State sees highest one-week jump in new cases

Oregon recorded its highest-yet weekly jump in new cases of COVID-19 the week of October 19-25, the Oregon Health Authority said in its weekly report this week; a 14% jump that added 2,642 new cases.

Twenty-seven Oregonians were reported to have died in association with COVID-19, an increase of two from the previous week, and 143 were hospitalized.

As of Wednesday, the state had a total of 206 people hospitalized with COVID-19.

Yamhill County passed the 1,000 case threshold this week. Eight new cases were announced on Thursday, bringing the county to 1,013 cases overall. There have been 15 deaths.

Statewide, as of Wednesday, there were 43,228 cases, and 671 deaths.

The death rate in Oregon has been 1.5% of reported cases, or 15.5 deaths per 100,000 Oregonians, according to the OHA.

The OHA also addressed a rumor it says spread over the summer about funding.

"OHA funding is not based on the number of COVID-19 cases or deaths we report," it stated. "The number of cases or deaths that local public health departments report also does not have a connection to the funding they receive from OHA.”

It added, “Our goal in reporting data is to inform the public and share how, as a community, we can limit the effects of COVID-19.”

Yamhill County saw one additional person hospitalized this week, bringing the total so far to 47. It lists 831 as not hospitalized, and 135 as “status unknown.”

The OHA said that, as cases continue to increase, nearly an average of 400 a day, it continues to urge people to wear masks, remain physically distant, wash their hands often, avoid large gatherings, and “restrict gatherings with people outside your household.”