The news moves pretty fast, and COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Oregon. The Daily Emerald summarized this week’s top news about the coronavirus. Here’s what you might have missed:
Lane County
Lane County has had 672 confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic. As of Aug. 27, 14 residents are infectious, two are hospitalized and five people have died due to suspected infection, according to Lane County Public Health data.
The majority of COVID-19 cases in Lane County are travel-related, according to Tuesday’s LCPH briefing. LCPH reported an overall decline of cases this week.
University of Oregon
The University of Oregon experienced its 52nd case of the coronavirus, after three UO students tested positive for COVID-19 from Aug. 26 to 27. Two of the cases are travel related.
UO announced on Aug. 26 that it was shifting to mostly remote instruction for the fall term to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on campus.
The UO board of trustees approved the university’s state-mandated COVID-19 Health and Safety Operational Plan during a virtual meeting on Aug. 27.
UO President Michael Schill said the university’s plan “takes a comprehensive approach to COVID-19 by monitoring health indicators, by reducing the likelihood of the virus spreading, by instituting testing, contact tracing and isolation and quarantine protocols and by requiring and reinforcing behavioral expectations for members of our community.”
Statewide
Oregon has seen a statewide total of 25,761 cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began. On Aug. 27 alone, the OHA reported 212 new confirmed and presumptive cases. There have been a total of 438 reported deaths in Oregon as of Aug. 27.
Oregon saw a 13% drop in daily cases for the week of Aug. 16 to Aug. 23, according to the OHA’s weekly report.
“It is reassuring that test positivity is relatively stable,” OHA said in the report. “Which suggests that the number of people newly infected with COVID-19 each week is no longer increasing rapidly.”
OHA Director Patrick Allen cautioned Oregonians to reconsider their plans for the Labor Day holiday. Allen recommended people host social gatherings outdoors, as well as wear face coverings indoors and outside when they can’t maintain six feet of physical distance from others.
Oregon sees an average of under 300 cases a day, according to an OHA email update. However, in order for schools to reopen, the state average needs to decrease to 60 cases per day.
State Health Officer Dr. Dean Sidelinger urged people to continue physical distancing, limit the size of social gatherings and to wear face coverings.
“The more people who get on board, the faster we can get to the reopening metric and get students and staff back to in-person instruction safely,” Sidelinger said.
The application deadline for OHA’s Health Equity Grant, which supports Oregon’s tribal communities and communities of color disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, is due Aug. 31. The grant helps people address health and economic disruptions, food insecurity, housing, safety and violence prevention.
