UPDATE – 2 pm, July 14: Tillamook County Adds 4 More Cases, July 14th, total to 20 cases; New statewide rules on get-togethers and face coverings

UPDATE at 2 pm, July 14th – Make that 4 new cases per Gordon McCraw COVID-19 incident commander, Tillamook County has added 4 more COVID-19 cases, total 20 cases as of July 14th. Two cases are in the 30-39 age group; two cases in the 50-59 age group. Contact tracing investigations are in the process; please do not go to local health care facilities to request a test because you think you might have been exposed. Tillamook County Community Health Centers will contact you if you need to be tested.

Let’s take a frank assessment of COVID-19 in our state:

Oregon reported more cases in the past week than we did in the entire month of May.
The last time we had fewer than 100 cases in a single day was more than a month ago.
Half of all cases are from people under the age of 40 and one-third of all cases are from people under the age of 30.
People in their 20s and 30s are the group most likely to get sick with COVID-19 in Oregon.

Governor Kate Brown, OHA Director Pat Allen and State Health Officer Dr. Dean Sidelinger attended a news conference today to sound the alarm about these facts and discuss further steps we can take to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Gov. Brown announced two new statewide rules:

The first is a statewide ban on indoor social get-togethers of more than 10 people. This includes gatherings such as dinner parties, birthday parties, potlucks and book clubs taking place indoors. It does not affect restaurants, churches, event venues and other organizations at this time. Businesses and other organizations that have been following the guidance about face coverings, distancing and sanitation have not currently been identified as sources of significant transmission.

The second new rule is that face coverings are mandated in outdoor spaces where distance of 6 feet or more from people outside your household cannot be maintained. This might come up at a crowded trailhead, on sidewalks while awaiting entry to a business or at an outdoor event.

This virus is extremely contagious, and many people don’t show symptoms for days. In that time, you can interact with dozens or, if you’re not careful, hundreds of other people in your social circle and community.

That’s why the three W’s continue to be so important:

Wear a face covering.
Watch your distance.
Wash your hands.

In addition to the new measures announced today, Dr. Sidelinger reiterated other actions we can all take to slow the spread of COVID-19.

If you can move activities outside, do so. The disease spreads less easily outdoors, and you can enjoy more of the Oregon summer.
If you run a business and can serve customers outside – do it.
Avoid groups of more than 10. And if you’re unexpectedly in a group of 10 or more, think hard about whether that’s a good choice, stay outside, keep 6 feet apart, and cover your face.

You can watch the full press briefing here.

OHA releases Weekly Testing Summary

Today OHA released its Weekly Testing Summary, which showed that 28,314 tests were performed July 6-12, with 5.8% of those tests coming back positive.

Overall testing capacity is estimated to be 41,000 weekly tests as of the most recent data available. Meanwhile, OHA has received information that testing supply allocations from several major manufacturers to Oregon State Public Health Laboratory (OSPHL) and clinical labs in Oregon are being, or may be, reduced due to increasing national demand. OHA and OSPHL are working with in-state laboratories to help manage supply chain issues. In addition, OHA continues to explore opportunities to expand collection and testing services.

Two workplace outbreaks reported of 20 cases or more

An outbreak of 20 cases has been reported at Shearer’s Foods in Umatilla County. The case count includes all persons linked to the outbreak, which may include household members and other close contacts to an employee. The outbreak investigation started on June 26, but the initial case count was below the threshold for public disclosure.

An outbreak of 102 cases has been reported at Snake River Correctional Institution in Malheur County. The case count includes all Oregon residents linked to the outbreak, which may include household members and other close contacts to an employee. The case count does not include any Idaho residents who may be associated with the outbreak, as laboratories report positive tests results to the state in which an individual resides. OHA is working closely with Idaho to coordinate contact tracing across state lines.

The outbreak investigation started on June 24, but at that time the case count was below the threshold for public disclosure. The outbreak was reported in the COVID-19 Weekly Report on July 8 with six cases.

State and county public health officials are working with these organizations to address these outbreaks and protect the health of workers.

Oregon reports 280 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 3 new deaths

COVID-19 has claimed three more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 237, the Oregon Health Authority reported Monday July 13th
Oregon Health Authority reported 280 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 bringing the state total to 12,438.

The new cases are in the following counties: Clackamas (20), Columbia (6), Coos (2), Gilliam (1), Hood River (2), Jackson (3), Klamath (1), Lane (4), Linn (1), Malheur (27), Marion (36), Morrow (9), Multnomah (82), Polk (2), Umatilla (28), Wallowa (1), Washington (47) and Yamhill (8).