|
November 17, 2020
I hope that you and your loved ones are doing well, staying healthy, and looking out for your neighbors and friends in these difficult times.
As you’ll see in today’s report, our COVID case numbers appear to have stabilized at this new, higher plateau. That means that hospitalizations are consequently being reported at much higher levels.
Unfortunately, it also means a much higher death count today. This unfortunately seems to be typical for Tuesdays, as the reporting catches up from the weekend. As you’ll see, the same is true at the national level.
Please let me know if you have any questions about today’s newsletter.
TODAY’S CORONAVIRUS AND CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE UPDATE
-
Positive Cases: OHA reports today that 891 additional Oregonians have tested positive for COVID-19. The cumulative total for those testing positive since the beginning of the pandemic is 55,686.
-
Total Tests: The number of reported COVID test results has increased by 6,807, The cumulative total of tests since the beginning of the pandemic is now 966,938.
-
Ratio: The percentage of total tests that have been reported positive is 13.1%. The national ratio today is 10.4%.
-
Deaths: I’m sorry to have to report 13 additional COVID deaths today. You can read about the Oregonians we lost further down in the newsletter. The total number of COVID deaths in Oregon is now 778.
-
Hospitalized: OHA reports a record 51 new COVID hospitalizations today. The cumulative number of those who have been hospitalized with COVID is now 3,805.
-
Presumptive Cases: OHA is including “presumptive COVID-19 cases” in its daily reports, consistent with recently amended guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A presumptive case is someone who does not yet have a positive PCR test but is showing symptoms and has had close contact with a confirmed case. If they later test positive by PCR, those will be recategorized as confirmed cases. OHA reports 44 new cases presumed positive today. The cumulative total of those reported as presumed positives is 2,884.
-
Other Hospital Information:
- Patients Currently with COVID-19 Symptoms (who may or may not have received a positive test result yet): 445 (32 more than yesterday). Of those, 378 have already received a positive test back.
- Available ICU Beds: 136 (27 fewer than yesterday)
- Other Available Beds: 631 (68 fewer than yesterday).
- ICU Patients w COVID-19 Symptoms: 102 (9 more than yesterday).
- COVID-19 Patients Currently on Ventilators: 40 (same as yesterday).
- Available Ventilators: 742 (10 fewer than yesterday).
-
Dashboard:
-
Today’s National Numbers:
-
Additional Brief Updates:
- The Legislature’s Office of Economic Analysis will be presenting the next revenue forecast to a joint meeting of the House and Senate revenue committees this Wednesday at 9 am. Here’s the agenda and viewing link. There will also be a presentation on Oregon’s connection to the business tax cuts in the Federal CARES Act.
- The Employment numbers for October are in, and they show that our unemployment rate has continued to decline. It’s currently at 6.9%, a full percentage point below September’s number. It matches the national rate. However, we continue to see high numbers of long-term unemployed Oregonians, and so far only half of the jobs lost in the spring have returned. You’ll find more detailed information in this email from the Employment Department and more details in this news release. The period covered by this report of course does not include the new freeze limiting business hours and activity. We can expect to see additional losses in the next monthly report.
- The Office of Economic Analysis has a blog post on the new employment numbers in advance of tomorrow’s revenue forecast.
- OHA has just released its updated its school metrics report. It reflects the big uptick in case counts in nearly every county, both in positivity rates and infections per-100K.
-
The New York Times has an article comparing the current European response to the COVID second wave with the response we’re seeing in different states. The current European restrictions seem to be turning back their surge while allowing elementary school to continue. Check it out.
- While I believe that the Governor’s “freeze” order is very much necessary at this time, it clearly will create real difficulties for businesses and their workers in a number of industries. So I’m happy to see that she has released an additional $55 million in COVID Relief funds to be distributed to counties to support struggling local businesses. You can read her announcement here.
Tuesday Wildfire Recovery/Response Update
No change reported by ODF today. Again, you can follow the remaining firefighting effort at the State of Oregon Fires and Hotspots Dashboard.
The Office of Emergency Management has not yet released their Tuesday report on wildfire recovery. However, for the very latest numbers, OEM is now maintaining a real-time Wildfire and Recovery Tracker that will give you up-to-the-moment statistics on a variety of metrics related to recovery efforts.
Also, EPA has an Oregon Fires Recovery Website with a variety of information about the cleanup effort, including information about how residents can get ash and debris removed from their properties at no cost.
Where Are Today’s New Cases?
If we put together the positive test results and new “presumptive” cases reported today, the overall number of new cases for today is 935. Three-fifths of the new cases are from outside the Portland Metro Area today. We’re again seeing big counts in Marion County, and Douglas County seems to be experiencing a small outbreak of some sort. Here is the breakdown by county for today:
Baker (4)
Benton (15)
Clackamas (85)
Clatsop (5)
Columbia (7)
Coos (5)
Curry (4)
Deschutes (30)
Douglas (37)
Harney (5)
Hood River (4)
Jackson (60)
Jefferson (28)
Josephine (2)
Klamath (25)
Lake (4)
Lane (45)
Lincoln (2)
Linn (16)
Malheur (7)
Marion (151)
Morrow (1)
Multnomah (208)
Polk (21)
Tillamook (3)
Umatilla (41)
Union (6)
Wallowa (1)
Wasco (5)
Washington (88)
Yamhill (20)
And the Deaths
Oregon’s 766th COVID-19 death is a 63-year-old man in Umatilla County who tested positive on Oct. 29 and died on Nov. 8, at Trios Health Center in Washington.
Oregon’s 767th COVID-19 death is an 84-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 7 and died on Nov. 16, in her residence.
Oregon’s 768th COVID-19 death is a 63-year-old man in Multnomah County who died on Nov. 9.
Oregon’s 769th COVID-19 death is a 70-year-old woman in Lane County who tested positive on Nov. 4 and died on Nov. 16, at McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center.
Oregon’s 770th COVID-19 death is a 76-year-old woman in Linn County who tested positive on Sept. 14 and died on Oct.27, at Samaritan Albany General Medical Center.
Oregon’s 771st COVID-19 death is a 69-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Aug. 24 and died on Nov. 1, in his residence.
Oregon’s 772nd COVID-19 death is a 64-year-old man in Washington County who tested positive on Oct. 31 and died on Nov.15, in his residence.
Oregon’s 773rd COVID-19 death is an 85-year-old woman in Douglas County who tested positive on Nov. 8 and died on Nov. 16, at Mercy Medical Center.
Oregon’s 774th COVID-19 death is a 63-year-old man in Marion County who tested positive on Nov. 6 and died on Nov. 9, in his residence.
Oregon’s 775th COVID-19 death is a 52-year-old man in Marion County who tested positive on Oct. 27 and died on Oct. 31, in his residence.
Oregon’s 776th COVID-19 death is a 67-year-old woman in Marion County who tested positive on Oct. 26 and died on Nov. 13, at Salem Hospital.
Oregon’s 777th COVID-19 death is a 98-year-old man in Clackamas County who tested positive on Oct. 13 and died on Nov. 8, in his residence.
Oregon’s 778th COVID-19 death is an 85-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 1 and died on Nov. 9, at Providence Portland Medical Center.
Additional Graphs:
     **You can find a breakdown of regional availability here.
Want to See Past Newsletters?
If there was COVID-related information in a past newsletter that you want to go back to, but find you’ve deleted it, you can always go to my legislative website (senatordembrow.com), click on “News and Information,” and you’ll find them all there. Also, if someone forwarded you this newsletter and you’d like to get it directly, you can sign up for it there.
AND FINALLY,
Here again are some resources that you will find useful:
If the above links are not providing you with answers to your questions or directing you to the help that you need, please consider me and my office to be a resource. We’ll do our best to assist you or steer you in the right direction.
Best,
 Senator Michael Dembrow
District 23
email: Sen.MichaelDembrow@oregonlegislature.gov
web: www.senatordembrow.com
phone: 503-986-1723
mail: 900 Court St NE, S-407, Salem, OR, 97301
| 
