), Clatsop (3), Columbia (1), Coos (2), Deschutes (4), Douglas (3), Hood River (1), Jackson (13), Jefferson (1), Josephine (8), Klamath (4), Lane (39), Lincoln (1), Linn (6), Malheur (12), Marion (37), Morrow (1), Multnomah (59), Polk (5), Umatilla (12), Wasco (2), Washington (66) and Yamhill (10).
Crook County has had 63 COVID-19 cases, one death and 2,645 negative test results, OHA reported. Deschutes County has had 880 cases, 12 deaths and 31,100 negative test results. Jefferson County has had 555 cases, eight deaths and 4,917 negative test results.
St. Charles Health System reported five COVID-19 patients as of 8:30 a.m. Friday, though none were in the ICU or on a ventilator
Orgon’s 561st COVID-19 death is an 80-year-old woman from Wasco County who tested positive on Sept. 16 and died on Sept. 28 in her residence. She had underlying conditions.
Oregon’s 562nd COVID-19 death is an 83-year-old man in Lane County who tested positive on Aug. 27 and died on Sept. 30 in his residence. He had underlying conditions.
Oregon’s 563rd COVID-19 death is an 84-year-old man in Marion County who tested positive on Sept. 21 and died on Sept. 30 at Salem Hospital. He had underlying conditions.
OHA releases updated modeling report
OHA has released its latest modeling report.
The model offers three scenarios, assuming 4,500 tests per day for each.
The optimistic scenario assumes a 5-percentage-point increase on Sept. 5, but attributes increases in diagnosed cases after Sept. 15 to a decline in testing.
- Under this scenario by Oct. 22, new infections would increase from 680 to 800, resulting in about 270 daily cases. Severe cases – those requiring hospitalization – would increase to 24, and a reproduction rate would be 1.04, meaning that someone with the virus is passing it to more than one person.
The pessimistic scenario assumes a 10-percentage-point increase in transmission after Sept. 5 and attributes some of higher cases to be the result of increased transmission rather than a lack of testing.
- Under this scenario, by Oct. 22, there would be approximately 900 new infections and about 300 new daily cases, with eight more severe cases and a reproduction rate of 1.17.
The moderate scenario assumes a 7-percentage-point increase from Sept. 5, attributing fewer of the increased diagnosed cases to increased transmission.
- Under this scenario, by Oct. 22, new daily cases would increase by 120, with one additional severe case and a reproduction rate of 1.12. Based on COVID-19 data through Sept. 24 the model is consistent with increases in transmission throughout May, followed by decreases in transmission through late July and declining cases in August.
As has been shown since the beginning of the pandemic in Oregon, these trends remain very sensitive to small changes in transmission levels.
Model results should be interpreted with caution, given these recent reductions in testing and uncertainty behind various COVID-19 model assumptions.
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.
Governor Kate Brown Announces Updates to the County Watch List
(Salem, OR) — Governor Kate Brown today announced that two counties—Benton and Clatsop—have been added to the County Watch List. This brings the total number of counties on the Watch List to three.
“With increased sporadic COVID-19 cases in these counties, the Oregon Health Authority is reaching out to provide additional support and resources to help county officials reduce community spread," said Governor Brown. "These additions to the Watch List are a reminder that COVID-19 is still very much with us, and that we must not let down our guard.
"I urge all Oregonians to continue practicing the measures that health experts recommend for reducing the spread of this disease—wear a face covering, watch your physical distance, and wash your hands often."
Counties are placed on the Watch List when COVID-19 is spreading quickly and public health officials cannot trace that spread to specific sources—creating a potentially dangerous dynamic.
Specific markers of this rapid community spread include when there is a sporadic case rate of 50 or more per 100,000 people in the last two weeks and the county has had more than five sporadic cases in the last two weeks (sporadic cases are those that cannot be traced to a source; they indicate community spread).
Counties remain on the Watch List for a minimum of three weeks and until their sporadic case rates drop below these thresholds.
The County Watch List allows the state to prioritize resources and assistance to counties that are seeing the broadest spread of COVID-19. When a county is placed on the Watch List, the Oregon Health Authority increases monitoring and communication, and deploys additional technical assistance and resources, such as epidemiological support, case investigation, and contact tracing help.
Governor Brown added, "Together, all of us play a part in helping keep our friends, families, and neighbors safe and healthy. With cold and flu season approaching, it's also a great time to get your flu shot, to help make sure our frontline health care workers have the bed capacity and resources they need to continue treating COVID-19 patients.”
The complete County Watch List now includes the following three counties: Benton, Clatsop, and Malheur.
