(Update: Add Videos, County and Hospital Comments)
Warm Springs also reports his first death; OHA reports 396 new cases, 39 in central Oregon; Mount Bachelor Memory care reports 2 deaths, more cases
PORTLAND, Oregon (KTVZ) – COVID-19 has claimed nine more lives in Oregon, the highest daily count since the pandemic began, including two on Mount Bend. Bachelor Memory Care, bringing the death toll to 282, the Oregon Health Authority and local authorities reported on Friday.
OHA also reported 396 new confirmed and suspected cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 am Friday, bringing the state total to 16,104 cases, along with 350,463 negative test results.
The death toll reported by OHA so far has not included the report from the Confederate Tribes of Warm Springs on Thursday night of their first death COVID-19. Warm Springs COVID-19 cases are included in Jefferson County statistics.
The nine deaths reported Friday, including two Deschutes County residents in their 90s, are the highest number of deaths reported in a single day in Oregon since the start of the pandemic.
The new Friday cases are in the following counties: Baker (1), Clackamas (25), Columbia (1), Crook (1), Curry (2), Deschutes (16), Douglas (6), Gilliam (1) , Hood River (4), Jackson (5), Jefferson (22), Josephine (1), Klamath (2), Lane (16), Linn (7), Malheur (18), Marion (58), Multnomah (71 ), Polk (6), Umatilla (59), Wasco (1), Washington (54) and Yamhill (8).
Morgan Emerson of the Deschutes County Health Service confirmed the two deaths in the county that OHA authorities reported Friday were from Mt. Bachelor Memory Care, hit with an outbreak in recent weeks.
Emerson said recent test results have found that a total of 60 people, 38 residents and 22 employees, at the facility have tested positive for COVID-19, about twice the initial count.
All residents and staff were originally screened, and more recently, those who originally tested negative were retested, Emerson said. The plan for the future is to test all staff and residents who tested negative each week, until there are two weeks with no new positive results.
“The key challenge when looking at long-term care facilities is when there are many people living and eating together,” said Emerson. “As we see in our residents throughout the county, we see more cases associated with household contacts or close contacts.”
Emerson said the facility has approximately 50-55 residents and 50 employees in total. “Of those who tested positive, most of the staff developed symptoms and the majority of residents did not develop symptoms,” he added.
An official with Mt. Bachelor Memory Care in Bend confirmed the death of two hospice residents who tested positive for the virus and who had underlying health conditions on Friday.
Lately, 11 more employees and 13 more residents have tested positive for COVID-19, said Mallory DaCosta, regional vice president of Border Management. The initial outbreak, reported earlier this month, found that more than 30 employees and residents had tested positive for the virus.
“Based on our internal screening, we have confirmed that these cases are associated with the initial outbreak we reported earlier and not with a new outbreak,” said DaCosta.
“These numbers are expected to continue to fluctuate as we test frequently,” he wrote, “and it is important to note that recoveries will not be reported until 60 days have passed.”
“We have prepared for this and are following the protocols of CDC, state and local health agencies. We have activated all appropriate quarantine procedures for staff members and residents. And we continue to aggressively implement disinfection, the use of masks , distance and hygiene. “DaCosta said.
Crook County has now had 30 cases, one death, and 1,408 negative test results. Deschutes County has had 419 cases, three deaths, and 15,048 negative test results. Jefferson County has had 244 cases, no deaths, and 2,735 negative results.
For the second consecutive day, the St. Charles Health System reported 16 patients with COVID-19 on Friday, the highest count since the pandemic began. Three patients were in the ICU and ventilated, authorities said.
A hospital official said Friday that he is confident he still has enough room, in case the numbers increase.
“The virus that causes COVID-19 disease can affect people very seriously, and much of this is in our hands right now,” said Dr. Jeffrey Absalon, medical director of the St. Charles Health System.
“Although we have been in this pandemic for several months, and it can be exhausting to comply with these restrictions, (but) it really makes a difference.”
The 274th death of Oregon COVID-19 is a 61-year-old woman in Multnomah County who died on July 18 at her residence. The death certificate listed COVID-19 disease, or SARS-CoV-2, as a cause of death or as an important condition that contributed to her death. No confirmatory tests were conducted for COVID-19, but this aligns with CSTE’s definition of probable case for a suspected case, which OHA follows.
The 275th death of Oregon COVID-19 is a 68-year-old woman in Clackamas County who tested positive on June 5 and died on July 16 at Providence Portland Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.
Oregon’s COVID-19 death number 276 is a 92-year-old man in Deschutes County who tested positive on July 12 and died on July 18. His place of death is being confirmed. It had underlying conditions.
The 277th death of Oregon COVID-19 is a 96-year-old man in Deschutes County who tested positive on July 12 and died on July 23 at his residence. It had underlying conditions.
COVID-19’s 278th death in Oregon is a 90-year-old woman in Malheur County who tested positive on July 9 and died on July 23 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.
Oregon’s COVID-19 death number 279 is a 74-year-old man in Marion County who tested positive on July 3 and died July 22 at Salem Hospital. It had underlying conditions.
COVID-19’s 280th death in Oregon is a 62-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on July 18 and died on July 18. More information is being confirmed.
The 281st death of Oregon COVID-19 is an 87-year-old woman in Umatilla County who tested positive on July 10 and died on July 22. It had underlying conditions. Her place of death is being confirmed.
Oregon’s COVID-19 death number 282 is a 69-year-old man in Umatilla County who tested positive on July 8 and died on July 21 at his residence. It had underlying conditions.
Outbreak reported at Norris Blueberry Farm
An outbreak of 22 cases of COVID-19 was reported at Norris Blueberry Farm in Douglas County. The case count includes all people linked to the outbreak, which may include household members and other close contacts with an employee.
The investigation began June 25, but the initial case count was below the public disclosure threshold.
Stay informed about COVID-19:
Oregon Response: The Oregon Health Authority and the Oregon Office of Emergency Management lead 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.
