On Friday, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) announced 457 new and presumptive COVID-19 cases – the highest daily case count since the beginning of the pandemic in Oregon.
OHA officials say they continue to see cases where seemingly innocuous activities – that people would not have thought twice about in the past—are fueling outbreaks.
Some examples of these cases include the following:
- An Oregon county has 13 cases associated with four university outbreaks, including a Greek house and three athletic teams.
- A county has 22 cases associated with three university outbreaks, including two Greek houses and a large back-to-school party.
- Another county has an outbreak that now includes 19 cases. It started with a small group who met for a prayer group while some also participated in a sewing group. One of the household members has died. None of the people reported wearing masks. The cases range in age from young children to 80s.
- Employees in a local company had an employee Labor Day party and now six employees are positive.
“While our recent modeling suggests that transmission may be waning, it also indicates that even a modest uptick in transmission can lead to an increase in daily cases – like the one we’re experiencing now – which can quickly eradicate the progress we have made in subduing the virus,” State Health Officer Dean Sidelinger said in a media briefing on Friday.
OHA reminded the public that simple steps can offer protection from coronavirus:
- Stay at least six feet apart from people outside your household
- Restrict your gatherings
- Wear a face covering when you are outside the house or indoors where distancing can’t be achieved
At what point do people realize masks and distancing work, and they are all we have?
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