Oregon coronavirus updates: Deaths continue to climb

adminApril 13, 2024

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We’ll update this story throughout the day with the latest news about coronavirus and its effects in Oregon and across the nation on Tuesday, Aug. 25.

UPDATE: 4:27 p.m.

WOU switches to mostly online classes

Western Oregon University officials announced Tuesday a change in the fall semester plans. Instead of offering students a choice between in-person, hybrid and online learning options, about 95% of fall courses will be delivered solely online for both the Monmouth campus and WOU:Salem.

“We’ve seen in the news that universities that have opened with in-person classes have been forced to reverse course as a result of COVID-19 outbreaks,” President Rex Fuller said in a recent press release. “The safety of our students, employees and community is our priority.”

Students have not been billed for fall term costs, officials said, so adjustments can be made before charges are made to help reduce confusion. Tuition at Western is the same per credit for all class formats. Officials said the remaining 5% of courses are in-person science lab sections and some creative arts classes.

Students are still welcome and encouraged to live on campus, officials said in the release. The majority of residence hall rooms have been transitioned to single-occupancy, and the dining hall will be open with physically distanced tables and controlled traffic flow.

Officials anticipate having more activities outdoors, student group meetings with physical distancing and masks, as well as online events that may include small groups coming together.

“Although most of our classes will be online, we are working to create an on-campus experience for students living on campus and around our community,” Fuller said. “Now that Polk County is in phase two, we have many more opportunities for student engagement.”

To see more about Western’s updated plans for fall 2020, visit wou.edu/fall-2020

— Natalie Pate

UPDATED at 2:06 p.m.

Seven more deaths in Oregon

The death toll from COVID-19 continued to climb on Tuesday as seven more people in the state, including one more in Marion County, were announced to have died from the disease.

A 68-year-old man in Marion County tested positive July 25 and died Aug. 22 at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center, according to the Oregon Health Authority.

He is the 76th person in the county to die from the novel coronavirus.

The seven new deaths announced Tuesday bring the state death toll to 427.

In Lincoln County, a 93-year-old woman died Aug. 15 in her residence and an 87-year-old woman died Aug. 23 in her residence.

In Umatilla County, a 63-year-old man died Aug. 23 in his residence, a 71-year-old woman died Aug. 23 in his residence and a 66-year-old man died Aug. 20 at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Washington.

In Multnomah County, a 93-year-old woman died Aug. 21 at Adventist Medical Center.

There were 247 new cases of COVID reported Tuesday, bringing the state to 25,391.

Marion County had 40 new cases for a total of 3587 cases. Polk County had one new case, bringing their total to 396 cases.

– Bill Poehler

Oregon will apply for federal lost wages assistance

The Oregon Employment Department announced Monday that it is applying for the federal government’s new assistance for unemployed workers.

Through the Federal Emergency Management Agency lost wages supplemental payment program, people would receive $300 per week, along with their unemployment benefit, for an estimated three to five weeks. More than half of the states have already applied and been approved to receive the grant, which was authorized by President Donald Trump earlier this month.

Officials from the employment department said Oregon is waiting for approval and are “working hard to make sure those payments go out as soon as possible.” Most payments will be automatic and retroactive to the week ending August 1.

Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in Oregon, more than 500,000 people have filed for unemployment, causing major delays in people receiving funds.

Last week, Oregon launched a $35 million relief check program that was created to issue a one-time payment of $500 to 70,000 Oregonians still waiting for unemployment benefits.

Just three days later, the program ended after all the checks had been distributed.

— Associated Press

UPDATE at 12:45 p.m.

COVID-19 by the numbers in Oregon

Here’s the most recent data from OHA, as of Tuesday, August 25.

427: Deaths from COVID-19
25,391: Total cases
154: People hospitalized with confirmed or suspected COVID-19
27: Patients on ventilators
502,618: Tests that were negative
526,703: Total number of tests given, since Jan. 24

Inaccurate results from rapid COVID tests raise concerns about widespread screening

Dozens of people who took quick-result coronavirus tests at a Manchester, Vermont, clinic in July were told they had the virus, only to be informed days later that more accurate lab tests concluded they didn’t.

But last week, Quidel, the company that makes the rapid antigen test used by the clinic, stood by the original results. The top executive said it’s “highly likely” his company’s test was correct, and the state of Vermont’s conflicting lab-based test was “at risk of providing inaccurate results.”

As companies and universities create their own strategies to widely test employees and students – even those with no symptoms of COVID-19 or no known exposure to the virus – experts warn such confusion over conflicting results is inevitable.

Widespread testing can identify people who have the virus and halt the spread of some new cases. But because no test is infallible, some cases will be missed and some people will be forced to miss work due to false positives.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine this month said he tested positive on a rapid diagnostic to detect the COVID-19 virus before he was to greet President Donald Trump at a Cleveland airport. Two followup tests using a more precise, lab-based PCR test showed the governor didn’t have the virus.

In Maine, 19 summer campers tested positive last month using a rapidantigen test, only to be cleared by the state’s lab test, the Bangor Daily News reported.

It’s a scenario that will “come up over and over again,” said Jennifer Nuzzo, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.

“We are going to blanket the country with tests,” said Nuzzo, an associate professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “A lot of the push around testing has really been approached from a tech-forward perspective with a goal of trying to reopen our economy and not necessarily thinking through what the consequences are.”

— Ken Alltucker, USA TODAY

UPDATED at 11:26 a.m.

Grant program for Black community in Oregon launched

A $62 million grant program in Oregon to help Black people, Black business owners and Black run non-profits in Oregon that have been financially harmed by COVID-19 has been launched.

The Oregon Cares Fund for Black Relief and Resiliency is a targeted fund to help the Black community.

The Council of Trust, which is composed of eleven Black leaders across Oregon, will guide the fund. Distribution is being carried out by non-profits The Contingent and The Black United Funds, and all money must be disbursed by Dec. 30.

Applicants must demonstrate economic harm caused by the pandemic and prove residency in Oregon.

According to data from the Oregon Health Authority, in the past two months, the rate of coronavirus infection is approximately four times higher for Black people in Oregon as for white people.

Black-owned businesses in the nation have closed at a much higher rate compared with all small businesses, 41% vs. 22%, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

“Especially right now, Black business leaders face an uphill battle,” said Stephen Green, entrepreneur and member of the Council of Trust.

“But we know with targeted investment, this community has incredible resiliency and creativity. This relief fund will help Black businesses weather the economic storm caused by the virus.”

–Bill Poehler

Positivity rate in Oregon drops to lowest since June

The positivity rate of COVID-19 tests in Oregon continued to decline last week, falling to 5.1% for the week of Aug. 16 to 22 from 5.2% the week prior.

The 5.1% is the lowest positivity rate in the state since 4.8% in the week of June 21-27.

Of the 24,177 tests administered in Oregon last week, according to the Oregon Health Authority, 1,223 tested positive.

Oregon’s cumulative positivity rate is 4.5%, half of the national average of 9%.

–Bill Poehler

UPDATE at 10:59 p.m.

Small businesses in Mid-Valley can apply for grants

Willamette Workforce Partnership has opened a grant program for small businesses in Marion, Polk and Yamhill counties impacted by COVID-19, specifically those who haven’t been able to get funding from other programs.

Applications must be submitted by 12 p.m. on Aug. 31. To apply, go to https://willwp.org.

To be eligible, businesses must have fewer than 25 employees and show a decline in revenue of more than 50% from March through April compared to the same time in 2019.

Businesses that received money from the Payroll Protections Program, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan Emergency Advance program or other federal programs aren’t eligible.

Businesses with one to five employees are eligible for $2,500 or expenses up to $5,000. That increases to businesses with 20 to 25 employees being eligible for $12,500 or expenses up to $25,000.

–Bill Poehler