By Starla Pointer • Staff Writer • 

Area schools report more than 100 cases

The National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., rang its bells 700 times Tuesday, once for every 1,000 Americans lost to COVID-19 since the pandemic started — 700,000 deaths.

In Oregon, 3,867 people have died as of Oct. 5, according to state health officials. More than 1,560 new cases were reported Wednesday and 10,400 in the state between Sept. 27 and Oct. 6, for a total of 338,130 cases in Oregon since March 2020.

Yamhill County has seen 108 deaths and 8,276 cases overall, with four additional deaths — including an 83-year-old man with underlying conditions who died Oct. 2 — and 66 new cases reported as of Tuesday, 55 Wednesday and 53 Thursday. 

Close to 80% of all cases were reported among people who were not fully vaccinated.

About 11,000 people a day in Oregon are getting the COVID-19 shot, including first and second doses of the Moderna vaccine, doses of the Johnson & Johnson shot and first, second and third doses of the Pfizer shot, the only one approved thus far for a booster.

As of Wednesday, 2,758,746 Oregonians have received at least one dose of vaccine. Most of those, 2,538,974, have completed a vaccine series.

In Yamhill County, 61.9% of those 12 and older, and thereby eligible for the vaccine, have been immunized. And 67.1% have received at least one dose, as of Monday.

County residents continue to get vaccinated at Yamhill County Public Health clinics and at drugstores, such as Walgreens. Both initial vaccines and Pfizer booster shots are available.

According to the Oregon Health Authority, the number of hospitalized patients dropped from 733 to 730 on Wednesday. The number in intensive care beds increased by one, from 186 to 187.

That left 53 available adult ICU beds out of 708 total and 319 available adult non-ICU beds out of 4,222 in the state.

In the most recent testing period, 386 people in Yamhill County were screened for COVID. Twenty-eight, or 7.3%, tested positive.

In the past month, the county has recorded 1,428 cases, including 129 in the youngest age group, children up to 9 years of age. More than 200 cases were reported in the next three age groups: 10 to 19, 200 cases; 20 to 29, 247; 30 to 29, 262. Other age group cases were: 40-49, 195; 50-59, 161; 60-69, 129; 70-79, 62; and 80 and older, 43.

Oregon health officials reported 163 active outbreaks in senior living communities.

As of Oct. 6, 26 public schools in the county reported small numbers of positive COVID tests among students or staff. Overall, there were 101 student cases reported in Yamhill County schools and six among staff.

In the McMinnville School District, which has an enrollment of about 6,600, 33 cases were reported in September, including one staff member at Memorial Elementary.

Student cases included 11 at the 2,200-student McMinnville High School, five at Duniway Middle School, one at Patton Middle School, four at Columbus Elementary, four at Grandhaven Elementary, two at Memorial, one at Newby and four at Buel Elementary.

Amity reported 12 student cases, eight at the high school, one at the elementary school and three at the middle school.

Dayton had five student cases total, with four at the high school and one at the junior high, plus one staff case at the grade school.

Newberg School District reported a total of 18 student cases, with one at the high school, four at Edwards Elementary, five at Ewing Young Elementary, three at Mountain View Middle, one at Joan Austin Elementary, and four at Crater School; the latter also saw two staff cases. In addition, a private school in Newberg, C.S. Lewis Academy, reported one student case.

Sheridan had 11 student cases, one at the high school and 10 at Faulconer-Chapman School. Two staff cases were reported at Faulconer-Chapman, as well. 

Yamhill Carlton School District reported six student cases, four at the high school and two at the intermediate school. YC High had to cancel a football game Oct. 1 because some players were quarantining due to possible exposure.

Willamina, with all its schools located on one campus and reporting as a district rather than school-by-school, had eight student cases.

Teachers and other educational staff members, as well as health care workers, are required to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18. Gov. Kate Brown issued the mandate in August.

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