Three COVID deaths announced

Yamhill County announced three more deaths from COVID-19 last week, as Oregon Health and Sciences University predicted hospitalizations in Oregon will remain high for at least another month.

According to The Washington Post, 30 states now have identified cases of the Omicron variant.

Meanwhile, known deaths from COVID-19 surpassed 800,000 in the United States.

Oregon also reached a milestone last week, with more than 400,000 cases of the virus since the pandemic began nearly two years ago.

According to the OHA, a 64-year-old woman from Yamhill County tested positive Oct. 18 and died Nov. 17 at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center. An 83-year-old man tested positive Nov. 17 and died Nov. 30 at his residence.

An 85-year-old woman from Yamhill County died Oct. 17 at her residence.

On Monday, the OHA reported two more county deaths. A 70-year-old woman tested positive Dec. 7 and died Dec. 10 at Willamette Valley Medical Center. A 78-year-old woman tested positive Nov. 23 and died Dec. 7; location of death is being confirmed. That brings the total deaths in the county from COVID-19 to 150.

According to the weekly OHSU forecast released on Friday, 15% of occupied ICU beds in Oregon held patients with COVID-19.

However, it said, new cases do appear to be declining, as does overall test positivity rates.

The forecast said that “It is becoming very clear Omicron is more transmissible as an infection in previously infected and some vaccinated populations (perhaps less so for those with boosters). Case levels are rising dramatically in South Africa, UK and elsewhere as is the share of cases attributed to Omicron. Still unanswered is whether it is causing similar disease severity (and in those with or without immunity).”

Public Health Director Rachael Banks said in a press release that COVID-19 continues to hit people of color disproportionately.

“Our communities of color have been disproportionately and unfairly impacted, from both hospitalizations and deaths following COVID-19 illness. OHA remains committed to addressing these inequities rooted in historic racism and discrimination, including its ongoing efforts to increase vaccination rates in these hardest hit groups to ensure they have the best possible protection from severe illness.”

COVID-19 data collected shows cases rates remain more than twice as high among Tribal residents and persons who identify as Native Hawaiian Pacific Islanders and nearly twice the rate among African-American and Latinx/o/a residents compared to whites in Oregon,” Banks said.

Oregon reported 1,387 new cases of COVID-19 and 39  deaths on Monday. On Friday, Yamhill County reported 28 new cases and one death. The county had not updated its data for Monday by press time.