This story is breaking and will be updated.
During a morning press call, the director of the Oregon Health Authority, Pat Allen, shared that the state recorded nine deaths from coronavirus on Friday, a record for its daily reports.
Allen also said the state has recorded another 396 positive or suspected positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the Oregon total to at least 16,000.
Allen said the higher number of cases reflects that the virus spread more during July 4 meetings and celebrations.
On Wednesday, the state announced 264 new cases of the new coronavirus and two new deaths. That was well below the record of 437 new cases announced last Thursday, or the record of seven deaths reported Tuesday.
State epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger and Allen said Oregon residents really should stop meeting and socializing with people outside their homes unless they wear masks, keep at least six feet away, and wash their hands. They also said indoor meetings are a problem.
“We are at a true tipping point,” Sidelinger said, “we can start to see infections decrease again if we take a few simple steps.”
Public health officials in Oregon have said that large outbreaks are emerging less frequently across the state and that they are now struggling to identify the circumstances under which Oregonians are exposed to the coronavirus.
