Sept. 14, 2021
Sometimes it can feel overwhelming to sort through all the information we come across. The Delta variant continues to be in the headlines, but other variants are in the news as well. You may be asking questions such as,
- What is a variant?
- What types of variants are there?
- How do people track the variants?
- What variants are in Oregon?
- If you have COVID-19, is it important to know which variant you have?
- What do you need to know about the Delta variant?
Viruses like SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, mutate or change constantly. This mutation is a natural process that results in new variants. You can think of a variant as a stronger, more harmful version of the same virus. Some variants disappear, and others persist. Multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2 have emerged in the United States.
At this point, the original variant that caused the initial COVID-19 cases in January 2020 is no longer circulating as newer variants have evolved.
Learn more and get answers to common questions about variants on the Oregon Vaccine News blog.
For more information on COVID-19 variants, watch this video from the CDC.
On Monday, Sept. 13, we surpassed 300,000 cases of COVID-19 in Oregon. This number represents 300,000 people who have been ill or symptom free. Many people with COVID-19 have had to miss work, school and other activities. They’ve been affected by long haul symptoms. Many have been hospitalized and too many have died from COVID-19. We are saddened that so many people of all ages in Oregon have struggled with this illness.
As we keep our fellow Oregonians in our thoughts, let’s double down on our efforts. Wearing our masks, staying physically distant, and getting vaccinated has been slowing the spread. We can talk to our friends and neighbors about the vaccine. Maybe offer a ride to a vaccination site, an ear to listen to their fears, or the phone number of a health care provider to answer questions.
Let’s work together to slow this spread. We’ve done this before. We can do it again.
On September 9, 2021 President Biden announced a federal plan to address the spread of COVID-19, and in particular, the rapid spread of the Delta variant. This plan includes vaccination and testing requirements for certain workers.
The Biden Administration has not released specific details on the implementation of the plan. As a result, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) does not have detailed information about the application of the plan, and cannot yet answer questions about how the plan will be implemented or about its effect on OHA rules related to vaccine requirements. OHA continues to monitor roll-out of the federal plan and will communicate as more information becomes available.
We want to keep you informed about COVID-19 in Oregon. Data are provisional and change frequently.
- Samples for 421,669 tests have been reported positive.
- Samples for 6,183,984 tests have been reported negative.
COVID-19 hospitalizations
The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 1,082, which is seven more than yesterday. There are 288 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is 14 more than yesterday.
There are 48 available adult ICU beds out of 656 total (7% availability) and 337 available adult non-ICU beds out of 4,282 (8% availability).
The total number of patients in hospital beds may fluctuate between report times. The numbers do not reflect admissions per day, nor the length of hospital stay. Staffing limitations are not captured in this data and may further limit bed capacity.
Note: Please do not visit an emergency department for COVID-19 testing, unless you require emergency care for your symptoms.
Emergency departments in Oregon are under significant strain responding to the current surge in COVID-19. You can find a test here.
If you have a medical condition that doesn’t require emergency care, contact your provider. An urgent care center may also help you get the care you need and will save emergency departments from added strain.
More information about hospital capacity can be found here.
Vaccinations in Oregon
Today, OHA reported that 8,392 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry on Sept. 13.
Of this total, 4,301 were administered on Sept. 13: 2,307 were initial doses, 1,447 were second doses and 516 were third doses. The remaining 4,091 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on Sept. 13.
The seven-day running average is now 7,403 doses per day.
Oregon has now administered 2,886,031 doses of Pfizer Comirnaty, 1,875,138 doses of Moderna and 206,735 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.
As of today, 2,685,261 people have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 2,443,376 people have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series.
These data are preliminary and subject to change.
Updated vaccination data are provided on Oregon’s COVID-19 data dashboards and have been updated today.
Cases and deaths
There are 44 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 3,490, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.
Oregon Health Authority reported 2,040 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 303,532.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (18), Benton (29), Clackamas (160), Clatsop (35), Columbia (21), Coos (72), Crook (45), Curry (17), Deschutes (119), Douglas (102), Gilliam (2), Grant (17), Harney (15), Hood River (13), Jackson (117), Jefferson (15), Josephine (44), Klamath (86), Lake (36), Lane (136), Lincoln (11), Linn (69), Malheur (99), Marion (205), Morrow (14), Multnomah (155), Polk (44), Sherman (1), Tillamook (9), Umatilla (80), Union (5), Wallowa (5), Wasco (20), Washington (160) and Yamhill (64).
Note: More information about the cases and deaths will be provided in an updated news release.
Learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations
To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine situation in Oregon, visit our webpage (English or Spanish), which has a breakdown of distribution and other information.
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