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May 27, 2021
Oregon surpasses 200,000 COVID-19 cases
The confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 in Oregon have hit the 200,000 mark. Today, Oregon Health Authority reported 433 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 bringing the state total to 200,210.
Our hearts go out to everyone impacted by COVID-19. We see you, and realize that every illness, mild or severe, can cause a hardship for you and your loved ones.
“As we head into the Memorial Day holiday weekend, this milestone is a grim reminder that while case counts are decreasing statewide in large part due to vaccination, there remains a risk of COVID-19 in Oregon, especially for those who are not yet vaccinated,” said OHA Director Patrick Allen. “I urge caution for Oregonians who are not yet vaccinated. You are still at risk of infection and should wear a mask indoors and practice physical distance precautions.”
As we try to stamp out the virus, our most effective tool to end the pandemic is vaccinations. While the people who are fully vaccinated are well protected, the pandemic is far from over.
Everyone in Oregon age 12 and older is eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. For more COVID-19 vaccine information by county, click here.
Vaccine Voices: ‘An opportunity of keeping safe, keeping healthy, being with the people we love’
Ivonne Rivero is a homecare worker, who looks after an elder near and dear to her: her mother. Rivero’s mother is 83 years old and has a number of health conditions, all of which make her more vulnerable to the effects of COVID-19.
“As you can guess, my mother is the matriarch in this family,” says Rivero. “Her life is so, so important to all of us.”
For over a year now, Rivero has also worked as a volunteer producer for the KBOO Radio broadcast called “Breve Informativo.” It’s a segment that provides COVID-19 news and commentary every day for about 10 minutes in Spanish.
When the vaccines arrived in Oregon, Rivero says she began studying Oregon’s vaccine distribution plan extensively, paying close attention to any updates about who was becoming eligible when. Everything she learned, she broadcasted on Breve Informativo.
“We should not let this confusion going on in the community prevent us from having access to the incredible opportunity that we have,” says Rivero. “We should not let go of an opportunity of keeping safe, keeping healthy, being with the people we love.”
“If my words can get to somebody’s ear and the person goes and finds the way to get a vaccine — my work is done,” says Rivero.
Read Ivonne’s whole story and watch a portion of her interview in English or in Spanish.
To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine in Oregon and how to schedule an appointment, visit covidvaccine.oregon.gov. Once you’re vaccinated, you can share your vaccine story with us by filling out our survey, either in English or Spanish, or by using the hashtags #MyVaccineReason or #MiVozMiVacuna when you share on your social media channels.
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Commemorate Memorial Day Weekend in the safest way
Memorial Day Weekend is nearly here and many of us will take some time to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. That might include visiting a memorial garden or cemetery. With questions continuing to surface about County Risk Levels and how guidance varies for fully vaccinated folks, we thought it might be worthwhile to break down how you can safely commemorate the holiday weekend.
Guidance for fully vaccinated folks
You are considered “fully vaccinated” if it has been 14 days since you received the second dose of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine, or if it has been 14 days since you received the first and only dose of a single-dose vaccine.
The Interim Guidance for Fully Vaccinated Individuals allows fully vaccinated individuals to forego mask wearing and physical distancing in certain settings. And while that’s a huge step toward getting back to normal, it’s important to note that not all settings will let you ditch your mask if you’re fully vaccinated. Businesses still have the right to determine their own masking and physical distancing policies throughout the state, which you can learn more about here.
But what exactly does Lower Risk mean?
According to the Sector Risk Level Guidance Chart, counties in Lower Risk (the lowest possible level a county can be in) can enjoy outdoor gatherings with up to 12 people, indoor gatherings with up to 10 people and a midnight closing time for both indoor and outdoor entertainment establishments like zoos, outdoor gardens, amphitheaters, concert halls and museums.
Ideas for where you can spend some time this weekend
In counties that aren’t at Lower Risk, it’s important that folks continue to keep their gatherings small, outdoors and physically distanced.
Here are some low-risk ways for everybody to spend the three-day weekend:
- Host a virtual watch party with loved ones and friends for the Trailblazers playoff game. Have everyone tune in on the same broadcast and cheer on Damian Lillard and company as they try to advance in the NBA playoffs. Find channels to watch the game here.
- Vanport Mosaic Festival: See exhibits from artists, cultural organizers, historians, media makers, grassroots groups and nonprofits to “remember, repair, reclaim, and re-imagine our collective story.”
- May in Wine Country: Enjoy the warm weather outdoors at one of the many wineries in Willamette Valley. Find a list of events here.
- Portland Rose Festival’s Porch Parade: Watch colorful floats, marching bands and various community groups hit the streets of Portland on May 31.
- Visit a state park: More and more Oregon parks continue to open for use throughout the state. Click here to see which ones are open and plan a hike with your friends.
You can read more about observing Memorial Day safely on the Oregon Vaccine News blog.
Kayakers paddle at Jackson Kimball State Park
Oregon reports 433 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 21 new deaths
There are 21 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 2,660, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.
Vaccinations in Oregon
Today, OHA reported that 29,611 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry. Of this total, 16,348 doses were administered on May 26 and 13,263 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on May 26. Cumulative daily totals can take several days to finalize.
The seven-day running average is now 29,106 doses per day.
Oregon has now administered a total of 2,154,797 first and second doses of Pfizer, 1,572,083 first and second doses of Moderna and 138,588 single doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines. As of today, 1,790,838 people have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series. There are 2,206,455 people who have had at least one dose.
To date, 2,619,045 doses of Pfizer, 2,102,240 doses of Moderna and 291,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines have been delivered to sites across Oregon.
These data are preliminary and subject to change.
OHA’s dashboards provide regularly updated vaccination data, and Oregon’s dashboard has been updated today.
Cases and deaths
NOTE: Details from today’s reported deaths are being reviewed and will be posted in an updated version of the press release, which will be posted here.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (2), Benton (3), Clackamas (50), Clatsop (1), Columbia (8), Coos (4), Crook (4), Deschutes (41), Douglas (24), Harney (2), Hood River (1), Jackson (22), Jefferson (3), Josephine (12), Klamath (13), Lane (17), Linn (23), Malheur (4), Marion (54), Morrow (5), Multnomah (64), Polk (4), Tillamook (1), Umatilla (17), Union (1), Wasco (1), Washington (38) and Yamhill (14).
COVID-19 hospitalizations
The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 256, which is 17 fewer than yesterday. There are 68 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is nine fewer than yesterday.
The total number of COVID-19 positive patient bed-days in the most recent seven days is 1,860, which is a 18.7% decrease from the previous seven days. The peak daily number of beds occupied by COVID-19 positive patients in the most recent seven days is 285.
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.
