The news moves pretty fast, and COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Oregon. The Daily Emerald summarized this week’s coronavirus news. See what you might have missed:
Lane County
Lane County reported 22 new infectious cases of COVID-19, according to Lane County Public Health data. This brings Lane County’s total cases to 643. As of Aug. 20, 49,835 people have been tested for the virus. One person is currently hospitalized and, on Thursday, one person died from the coronavirus. This raises the total number of COVID-19-related deaths to five, according to KMTR.
According to LCPH spokesperson Jason Davis, Lane County is still trending towards generally younger cases, but is starting to see more cases in the 30- to 49-year-old category. Davis said 44% of cases are community members under the age of 30.
The county averaged 450 daily tests this week, missing its daily goal by 50.
According to LCPH data, 42% of cases in Lane County are part of an outbreak. Three-quarters of these outbreaks involve domestic or international travel and social gatherings.
LCPH will host free testing for Black community members, their families and their household members on Aug. 22 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Vet’s Club, located on Willamette Street. LCPH will also provide free testing for the Marcola and Mohawk communities on Aug. 27 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Mohawk Valley Rural Fire District Headquarters in Springfield. The tests are free, regardless of insurance status.
University of Oregon
One University of Oregon student tested positive for COVID-19 this week, raising the total number of UO-related COVID-19 cases to 49, according to UO data.
UO staff who currently work on campus, or will be doing so in the near future, can pick up two free masks during a distribution event located on campus on Aug. 26 and 27 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. UO will hold a second distribution event on Sept. 21 and 25.
A little over $5,000 in financial assistance from UO’s COVID-19 Relief Fund is still available for faculty and staff to apply for, according to Around the O.
UO published a new COVID-19 information and FAQ website outlining the university’s plans for fall term and community health. More information relating to fall term will be released on Aug. 26, according to UO’s coronavirus information webpage.
Statewide
According to the Oregon Health Authority, there have been 24,421 total confirmed and presumed cases of COVID-19, as of Aug. 21, including 259 new cases on Friday.
OHA recorded two more deaths, bringing the statewide total to 414. Both had underlying medical conditions, according to OHA.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced during a Friday press briefing the state has stabilized at around 300 cases per day, but must get down to 60 cases per day in order to open classrooms for in-person learning.
“And, opening classrooms for in class learning, including childcare and K-12, is my priority,” Brown said. “If we cannot improve our trajectory over the rest of the month by increased compliance with already existing policies and guidelines, unfortunately, I will need to add more restrictions.”
According to Brown, some of these restrictions may include shutting down certain businesses, such as bars and restaurants, or implementing travel restrictions from other states.
Caught between economic interests and public safety, Brown called it a balancing act, “a tightrope that stretches and weaves between the two extremes.”
Dr. Dean Sidelinger, Oregon’s state epidemiologist, said, “Oregonians have flattened the curve again.” However, Oregon is still months away from driving infection rates down to a level to safely reopen schools, he said.
“We’re in this for the long run,” Sidelinger said.
