The news moves pretty fast and cases of the coronavirus continue to rise in Oregon. The Daily Emerald summarized the top COVID-19 news. See what you might have missed:
New Cases
Since Feb. 5, the Oregon Health Authority reported 3,873 confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases and 15 new deaths in its daily reports. Friday, Feb. 5, had the largest numbers of the week with 846 cases and five deaths.
The total number of cases in Lane County has risen to 9,724 cases and 119 deaths, according to Lane County Public Health. There are 15 people currently hospitalized as of Thursday evening. Lane County will remain at an “Extreme Risk” level, meaning indoor dining and gyms will remain closed. Washington, Multnomah and Clackamas counties — the counties in which Portland resides — have been downgraded to “High Risk,” allowing indoor dining and increased business operations.
In a Board of County Commissioners meeting Tuesday, Lane County Commissioner Jay Bozievich blamed the University of Oregon community for the county not joining the other 10 in leaving the “Extreme Risk” category. In a Facebook post on Monday, Bozievich said, “Open our small businesses or close the UO!”
The University of Oregon has seen 66 new cases since Feb. 5, composed of 30 off-campus students, 35 on-campus students and one employee, according to the university’s COVID-19 website.
Vaccine updates
People 80 or older in Lane County will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine starting Monday, Feb. 15, with 5,500 vaccines available, The Register-Guard reported. Lane County Public Health also has 1,200 additional vaccines for health workers and K-12 education, which it expects to distribute through local providers and an invite clinic on Sunday, Feb. 14.
Oregon has administered 623,907 first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccines as of Thursday, with 49,868 doses administered in Lane County.
Daily Emerald reporter Chloe Gold reported on UO announcing its decision to conduct spring commencement virtually this year. Eryn McGuire wrote about COVID-19 cases rising in the UO community in January, with cases among off-campus students nearly doubling from 59 to 105 between Jan. 11 and Jan. 18 before dropping to 82 the following week.