Positive test rate unchanged from last week, at 5.8%; concern for tighter supplies, results delayed up to 2 weeks
(Update: Add statement from St. Charles President / CEO about ICU beds)
PORTLAND, Oregon (KTVZ) – COVID-19 has claimed two more lives in Oregon, bringing the state’s death toll to 262 and 277 new cases, including 27 in central Oregon, the Oregon Health Authority reported Monday. .
OHA reported 277 new confirmed and suspected cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 am Monday, bringing the state total to 14,847 cases, along with 325,1978 negative test results.
New confirmed and suspected COVID-19 cases reported Monday are in the following counties: Clackamas (11), Clatsop (2), Columbia (1), Crook (1), Deschutes (19), Douglas (2), Harney (1), Hood River (2), Jackson (5), Jefferson (7), Josephine (2), Klamath (5), Lake (1), Lane (4), Lincoln (2), Malheur (10), Marion (30), Morrow (1), Multnomah (85), Polk (1), Umatilla (41), Washington (38), Yamhill (6).
Crook County has had 28 cases, one death and 1,331 negative results. Deschutes County has had 371 cases, one death and 14,218 negative test results. Jefferson County has had 206 cases, no deaths, and 2,590 negative results.
As of 7:30 am Monday, St. Charles Bend reported six patients with COVID-19, four of whom are in the intensive care unit, including three with a ventilator.
St. Charles President and CEO Joe Sluka said in an email update Monday afternoon that earlier in the day, there were seven patients hospitalized with COVID-19, five in the ICU.
Sluka said the organization has 24 ICU beds in Bend and six in Redmond, for a total of 30 beds, and that as of Monday, 20 of the 30 are occupied, for a variety of reasons beyond COVID-19.
Oregon’s COVID-19 death number 261 is a 76-year-old man in Marion County who tested positive on June 22 and died on July 17 at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center. It had underlying conditions.
Oregon’s COVID-19 death number 262 is a 92-year-old man in Marion County who tested positive on July 8 and died on July 18 at his residence. It had underlying conditions.
OHA publishes weekly test summary
OHA released its Weekly Test Summary on Monday, showing that 39,301 tests were conducted from July 13 to 18. Of those tests, 2,292 were reported positive, for a percentage positivity rate of 5.8 percent, unchanged from the previous week. The most recent weekly test capacity estimate is 41,000 tests.
The report goes on to warn that several major manufacturers have informed OHA that the allocation of test supplies is being reduced or may be reduced in the next six to eight weeks due to the recent increase in positive cases of COVID-19 nationwide and the Increased demand for testing and point-of-care testing remain scarce due to high demand for test supplies.
OHA said it is receiving widespread reports of extended response time from commercial laboratories; in some cases, results are reported two weeks after sample collection. “OHA will continue to monitor this troubling situation,” the agency said.
NOTE: The summary of the Oregon Test Results Schedule in the Weekly Test Summary is changing to coincide with the week of the CDC MMWR Report, which is reported from Sunday to Saturday. To accomplish this without reporting overlapping data, Monday’s report reflects a six-day week (7 / 13-7 / 18).
Stay informed about COVID-19:
Oregon Response: The Oregon Health Authority leads the state response.
United States Response: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention leads the United States’ response.
Global response: The World Health Organization guides the global response.
