County deaths have been from senior retirement home in Newberg

All six deaths from COVID-19 in Yamhill County have been among elderly residents of Astor House at Springbrook Oaks, a retirement home in Newberg.

The most recent was a 94-year-old woman with underlying health conditions, who tested positive on March 31. The Oregon Health Authority said she died at the home, on Wednesday, April 8.

According to the agency, 12 residents of the home have been diagnosed with the disease.

The state released a list of long-term care facilities where people had been diagnosed with the disease on Saturday, April 11. It included only one home in Yamhill County, although a second, River Park Senior Assisted Living and Residential Care Facility in Sheridan, has restricted admission due to tests pending for COVID-19.

Statewide, nine care homes were reported to have COVID-19 cases. The state said it had created a support team to assist them in dealing with the disease.

As of Monday, there were 32 cases of COVID-19 in Yamhill County. The state total grew to 1,584, with a total of 53 deaths.

Oregon Health authorities said they believe “Oregon’s aggressive social or physical distancing measures have prevented as many as 18,000 cases of COVID-19 and 500 hospitalizations.”

However, they said the distancing must be maintained into at least mid to late May to keep the disease under control.

“By following Governor Brown’s stay at home executive orders, Oregonians are preventing a surge in new infections that could overwhelm hospital beds if left unchecked,” the OHA said.

Although the increase in Oregonians diagnosed with the disease has slowed, the number continues to climb daily.

As of Monday, 31,121 Oregonians had been tested — less than 1%. In Yamhill County, 802 people had been tested as of Monday, which is about the same percentage.

Dr. Kevin Ewanchyna, president of the Oregon Medical Association, wrote in an open letter to Oregonians on April 11 that “the first tenet of disease prevention is key: social distancing to decrease the spread.

“We cannot shift away from this very important principle, even as we still explore all viable options for treatments. If we are not successful, we will overwhelm our state’s medical resources, which, like those of all states, are limited.”

Ewanchyna said the state also must plan for how to help Oregonians traumatized by the pandemic, and the lingering economic effects.