Oct. 18, 2021
Hosting a Halloween party for grownups this year is doable and doesn’t have to be virtual. But with the highly transmittable Delta variant, it does take a bit of planning and caution.
“Make sure you’re vaccinated, that’s number one,” said Ali Hamade, Oregon Health Authority (OHA) senior health advisor and deputy state epidemiologist. “Number two, wear a good face covering that is at least two layers thick. A Halloween mask will not do the job.”
Hamade adds that outdoor gatherings are best because the risk of transmission is much lower than socializing indoors.
When hosting a gathering, these tips can help keep you and your guests stay healthy:
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Host the party outdoors in a space that allows for guests to stay six feet apart.
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Wear face coverings if you are within six feet of others.
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Discourage guests from crowding together.
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Keep the guest list small and stick with vaccinated guests (no children under 12).
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Don’t replace COVID-safe face coverings with costume masks.
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If your party takes place during trick-or-treating, please wear a mask when handing out candy.
When eating and drinking with others not in your household who have not been isolating for 10 days or longer, please:
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Don’t crowd the food table and maintain distance from other people.
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Wash your hands before and after eating.
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Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands.
In case guests go inside, be prepared in advance by opening windows and running a fan or air purifier to maximize ventilation. Remind guests that when they are indoors to keep on their masks and physically distance.
To read more about safely gathering and doing activities with others, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) here.
This enrollment period includes Medicare Advantage and Part D prescription drug plans. Medicare plans and coverage for prescription drugs change each year, so it is important for Oregonians who are enrolled in Medicare to evaluate their plan options and make changes during open enrollment.
The Oregon Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance Program (SHIBA) also has counselors available to help you understand your Medicare options and benefits, provide enrollment guidance, and answer any questions related to Medicare benefits. Find them by visiting https://SHIBA.Oregon.gov or calling (800) 722-4134 (toll-free).
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We want to keep you informed about COVID-19 in Oregon. Data are provisional and change frequently.
• Samples for 483,223 tests have been reported positive.
• Samples for 6,834,605 tests have been reported negative.
COVID-19 hospitalizations
The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 561, which is 11 more than yesterday. There are 140 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is two fewer than yesterday.
There are 59 available adult ICU beds out of 698 total (8% availability) and 305 available adult non-ICU beds out of 4,099 (7% 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.
Today, OHA reported that 4,376 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry on Oct. 17. Of this total, 1,371 were administered on Oct. 17: 265 were initial doses; 230 were second doses and 863 were third doses and booster doses. The remaining 3,005 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on Oct. 17.
The seven-day running average is now 9,677 doses per day.
Oregon has now administered 3,177,686 doses of Pfizer Comirnaty, 1,930,703 doses of Moderna and 222,984 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.
As of today, 2,786,683 people have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 2,572,424 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.
There are 24 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 4,185, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.
Oregon Health Authority reported 3,276 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 352,026.
Oregon reports 1,726 confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases on Oct. 15, 883 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases on Oct. 16 and 667 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases on Oct. 17.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (12), Benton (87), Clackamas (256), Clatsop (12), Columbia (44), Coos (31), Crook (29), Curry (6), Deschutes (311), Douglas (124), Grant (4), Harney (18), Hood River (18), Jackson (149), Jefferson (49), Josephine (61), Klamath (55), Lake (7), Lane (340), Lincoln (28), Linn (240), Malheur (12), Marion (296), Morrow (14), Multnomah (515), Polk (45), Tillamook (16), Umatilla (47), Union (31), Wallowa (3), Wasco (11), Washington (334), Wheeler (4) and Yamhill (67).
Note: More information about deaths and cases will be included in a follow-up 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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