The Oregon Health Authority announced eight new coronavirus deaths and 266 new cases as it put in place stricter requirements for face coverings and encouraged people to choose masks over face shields.
New state requirements and recommendations for face coverings expand when and where people must wear masks, to include all workplaces, even if workers can maintain a social distance. People must also now wear masks in outdoor markets, street fairs and both private and public universities.
The health authority is now recommending that people choose masks over face shields because shields don’t contain air escaping from the sides or below.
See the state’s full face coverings guidelines here.
Monday’s coronavirus case count was below recent rolling averages, which have exceeded 300 new cases per day since Oct. 7. But the drop is unlikely to reflect a trend – case counts on Mondays are traditionally low and the Oregon Health Authority predicts ever-increasing infection numbers, at least into early November, if transmission rates don’t go down.
Oregon last week also recorded a high test positivity rate, at 5.8%, on 28,960 tests, according to preliminary data.
Where the new cases are by county: Clackamas (24), Coos (8), Crook (2), Deschutes (15), Douglas (1), Jackson (18), Josephine (1), Lane (40), Linn (2), Malheur (5), Marion (39), Multnomah (68), Polk (3), Tillamook (1), Umatilla (9), Washington (25) and Yamhill (5).
New fatalities: Oregon’s 620th death connected to the coronavirus is an 89-year-old Lane County woman with underlying medical conditions who tested positive Oct. 13. She died Oct. 17 at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center Riverbend.
Oregon’s 621st death is a 61-year-old Lane County man with underlying conditions who tested positive Oct. 11. He died Oct. 16 at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center Riverbend.
Oregon’s 622nd death is an 89-year-old Lane County woman with underlying conditions who tested positive Oct. 11. She died Oct. 17 at McKenzie Willamette Medical Center.
Oregon’s 623rd death is an 81-year-old Crook County woman with underlying conditions who tested positive Oct. 12. She died Oct. 17 at her residence.
Oregon’s 624th death is a 91-year-old Multnomah County man with underlying conditions who tested positive Oct. 11. He died Oct. 15 at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center.
Oregon’s 625th death is 69-year-old Umatilla County woman with underlying conditions who tested positive Oct. 5. She died on Oct 14 at Good Shepherd Medical Center.
Oregon’s 626th death is a 71-year-old Multnomah County man with underlying conditions who tested positive Sept. 21. He died Oct. 12 at Adventist Medical Center.
Oregon’s 627th death is an 85-year-old Multnomah County man with underlying conditions who tested positive Oct. 2. He died Oct. 13 at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center.
The prevalence of infections: State officials had not disclosed detailed data since Friday. Since then, officials reported 810 new confirmed infections out of 13,271 people tested, equaling a 6.1% positivity rate.
Who got infected: State officials had not disclosed detailed data since Friday. New confirmed or presumed infections grew among the following age groups: 0-9 (48); 10-19 (96); 20-29 (187); 30-39 (170); 40-49 (126); 50-59 (109); 60-69 (66); 70-79 (27); 80 and older (30).
Who’s in the hospital: The state Monday reported 124 Oregonians with confirmed coronavirus infections are currently in the hospital. Oregon remains well below its capacity, with hundreds of hospital beds and ventilators available.
Since it began: Oregon has reported 39,794 confirmed or presumed infections and 627 deaths, among the lowest totals in the nation. To date, 786,496 Oregonians have been tested.
-- Fedor Zarkhin | fzarkhin@oregonian.com | 503-294-7674