[ad_1]
Oregon reported 1,575 new cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday, one of the highest daily reported cases in the entire COVID-19 pandemic and a number deeply concerning to public health officials due to the resurgence of the virus caused by the contagious variant of the delta.
More worryingly, the number of Oregonians hospitalized with the virus across the state has increased from 39 to 379, and there are 119 COVID-19 patients in intensive care beds, 17 more than the day before. These two figures are the highest observed since the outbreak last winter. State data shows that these admissions tax the capacity of hospitals statewide.
To date, the Oregon Health Authority and Governor Kate Brown have taken little statewide action to combat the resurgence of the virus, other than reiterating the Centers for Disease Control guidelines that even people fully immunized should wear a mask in indoor public places in areas of “high or high transmission.
Thirty-five of Oregon’s 36 counties fall into this category, which is determined by test positivity rates and the number of cases per 100,000 population. Instead of issuing new public restrictions, state officials leave that decision to individual counties. And while many counties have reiterated the same federal guidelines in public communications, none have reimposed mask warrants or vaccinations required to dine indoors or use gyms, unlike jurisdictions in other states that do. a similar increase in cases.
The state reported nine new coronavirus deaths on Tuesday, bringing the death toll from the pandemic to 2,872.
Some 69.1% of Oregonians have received at least one dose of the vaccine, the most effective protection against the virus, with 64% having completed the series of one or two doses, according to the Oregon Health Authority. And while the state has set itself a target of 80%, it is progressing very slowly. He reported that 5,066 new doses of COVID-19 vaccines were added to the state’s immunization registry on Tuesday, with 2,659 administered on Monday and 2,407 more administered on previous days. The seven-day moving average is now 5,010 doses per day.
The OHA issues an update on vaccine breakthrough cases identified in Oregon on the first Thursday of each month, which are cases in which a person received a positive COVID-19 test result at least 14 days after the end of any series of COVID-19 vaccines. As of June, there were 7,241 cases of COVID-19, 92% of which were unvaccinated.
The issue of reimposing public health restrictions such as mask warrants, limits on occupancy levels for restaurants or other businesses, or even the requirement for vaccination in certain public places is politically charged due to the impacts. economic and personal that they impose. Governor Kate Brown and other state officials have been vilified for previous lockdowns and restrictions, and are no doubt reluctant to bring them back just two months after the state lifted most public health restrictions . Instead, the governor left that decision to individual counties, none of which decided to impose new public health measures.
–Ted Sickinger; [email protected]; 503-221-8505; @tedsickinger
[ad_2]
Source link