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April 3, 2021
Friends and Neighbors,
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.
Please stay safe, and let me know if you have any questions about information in today’s newsletter.
TODAY’S CORONAVIRUS AND CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE UPDATE
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New COVID Cases: OHA reports 476 new COVID cases today. The cumulative number of cases in Oregon since the beginning of the pandemic is 166,480.
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Variant COVID Cases: OHA does not report on additional instances of variants over the weekend, so the total number of B.1.1.7 (UK) variant cases is still 19, and the P.1 (Brazilian) variant is still at 1. There are still 0 reported cases of the B.1.351 (the South African) variants. OHA is now testing for and has discovered cases of two other variants, the B.1427 (45 cases), and B.1.429 (158 cases).
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Positive Test Results: OHA reported 621 positive tests today. The cumulative total of positive test results since the beginning of the pandemic is now 241,226.
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Total Tests: OHA reported an additional 15,316 tests today. Our cumulative total of reported tests is now 4,240,127.
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Positivity Rate: The test positivity ratio for Oregon today is 4.1%.
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Hospitalization Information: OHA only reports on the first two bulleted items over the weekends. I’ll update the remaining hospitalization metrics on Monday.
- Patients Currently with Confirmed COVID-19: 153 (4 fewer than yesterday)
- ICU Patients Confirmed w COVID-19: 44 (2 more than yesterday).
- Available ICU Beds: 164 (6 fewer than yesterday)
- Other Available Beds: 576 (5 fewer than yesterday).
- Confirmed COVID-19 Patients Currently on Ventilators: 17 (1 more than yesterday).
- Available Ventilators: 787 (5 fewer than yesterday).
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Deaths: I’m sorry to report 6 additional COVID deaths today. The total number of COVID deaths in Oregon is now 2,391.
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Vaccinations:
- As of the end of yesterday, here are the latest numbers:
- New Immunizations Reported Today: 44,782.
- 28,479 were conducted yesterday
- 16,303 were conducted earlier, but the reports were received yesterday (there can potentially be a three-day window for reporting)
- Total First and Second Doses Administered So Far: 1,943,606
- 983,919 Pfizer doses
- 911,513 Moderna doses
- 47,048 Johnson & Johnson doses
- Total Oregonians vaccinated so far: 1,239,717
- 743,449 now fully vaccinated with two doses
- To date, 2,433,575 doses of vaccine have been delivered to sites across Oregon (26,730 more doses than yesterday for a total of 327,620 so far since Monday).
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Additional Brief Updates:
- Here’s a a story from the New York Times about the risk posed by COVID variants in prolonging the spread of the virus.
- If the pandemic has brought you some unwanted extra pounds, you are not alone. It appears that 61% of Americans have experienced unwanted weight gain since the pandemic began. For theories on why that may be happening, here are thoughts from a Professor of Nutrition.
- If you’ve received your vaccine at the OHSU drive-through site at Portland International Airport, you know that it is a very impressive operation. If not, and to get a closer look, here’s a fine piece of reporting by the Tribune’s incomparable Dana Haynes.
Highlights from the Governor’s Press Conference
I was able to grab some time today to listen to yesterday’s press conference. You can watch it on this YouTube. (The video actually starts at the 15:18 mark.) Here are highlights of what was shared:
- One day this week 8,000 vaccines were administered at the Oregon Convention Center, believed to be the highest number of vaccinations at a single site in a single day in the country.
- All adult household members of essential workers will be eligible at the same time as the essential worker, beginning statewide on Monday. This will help disrupt family spread of the virus, which is one of the leading ways in which COVID is transmitted.
- Eligibility timelines will not be changed due to the problems with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, but the likely reduction in J&J supply may slow down by 8 or 9 days) our ability to get everyone vaccinated (from the end of May to the middle of June.
- All Oregonians 16 and older will still be eligible to be vaccinated on May 1, or the week before for counties that have already met their goals.
- Oregon is now passing other states in administration of the vaccine among seniors, but that is starting to slow down. We are seeing a flat-lining of demand among seniors for the vaccine in less-populated counties. This is a cause for concern.
- 70% of all Oregon seniors are now vaccinated. We are now 33rd in the nation.
- However, in seven Oregon counties fewer than 50% of eligible seniors have been vaccinated: Douglas, Grant, Gilliam, Lake, Morrow, Malheur, and Umatilla.
- On the other hand, at least 8 counties have vaccinated seniors at rates higher than the statewide average of 70%: Benton, Deschutes, Hood River, Lane, Lincoln, Multnomah, Polk, and Tillamook. (Baker and Washington may also be in the category, but the data are not yet clear.)
- Along with the big vaccination centers, there are increasing numbers of targeted vaccination opportunities around the state, including at food- and seafood-processing plants.
- The CDC has reclassified two COVID variants as “Variants of Concern,” meaning that they are more contagious and potentially more dangerous than standard COVID. These variants have been detected in Oregon since the end of 2020, but only now are being reported on a daily basis because their new risk status. (See above for the most recent count.)
- We see in the latest epidemiological forecast (which I reported on in yesterday’s newsletter) that the “pessimistic” scenario from the last forecast has unfortunately become our present reality.
- Despite the progress that we’ve made, the virus appears to be rebounding.
- It’s very resilient and is very responsive to opportunities that can occur when restrictions are relaxed.
- It’s more important than ever to wear a face covering and keep distancing. It would be tragic to see this disease out of control when we’re so close to getting everyone vaccinated.
- Some counties may see their risk levels rise, triggering an eventual return to greater restrictions. That could happen as soon as Monday for four counties.
- As schools have been increasingly reopened, we have seen cases of COVID at 386 cases among schoolchildren since January. Fifty-three of those cases were in 4 schools.
- Contact tracing has shown that cases in only 30 schools (7.8%) were likely \transmitted between students (or between students and teachers), and many of those contacts may have happened in social settings outside of school.
- However, with cases rising in the community, we can expect to see an increase in cases among students.
- The number of “breakthrough” cases (where an individual tests positive for COVID more than two weeks after their last dose) has been very limited so far, and we have not seen hospitalizations among these individuals. Unlike in Washington, which has been reporting on these numbers, the OHA has so far refused to do so for privacy reasons because of the small numbers, but they will soon.
- The Governor closed the press conference with a special thanks to all the vaccinators—both those on work time and those volunteering—who are working every day to get their neighbors to a safer condition.
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 reported is 476. More than 3/5 of today’s cases are from outside the Portland area. Here is today’s breakdown by county:
Baker (13)
Benton (7)
Clackamas (65)
Columbia (10)
Crook (3)
Curry (3)
Deschutes (30)
Douglas (4)
Grant (1)
Jackson (36)
Jefferson (2)
Josephine (14)
Klamath (31)
Lake (1)
Lane (39)
Lincoln (6)
Linn (18)
Malheur (1)
Marion (37)
Multnomah (66)
Polk (11)
Tillamook (6)
Umatilla (6)
Union (3)
Wasco (1)
Washington (50)
Yamhill (10)
And the Deaths:
Oregon’s 2,386th COVID-19 death is a 70-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on March 14 and died on March 26 at Providence Portland Medical Center.
Oregon’s 2,387th COVID-19 death is a 90-year-old man in Lane County who tested positive on February 17 and died on March 24 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.
Oregon’s 2,388th COVID-19 death is an 87-year-old man in Curry County who tested positive on March 16 and died on March 21 at his residence.
Oregon’s 2,389th COVID-19 death is an 81-year-old man in Josephine County who tested positive on March 12 and died on March 19 at Asante Three Rivers Medical Center.
Oregon’s 2,390th COVID-19 death is an 85-year-old man in Lake County who tested positive on March 11 and died on March 26 at Lake District Hospital.
Oregon’s 2,391st COVID-19 death is an 89-year-old woman in Clackamas County who tested positive on January 18 and died on February 19 at her residence.
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: 503-281-0608
mail: 900 Court St NE, S-407, Salem, OR, 97301
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