Oregon health officials announced Friday the state has its first presumed case of COVID-19, the Novel Coronavirus. And they don’t know how or where the patient contracted the virus.
Oregon Health Authority Director, Dr. Pat Allen, says the patient tested positive on Friday using the kits sent to states this week from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The state is awaiting confirmation of the test results from the CDC.
Allen says the patient worked at Forest Hills Elementary in the Lake Oswego School District. They are now isolated at Kaiser Permanente Westside Medical Center in Hillsboro. Dr. Allen says the top priority is retracing the patient’s recent whereabouts.
“We’re also working with Washington County and Clackamas County Public Health authorities to conduct contract tracing to notify people that may have been in contact and offer health guidance,” said Allen.
Allen says they are awaiting test results for a second person who has symptoms. There is no connection between the two cases.
Oregon Governor Kate Brown reasurred the public at a press conference Friday evening that they are taking this very seriously. The announcement of the first presumed case of Coronavirus in the state came just hours after Gov. Brown created a coronavirus response team that includes Oregon State Police, Oregon Military Department and Oregon Health Authority. Brown said they will be working throughout the weekend to track down individuals who may have had contact with the infected patient.
There is additional information about the state's monitoring and testing of suspected COVID-19 cases by calling 2-1-1 or by visiting the Oregon Health Authority's website.
