COVID-19 has claimed six more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 537, the Oregon Health Authority reported Wednesday September 23rd.
Oregon Health Authority reported 193 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19, bringing the state total to 31,503.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (1), Benton (2), Clackamas (9), Clatsop (2), Columbia (2), Coos (2), Deschutes (2), Douglas (1), Hood River (2), Jackson (22), Jefferson (3), Josephine (4), Klamath (1), Lane (36), Lincoln (1), Linn (2), Malheur (22), Marion (17), Multnomah (29), Polk (2), Umatilla (12), Wasco (4), Washington (14), and Yamhill (1).
In the Weekly Report, OHA notes that the week of Sept. 14 through Sept. 20 reported new COVID-19 infections rose 17% from the week prior, to 1,511. The number of Oregonians newly tested rose 8%, to 18,840, and the percentage of tests that were positive rose from 5.6% to 6.2%. Eighteen Oregonians were reported to have died in association with COVID-19, compared to 29 the prior week. One hundred and sixteen Oregonians were hospitalized, up from 83 in the previous week. The age group with the highest incidence of reported infection continues to be 20–29-year-olds. People under 30 years old have accounted for 37% of reported cases.
OHA changes childcare reporting guidelines
Starting today, Sept. 23, OHA is changing the process for reporting COVID-19 outbreaks in childcare facilities. The change will provide a more transparent and comprehensive reporting of these cases.
Childcare providers are required to report COVID-19 cases to their local health care authority. Since July, OHA has reported on outbreaks of five or more cases in facilities that enrolled 30 or more children in the Weekly COVID-19 Report.
Under the new reporting threshold, outbreaks of more than two children in facilities with a capacity of more than 16 children will now be reported, provided they are not siblings in the same household.
