May 3rd COVID-19 Update

Michael Dembrow

May 3, 2021

Dear Neighbors and Friends,

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.

At first glance, today’s COVD case numbers appear refreshingly improved.  But on closer inspection you’ll see that it is typical for a Monday’s report (actually reflecting Sunday’s numbers as of midnight last night): a number of counties are missing case numbers or are dramatically undercounting.  We’ll likely see numbers rise tomorrow and Wednesday.  The same is true for vaccinations.

Meanwhile, COVID hospitalizations and ICU placements continue to rise.  Our COVID test positivity percentage also continues to rise and is now the highest it’s been since the end of January.  Again, we’re clearly not testing broadly enough in this state.

Today’s weekly county metric report—which becomes the basis for changes in county risk levels—was up again today and will likely send a number of additional counties into Extreme Risk startus at the end of the week.

Tonight’s newsletter includes a number of links to COVID-related articles of interest. 

Please stay safe, and let me know if you have any questions about information in today’s newsletter.

 

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TODAY’S CORONAVIRUS AND CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE UPDATE

  • New COVID Cases: OHA reports 540 new COVID cases today.  The cumulative number of cases in Oregon since the beginning of the pandemic is 186,877.
  • Variant COVID Cases: OHA is now producing a Variant Tableau dashboard providing current variant case numbers for the state as a whole and for various parts of the state.  The reported numbers have increased this week: 168 (up from 112) cases of the B.1.1.7 (UK) variant, 13 cases (up from 7) of the P.1 (Brazilian) variant, and 18 (up from 10) cases of the B.1.351 (South African) variant.  In addition, we are now seeing 159 (up from 140) cases of the B.1.427 variant, and 519 (up from 479) of the B.1.429 variant. 
  • Positive Test Results: OHA reported 816 positive tests today. The cumulative total of positive test results since the beginning of the pandemic is now 269,377.
  • Total Tests: OHA reported an additional 10,108 tests today. Our cumulative total of reported tests is now 4,458,961.
  • Positivity Rate: The test positivity ratio for Oregon today is 8.1%.
  • Hospitalization Information:
    • Patients Currently with Confirmed COVID-19: 351 (6 more than yesterday)
    • ICU Patients Confirmed w COVID-19: 80 (4 more than yesterday).
    • Available ICU Beds: 161 (8 more than Friday)
    • Other Available Beds: 616 (211 fewer than Friday).
    • Confirmed COVID-19 Patients Currently on Ventilators: 34 (1 more than Friday).
    • Available Ventilators: 806 (same as Friday).
  • Deaths: I’m sorry to report 1 additional COVID deaths today.  The total number of COVID deaths in Oregon is now 2,502.
  • Vaccinations:
    • As of the end of yesterday, here are the latest numbers:
      • New Immunizations Reported Today: 17,897
        • 15,437 were conducted yesterday
        • 2,460 were conducted earlier, but the reports were received yesterday (there can potentially be a three-day window for reporting)
        • The 7-day running average is now 33,153 doses per day.
      • Total First and Second Doses Administered So Far: 3,063,916
        • 1,647,730 Pfizer doses
        • 1,317,294 Moderna doses
        • 97,624 Johnson & Johnson doses
      • Total Oregonians vaccinated so far: 1,860,194
        • 1,295,638 now fully vaccinated with two doses
      • To date, 3,753,575 doses of vaccine have been delivered to sites across Oregon. (That’s 8,630 more than yesterday.
  • Additional Brief Updates:
    • This week’s OHA County Metrics Reporthas just been released. It appears likely that we’ll be seeing several more counties move into Extreme High Risk status this week, since their cases per-100K rates have moved above the 200 threshold and statewide hospitalizations continue to rise. We should hear more tomorrow.
    • The reservation system is no longer needed for COVID vaccination appointments at the Convention Center. Those seeking appointments can now get them directly. Read more here.
    • The Associated Press reports that the FDA is expected to approve the Pfizer vaccine for children twelve and older within a week.  Read more here.
    • The University of Washington will require COVID vaccines for students attending the university next year.
    • Wallowa High School will shift back to distance learning after six students have tested positive for COVID.
    • Governor Jay Inslee has issued new orders that will allow 50% capacity at sporting events, graduations and other events in certain counties, but it will require a number of spectators to show proof that they’re fully vaccinated and sit in vaccination-only sections. Here are more details.
    • The TSA has extended mask requirements on planes extended mask requirements on planes until September.
    • What’s an occupation with low levels of vaccination use? Police officers. And that’s a problem.
    • Here are more examples of incentives that cities are now using to get more people to get the vaccine.
    • There’s  more than one kind of vaccine hesitancy. according to Axios polling. In order to get more people vaccinated, it will be important to understand the different motivations and types of hesitancy.
    • A recent COVID outbreak at a church in Albany provides some lessons about the current state of the pandemic and the challenges we face.
    • We’re hearing from some people that they don’t want to receive a COVID vaccine because the vaccines have so far “only” been approved for emergency use. This OHA blog post shows why the differences between the two are less you might think.

 

Coming Up:  Town Hall This Wednesday

Representatives Barbara Smith Warner (HD 45) and Khanh Pham (HD 46) and I will be holding another zoom town hall this Wednesday evening at 5:30.  We’ll be joined by House Ways and Means Co-Chair Dan Rayfield at the beginning to talk about the budget process and prognoses.

You can sign up for it here.

Hope to see you there!

 

OHA Reports New Features of its Vaccination Dashboard

The statewide and county graphs featured on the COVID-19 Vaccinations Trends dashboard now display the seven-day running averages of administered doses of COVID-19 vaccines. This improves information sharing for administered doses over time and may be helpful for showing trends for less populated counties.

The COVID-19 Vaccination Metrics dashboard now includes a toggle switch that lets users choose between two different population denominators: the total Oregon population and the population in Oregon eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The total Oregon population includes all people in Oregon, while the eligible population only includes people age 16 and older.

As of today, 42.9% of the total Oregon population has been vaccinated with at least one dose of any COVID-19 vaccine, compared with 52.4% of people 16 years of age and older in Oregon

 

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 540.  Here is today’s breakdown by county:

Baker (1)

Benton (12)

Clackamas (91)

Clatsop (3)

Columbia (5)

Coos (1)

Crook (3)

Deschutes (49)

Douglas (10)

Harney (2)

Hood River (1)

Jackson (16)

Jefferson (1)

Josephine (3)

Lane (56)

Lincoln (4)

Linn (42)

Malheur (1)

Marion (74)

Morrow (1)

Multnomah (137)

Polk (12)

Sherman (1)

Tillamook (2)

Wallowa (1)

Washington (1)

Yamhill (12)

 

And the Death:

Oregon’s 2,502nd COVID-19 death is a 70-year-old woman who tested positive on April 2 and died on May 1 at Mercy Medical Center.

 

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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,

dembrow signature

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