Oregon reports 27 more COVID-19 related deaths, 2,449 new cases, 1,131 hospitalizations

(Update: Adding details of deaths)

Latest 'breakthrough' cases represent about 16% of total; other 84% unvaccinated

PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- There are 27 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 3,248, the Oregon Health Authority reported Thursday.

OHA also reported 2,449 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. Thursday, bringing the state total to 281,513.

Weekly Breakthrough Case Report

OHA’s most recent update on COVID-19 breakthrough cases, released Thursday, found that 84.1% of the 16,265 reported COVID-19 cases between Aug. 22 and Aug. 28 occurred in people who were unvaccinated. There were 2,592 breakthrough cases, accounting for 15.9% of the week’s cases.

The median age of the breakthrough cases during this period was 49. Fifty-one breakthrough cases involved residents of care facilities, senior living communities or other congregate care settings. There were 58 breakthrough cases in people aged 12 to 17.

To date, there have been 13,166 COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough cases in Oregon. The median age of all cases was 48. Breakthrough cases have been reported in all 36 counties.

Cases of COVID-19 are far more common in unvaccinated people. The report shows that the rate of COVID-19 in unvaccinated people is currently approximately five times higher than in vaccinated people, OHA said.

To date, 4.9% of all vaccine breakthrough cases have been hospitalized and 0.9% have died. The median age of the people who died was 81.

The number of vaccine breakthrough cases identified in Oregon remains very small, when compared to the more than 2.4 million Oregonians who have completed their COVID-19 vaccination series.

The latest breakthrough report can be found here.

Pediatric weekly dashboard update

On Thursday, OHA published its newest dashboard report of pediatric COVID-19 case data in Oregon.

This dashboard replaces the previous report and will be published weekly on Thursdays with the most recent full week’s data.

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 1,131, which is 47 fewer than Wednesday. There are 308 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is 50 fewer than Wednesday.

There are 62 available adult ICU beds out of 682 total (9% availability) and 376 available adult non-ICU beds out of 4,315 (9% availability). 

St. Charles reported 84 COVID-19 patients as of early Thursday, 11 of them in the ICU, with 10 on ventilators. A total of 70 of the 84 patients are not fully vaccinated, and nine of the 11 ICU patients.

The total number of patients in hospital beds may fluctuate between report times. The numbers do not reflect admissions per day, nor the length of hospital stay. Staffing limitations are not captured in this data and may further limit bed capacity.

Note: Please do not visit an emergency department for COVID-19 testing, unless you require emergency care for your symptoms.

Emergency departments in Oregon are under significant strain responding to the current surge in COVID-19. You can find a test here.  

If you have a medical condition that doesn’t require emergency care, contact your provider. An urgent care center may also help you get the care you need and will save emergency departments from added strain.  

More information about hospital capacity can be found here.

Vaccinations in Oregon

OHA reported Thursday that 11,496 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry on Wednesday. Of this total, 5,113 were administered on Wednesday: 2,733 were initial doses and 1,651 were second doses. The remaining 5,113 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on Wednesday.

The seven-day running average is now 8,795 doses per day.

Oregon has now administered 2,827,487 first and second doses of Pfizer Comirnaty, 1,851,033 first and second doses of Moderna and 200,749 single doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.

As of Thursday, 2,641,129 people have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 2,411,810 people have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series.

These data are preliminary and subject to change.

Updated vaccination data are provided on Oregon’s COVID-19 data dashboards and have been updated Thursday.

Cases and COVID-19 deaths

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported Thursday are in the following counties: Baker (19), Benton (18), Clackamas (180), Clatsop (27), Columbia (43), Coos (43), Crook (26), Curry (11), Deschutes (149), Douglas (146), Grant (9), Harney (13), Hood River (8), Jackson (202), Jefferson (22), Josephine (119), Klamath (38), Lane (175), Lincoln (51), Linn (131), Malheur (16), Marion (247), Morrow (14), Multnomah (248), Polk (28), Sherman (3), Tillamook (29), Umatilla (84), Union (22), Wallowa (3), Wasco (22), Washington (238) and Yamhill (65).

Oregon’s 3,222nd COVID-19 death is a 95-year-old woman from Clatsop County who tested positive on Aug. 20 and died on Aug. 22 at her residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,223rd COVID-19 death is a 97-year-old woman from Clatsop County who tested positive on Aug. 10 and died on Aug. 21 at her residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,224th COVID-19 death is a 95-year-old man from Clatsop County who tested positive on Aug.12 and died on Aug. 22 at his residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,225th COVID-19 death is a 44-year-old man from Clatsop County who first became positive on Aug. 3 and died on Aug. 11. Location of death and presence of underlying conditions are being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,226th COVID-19 death is a 91-year-old woman from Clatsop County who tested positive on Aug. 4 and died on Aug. 25 at her residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,227th COVID-19 death is a 41-year-old man from Columbia County who tested positive on Aug. 12 and died on Aug. 28 at Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,228th COVID-19 death is an 80-year-old man from Gilliam County who tested positive on Aug. 12 and died on Aug. 24 at Good Shepherd Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,229th COVID-19 death is a 67-year-old woman from Douglas County who tested positive on Aug. 26 and died on Sept. 1 at Mercy Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,230th COVID-19 death is a 45-year-old woman from Douglas County who tested positive on Aug. 24 and died on Sept. 1 at Mercy Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,231st COVID-19 death is an 83-year-old woman from Jackson County who tested positive on Aug. 29 and died on Aug. 29 at Asante Three Rivers Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,232nd COVID-19 death is a 101-year-old woman from Jackson County who tested positive on Aug. 11 and died on Aug. 18 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,233rd COVID-19 death is a 69-year-old man from Jackson County who tested positive on Aug. 3 and died on Aug. 31 at Providence Medford Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,234th COVID-19 death is a 62-year-old woman from Jackson County who tested positive on July 30 and died on Aug. 30 at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,235th COVID-19 death is a 75-year-old man from Lane County who tested positive on Aug. 19 and died on Aug. 31 at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at Riverbend. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,236th COVID-19 death is an 82-year-old man from Josephine County who tested positive on Aug. 21 and died on Aug. 31 at Asante Three Rivers Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,237th COVID-19 death is a 64-year-old man from Josephine County who tested positive on Aug. 5 and died on Aug. 31 at Asante Three Rivers Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,238th COVID-19 death is a 75-year-old man from Josephine County who tested positive on Aug. 16 and died on Aug. 20 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,239th COVID-19 death is a 59-year-old man from Josephine County who tested positive on Aug. 12 and died on Sept. 1 at Asante Three Rivers Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,240th COVID-19 death is a 76-year-old man from Josephine County who tested positive on Aug. 12 and died on Aug. 20 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,241st death is a 62-year-old man from Lane County who tested positive on Aug. 16 and died on Sept. 1 at McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,22nd COVID-19 death is a 64-year-old man from Lane County who tested positive on Aug. 15 and died on Aug. 31 at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at Riverbend. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,243rd COVID-19 death is a 75-year-old woman from Lincoln County who tested positive on Aug. 27 and died on Aug. 30 at Samaritan Pacific Community Hospital. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,244th COVID-19 death is a 69-year-old man from Marion County who tested positive on Aug. 14 and died on Aug. 31 at Salem Hospital. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,245th COVID-19 death is a 76-year-old woman from Multnomah County who tested positive on Aug. 4 and died on Sept. 1 at Legacy Mt Hood Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,246th COVID-19 death is a 26-year-old man from Multnomah County who tested positive on Aug. 20 and died on Aug. 27 at Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,247th COVID-19 death is a 76-year-old man from Multnomah County who tested positive on Aug. 4 and died on Sept. 1 at Legacy Mt Hood Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,248th COVID-19 death is a 71-year-old man from Union County who tested positive on Aug. 21 and died on Aug. 31 at Grande Ronde Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Ensuring kids are prepared for school in Coos County

When Erlette Upshaw, Executive Director for Coos Elderly Services, and Dolly England, OHA Community Engagement Program Manager, were talking, Dolly mentioned that it would be cool to do something for back-to-school in Coos Bay. Dolly mentioned the comics, Beating Covid, that Northwest Disability Support had created to educate about COVID-19.

Upshaw placed an order for 4,000 comics in English and another 1,000 in Spanish.

But what to do with the comics?

"Ding, ding, ding!” said Upshaw. “Backpacks.” She ordered 4,000, and then she went to work getting supplies. On Saturday, Aug. 28, they were ready to hold the backpack giveaway at the mall. It was a drive-through event since there was a COVID-19 surge in Coos Bay. The event was set to start at 9 a.m. and several volunteers started setting up cones at 7:30 a.m. 

One family was so enthusiastic that they were already waiting. According to Upshaw, “And that gentleman says, well while I’m waiting, I might as well help you guys unload. So that community member got out and was helping us unload. And I’d say before 8 o’clock we already had like six other cars parked behind him waiting in line.”

Grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles, all brought kids to pick out new backpacks. One thousand backpacks were handed out. Kids were excited to pick out their own backpacks, and even more excited to see what was in them. Besides the usual school supplies each pack had a comic book and PPE.

Across the parking lot was a Safeway Pharmacy available for walk-in vaccination as well. Upshaw wasn’t sure how many folks got vaccinated, but she was sure of one thing - she saw a lot of smiles that day. Read the full story on Oregon Vaccine News.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations  

To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine situation in Oregon, visit OHA's webpage (English or Spanish), which has a breakdown of distribution and other information.