Oregon reports 24 more COVID-19 related deaths, including Jefferson County man

(Update: Details of deaths, including Jefferson County man, 77)

Weekly breakthrough report shows case rate four times higher among unvaccinated people

PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- There are 24 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, including a Jefferson County man, raising the state’s death toll to 4,358, the Oregon Health Authority reported Thursday.

The 77-year-old Jefferson County resident was the county's 57th COVID-19 related death.

OHA also reported 1,116 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. Thursday, bringing the state total to 363,648.

OHA releases new COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough report

OHA’s most recent update on COVID-19 breakthrough cases, released Thursday, found that 72.1% of the 7,723 reported COVID-19 cases between Oct. 17 through Oct. 23 occurred in people who were unvaccinated.

There were 2,156 breakthrough cases, accounting for 27.9% of all cases.

The average age of the breakthrough cases during that period was 48. Sixty-nine breakthrough cases involved residents of care facilities, senior living communities or other congregate care settings. There were 91 cases in people ages 12 to 17.

To date, there have been 35,424 COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough cases in Oregon. The average age of all cases is 48. Breakthrough cases have been reported in all 36 counties.

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

To date, 4.4% of all vaccine breakthrough cases have been hospitalized and 1% have died. The average age of vaccinated people who died was 80.

"Vaccination remains the most effective tool to reduce the spread of COVID-19," the agency said.

The number of vaccine breakthrough cases identified in Oregon remains very small, OHA said, when compared to the more than 2.8 million Oregonians who have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

The latest breakthrough report can be found here.

Pediatric weekly dashboard update

OHA published Thursday its latest weekly dashboard report of pediatric COVID-19 case data in Oregon. The pediatric age groups in this report have been adjusted to align with the expanded vaccine eligibility for children aged 5 to 11 anticipated in November.

In the most recent full week’s data, case rates were highest among people aged 5 to11, followed by people aged 12 to 17.

Pediatric case rates remain highest among people who identify as American Indian/Alaska Native, Pacific Islander or Black. American Indian/Alaska Native pediatric case rates are now the highest overall.

For the most recent week, pediatric case rates were 3.6 times higher among people who identify as American Indian/Alaska Native compared to people who identify as white.

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 518, which is 36 fewer than Wednesday. There are 123 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is three fewer than Wednesday.

There are 52 available adult ICU beds out of 697 total (7% availability) and 272 available adult non-ICU beds out of 4,139 (7% availability).

10/28/2021 Available Beds (and Percentage of Staffed Beds Available)
	Statewide	Region 1	Region 2	Region 3	Region 5	Region 6	Region 7	Region 9
Adult ICU beds available	52 (7%)	20 (5%)	5(6%)	10 (11%)	3 (5%)	0 (0%)	8(14%)	6 (23%)
Adult non-ICU beds available	272 (7%)	34 (2%)	19 (3%)	87 (15%)	33 (8%)	8 (16%)	51 (12%)	40 (34%)

St. Charles Bend reported 78 COVID-19 patients as of early Thursday, eight of whom were in the ICU, with three on ventilators. Seven of the eight ICU patients and 58 of the 78 total patients were not fully vaccinated, the hospital reported.

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 22,564 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry on Wednesday. Of this total, 12,132 were administered on Wednesday: 1,249 were initial doses, 904 were second doses and 9,926 were third doses and booster doses. The remaining 10,432 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on Thursday.

Oregon has now administered 3,273,879 doses of Pfizer Comirnaty, 1,971,906 doses of Moderna and 226,564 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.

As of Thursday, 2,810,730 people have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 2,606,947 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.

Mobile Vaccination Unit provides access, information and support

It may look like just another tour bus, but to those awaiting it, the big yellow rig is a ray of brightness in a world that sometimes seems to have run amok.  

The FEMA Mobile Vaccination Unit (MVU) has been making the rounds throughout the state bringing vaccines free of charge to everyone who is eligible. During a recent visit to Jackson County, more than 100 people were vaccinated.  

Getting vaccinated is not an easy choice for everyone. Some have been frightened by misinformation; some are uncertain which of the three vaccines is best for them and some are scared of needles. 

“We’ve certainly seen a lot of folks who are scared of needles,” said Chris Rushing, Oregon Health Authority field operations manager and FEMA liaison. “I had one lady who asked, ‘Hey, will you hold my hand while I get the vaccination?’ So I held her hand. It went great. There are a lot of stories like that. And we certainly have a lot of instances of people wanting to get the information, then going home to think about it and coming back on another day. That’s really what we want — for people to make educated decisions about what is right for them.” 

If the MVU comes to your town, here’s what you need to know: 

• Everyone in Oregon 12 and older is eligible
• The vaccine is free
• No ID is necessary
• No appointment is necessary

To read the full story, visit Oregon Vaccine News.  

To find a vaccine near you, go to Get Vaccinated Oregon

FEMA Mobile Vaccination Unit provides free vaccines throughout Oregon.

Cases and deaths

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported Thursday are in the following counties: Baker (2), Benton (24), Clackamas (88), Clatsop (7), Columbia (13), Coos (22), Crook (24), Curry (4), Deschutes (117), Douglas (53), Gilliam (1), Hood River (4), Jackson (54), Jefferson (21), Josephine (24), Klamath (62), Lake (4), Lane (80), Lincoln (15), Linn (76), Malheur (24), Marion (70), Morrow (7), Multnomah (119), Polk (30), Tillamook (2), Umatilla (32), Union (10), Wallowa (4), Wasco (22), Washington (73) and Yamhill (28).

Oregon’s 4,335th COVID-19 related death is an 86-year-old man from Multnomah County who tested positive on April 28, 2020 and died on Sept. 4, 2020 at Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center. The death certificate listed COVID-19 disease or SARS-CoV-2 as a cause of death or a significant condition contributing to death. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,336th COVID-19 related death is a 78-year-old woman from Multnomah County who tested positive on Jan. 20 and died on March 14 at her residence. She had no underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,337th COVID-19 related death is a 77-year-old woman from Multnomah County who tested positive on Jan. 5 and died on March 21 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,338th COVID-19 related death is a 52-year-old man from Multnomah County who tested positive on March 22 and died on March 28 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,339th COVID-19 related death is a 71-year-old woman from Jackson County who tested positive on Dec. 19, 2020 and died on March 24 at her residence. The death certificate listed COVID-19 disease or SARS-CoV-2 as a cause of death or a significant condition contributing to death. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,340th COVID-19 related death is a 65-year-old man from Washington County who tested positive on Jan. 5 and died on Jan. 22 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,341st COVID-19 related death is a 94-year-old woman from Multnomah County who tested positive on Oct. 24 and died on Oct. 26. Location of death and presence of underlying conditions are being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,342nd COVID-19 related death is a 74-year-old man from Jackson County who tested positive on Oct. 21 and died on Oct. 27 at Providence Medford Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,343rd COVID-19 related death is an 82-year-old man from Yamhill County who tested positive on Oct. 20 and died on Oct. 27 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,344th COVID-19 related death is a 91-year-old man from Yamhill County who tested positive on Oct. 20 and died on Oct. 27 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,345th COVID-19 related death is a 61-year-old woman from Marion County who tested positive on Oct. 19 and died on Oct. 24 at Salem Hospital. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,346th COVID-19 related death is a 91-year-old woman from Lane County who tested positive on Oct. 16 and died on Oct. 25 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,347th COVID-19 related death is an 87-year-old woman from Jackson County who tested positive on Oct. 8 and died on Oct. 27 at Providence Medford Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,348th COVID-19 related death is a 68-year-old man from Lane County who tested positive on Oct. 7 and died on Oct. 26 at Mckenzie Willamette Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,349th COVID-19 related death is a 43-year-old man from Umatilla County who first became symptomatic on Sept. 24 and died on Oct. 22; location of death is being confirmed. He had no underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,350th COVID-19 related death is a 73-year-old man from Jackson County who tested positive on Sept. 15 and died on Oct. 26 at Providence Medford Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,351st COVID-19 related death is a 61-year-old woman from Douglas County who tested positive on Sept. 7 and died on Oct. 26 at Mercy Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,352nd COVID-19 related death is a 48-year-old man from Douglas County who tested positive on Sept. 1 and died on Oct. 26 at Mercy Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,353rd COVID-19 related death is a 57-year-old woman from Lane County who tested positive on Oct. 13 and died on Oct. 27 at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at Riverbend. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,354th COVID-19 related death is a 63-year-old man from Lane County who tested positive on Sept. 28 and died on Oct. 25 at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at Riverbend. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,355th COVID-19 related death is a 77-year-old man from Jefferson County who tested positive on Sept. 22 and died on Oct. 27 at St. Charles Bend. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 4,356th COVID-19 related death is an 89-year-old woman from Douglas County who tested positive on Oct. 18 died on Oct. 27 at Mercy Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,357th COVID-19 related death is an 84-year-old woman from Yamhill County who tested positive on Oct. 3 and died on Oct. 24 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 4,358th COVID-19 related death is a 67-year-old man from Malheur County who tested positive on Sept. 22 and died on Oct. 27 at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, ID. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations  

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