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Live updates: Oregon touts downward trend in new COVID-19 diagnoses, deaths, hospitalizations

The Oregon Health Authority said Wednesday that the number of people getting infected with the coronavirus, entering the hospital while infected, or dying of the virus is trending downward.

In its weekly report, which compares Aug. 10-16 with previous weeks, the agency reported a 7% drop in new infections and a 19.5% drop in new hospitalizations. Deaths were down 20%, from 39 a week earlier to 31 in the week under review.

The state also reported that 5.4% of COVID-19 tests administered came back positive - that’s similar to the previous week.

An eastern Oregon county hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic has improved enough to escape the tightest of state restrictions, according to an announcement late Wednesday from Gov. Kate Brown.

Brown said Umatilla County can move from the state’s strictest level of COVID-19 restrictions, dubbed the “baseline,” into Phase 1 of reopening, effective Friday. The county, which includes the cities of Hermiston and Pendleton, had some of the steepest increases in coronavirus cases earlier this summer, but state officials say they’re seeing encouraging signs that the virus is coming under better control.

In her announcement, the governor cited lower rates of positive COVID-19 diagnoses in recent test results.

Oregon reported 11 deaths to COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing the novel coronavirus’ toll to 408 lives lost in the state. Health officials also reported 203 new diagnoses, bringing total confirmed infections since the start of the pandemic to 23,870.

Most of the deaths were in the greater Portland metro area. Six people died of the virus in Multnomah County; the youngest was a 60-year-old man, and the oldest was a 93-year-old woman. A 99-year-old Washington County woman died at home. Three Clackamas County residents died, all men, ranging in age from 84 to 94.

An 83-year-old Polk County woman also died.

In each case, the deceased had underlying medical conditions, the Oregon Health Authority said.

New diagnoses of the virus were spread across the state. In the Portland area, 41 people in Multnomah County were diagnosed, 25 in Washington County and 15 in Clackamas County.

In Marion County, officials reported 30 people were diagnosed. The state reported 24 diagnoses in Jackson County.

Health officials in Clark County, Washington, reported Wednesday that another five people tested positive for COVID-19, and none died. According to The Columbian, that’s the fewest new diagnoses reported by Clark County Public Health in more than two months.

Since the start of the pandemic, 2,330 people have been diagnosed with the virus in the county, and 45 have died.

Statewide, Washington has confirmed 68,264 COVID-19 diagnoses, 1,809 deaths and 6,358 hospitalizations linked to the virus, according to the latest figures available.

Gov. Jay Inslee has updated his coronavirus proclamation so that it requires agricultural employers to test their workers broadly when health officials identify an outbreak that passes certain thresholds.

In addition, Washington Secretary of Health John Wiesman ordered Gebbers Farms, located in Okanogan County, to test all its employees in coming weeks. Gebbers Farms has suffered a significant outbreak of COVID-19, including the deaths of three employees.

Most of Oregon’s major public universities are taking a cautious approach to COVID-19 — with a heavy focus on online classes. But there are significant exceptions.

Oregon State University’s advanced science and engineering students may have to report to class for lab work and research. At OSU’s Bend campus, half of classes will meet in person.

And at a number of colleges, both in Portland and across the state, campuses are taking a hybrid approach to higher ed.

Copyright 2020 Oregon Public Broadcasting

Courtney Sherwood
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