After 914 COVID-19 cases in past week, Deschutes commissioners urge vaccinations, masks

More than 900 cases among county residents reported in past week

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Amid a record-breaking surge in COVID-19 cases, fueled by the delta variant, Deschutes County commissioners issued a statement Wednesday urging residents to get vaccinated and wear a mask in indoor public or crowded outdoor spaces and events.

Here's their statement, in full:

"Over the past seven days, Deschutes County has seen a record-breaking number of COVID-19 cases reported, with 914 local residents testing positive.
 
"With cases surging, and the highly contagious Delta variant spreading in our community, we encourage residents to get vaccinated if they haven’t already and to wear a mask while in indoor public spaces or crowded outdoor spaces and events.
 
"The Delta variant is more than twice as contagious as the variants we’ve seen before. Because children younger than 12 and some others in our community can not yet be vaccinated, masks are an important tool to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
 
"To date, more than 73 percent of Deschutes County residents 18 and older have been vaccinated. Vaccinated individuals have high levels of protection against severe illness due to COVID-19. If a vaccinated person does get infected, they are much less likely to get seriously sick and require hospitalization.
 
"Vaccines are readily available across our communities. Our Health Department is regularly hosting vaccine clinics four days a week in Bend, La Pine, Redmond and Sisters. Vaccines are also available at local pharmacies and medical providers.

"We know that after 18 months, we’re all ready for the pandemic to be over. But our recent case counts show us that we’re really not done yet. Now is the time to do more than we’ve ever done before.

"There are currently 42 COVID-positive Deschutes County residents in the hospital and our recent surge of cases is straining resources at St. Charles. As our county’s Local Public Health Authority, we’re urging residents to do everything they can to protect themselves and others and to help maintain hospital capacity for those who need it most.

"We hope you’ll join us in doing everything we can to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our communities. Thank you for all that you have done and continue to do to keep our communities safe and healthy."