By Nicole Montesano • Staff Writer • 

County health director warns of 'skyrocketing' case counts as 16th death reported

Marcus Larson/News-Register##Health care workers administered COVID-19 tests and flu shots Tuesday at St. James Catholic Church during a free clinic offered by Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center and other providers.
Marcus Larson/News-Register##Health care workers administered COVID-19 tests and flu shots Tuesday at St. James Catholic Church during a free clinic offered by Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center and other providers.

“The number of cases per 100,000 and the test positivity rates are all, quite frankly, skyrocketing,” she said.

Yamhill County reported the COVID-related death of a 65-year-old woman Wednesday, the 16th death in the county. The Oregon Health Authority said the woman tested positive on Nov. 12 and died Nov. 14 at Willamette Valley Medical Center.

The county reported 20 new confirmed and presumptive cases on Tuesday, 26 Wednesday and 36 Thursday, bringing the county to 1,447 cases since the beginning of the pandemic.

The OHA reports 1,225 cases and 20 deaths statewide on Thursday, both single day records, bringing the state totals to 60,873 cases and 808 deaths.

“We have just have to rely on people making good decisions and being safe and just promoting that … reminding people that so much of this is in their control, within their power to help bring the surge down, give our hospitals some breathing room, give them some capacity where staffing is challenging right now,” Manfrin said. “We’re seeing staffing challenges across the state, and that’s happening in Yamhill County, too.”

Manfrin told commissioners they need to do all they can to promote the right messaging. 

“We saw that surge happen in August and we brought that down, right, and we can do it again, but it’s going to take the work of the community,” she said. “It’s gonna take the people who live in Yamhill County to make decisions that they are going to be part of driving these numbers down and keeping our hospitals staffed and available for all things.”

The weekly reported released by the Oregon Health Authority on Wednesday noted the percentage of people testing positive rose in the state, during the week of Nov. 9 to Nov. 15, to 12.5%, and that statewide hospitalization rates have reached their highest numbers so far in the pandemic.

There is an outbreak at George Fox University, which reported eight associated cases as of the week ending in Nov. 12.

The university had not updated by press time on Thursday.

The OHA weekly report noted several workplace outbreaks in Yamhill County. Those with the most recent case onsets in the last two weeks include:

n Skyline Homes Inc., McMinnville, with 21 associated cases, and most recent onset on Nov. 12.

n World Class Technology, McMinnville, with 11 associated cases and most recent onset Nov. 12.

n A-dec, Newberg, five associated cases, most recent onset Nov. 7.

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