November 23, 2020
For many people, Thanksgiving is a time for gathering with friends and family, watching football and eating delicious food. This year, with COVID-19 cases increasing rapidly both in Oregon and throughout the country, it’s important that people stay home and avoid travel for the holiday. Avoiding travel can reduce the risk of transmitting COVID-19 as well as the risk of bringing the virus back to Oregon.
Governor Brown issued a travel advisory on Nov. 13 that asks people who travel out of state for non-essential reasons, like tourism or recreation, or anyone who travels to Oregon from out of state for non-essential reasons, to quarantine for 14 days after returning home and to limit their interactions to people they live with.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have also advised against Thanksgiving travel. The CDC website has a list of questions to consider before you travel as well as tips to follow if you decide you must travel.
 Last week Governor Kate Brown launched a statewide public awareness campaign with Portland-based ad agency Wieden+Kennedy to inform Oregonians about the urgent importance of limiting social gatherings — especially during the holiday season — and continuing to wear face coverings even when visiting family and friends in small gatherings. Learn more in the news release.
Many Oregon families are eligible for food benefits through WIC and they may not know it. If you have kids under age 5 or are pregnant, you may qualify.
WIC supports Oregon families remotely and safely by offering services online and over the phone. With WIC, you get healthy food, nutrition tips, breastfeeding support, and connections to community resources. To learn more, fill out the online interest form and a WIC representative will be in touch soon.
 
Last week Oregon OSHA held a Facebook Live to answer questions about their temporary rule addressing COVID-19 in all workplaces. Oregon OSHA Administrator Michael Wood and technical specialist Matt Kaiser offered helpful tips, workplace safety facts and answered other questions from the audience. You can watch the video by clicking on the image below.
COVID-19 has claimed six more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 826, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.
OHA also reported 1,174 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 66,333.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (2), Benton (10), Clackamas (116), Clatsop (2), Columbia (18), Coos (7), Crook (8), Curry (1), Deschutes (44), Douglas (18), Grant (1), Harney (1), Hood River (6), Jackson (80), Jefferson (8), Josephine (11), Lake (3), Lane (71), Lincoln (3), Linn (15), Malheur (10), Marion (120), Morrow (7), Multnomah (254), Polk (25), Tillamook (1), Umatilla (56), Union (26), Wasco (7), Washington (225), Wheeler (1) and Yamhill (17).
NOTE: On Saturday and Sunday we noted those days as having second and third consecutive record high cases. However, it was third and fourth consecutive record high cases. OHA regrets the error.
Oregon’s 821st COVID-19 death is a 57-year-old man in Marion County who tested positive on Nov. 13 and died Nov. 21 at Portland VA Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.
Oregon’s 822nd COVID-19 death is a 40-year-old woman in Marion County who tested positive on Oct. 11 and died Nov. 20 at Salem Hospital. She had underlying conditions.
Oregon’s 823rd COVID-19 death is an 89-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 16 and died Nov. 19 at Adventist Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.
Oregon’s 824th COVID-19 death is a 92-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 17 and died Nov. 19. Place of death and underlying conditions are being confirmed.
Oregon’s 825th COVID-19 death is a 96-year-old woman in Marion County who tested positive on Nov. 17 and died Nov. 22 at Salem Hospital. She had underlying conditions.
Oregon’s 826th COVID-19 death is a 60-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 16 and died Nov. 16 in his residence. He had underlying conditions.
COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to rise: The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients across Oregon increased to 456, which is 44 more than Friday. There are 109 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, 18 more than Friday. More information about hospital capacity can be found here.
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