COVID-19 and the new variants continue to spread across the state and the nation. Tuesday, Oregon reported 2,329 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 9 new deaths. bringing the state total to 232,436. The 2,329 cases reported yesterday includes new cases that were reported to some counties over the weekend. St Charles Health System reported 32 COVD-9 patients, 7 of whom are in the ICU, with 4 on ventilators. The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 635, which is 60 more than Monday. This is the highest number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients that Oregon has recorded to date. "The number of hospitalized COVID-19 positive patients has surpassed the previous pandemic high set back in November. Additionally, there are 164 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is 16 more than Monday. Crook County Health officials report the new Delta variant is not just affecting the unvaccinated, it is also showing up in the vaccinated (breakthrough cases), although not as severe. According to Crook County Health Dept: "Over the past few weeks, there has been substantial increases in the number of active cases in Crook County. This is a concern because an increase in cases means that the community is still very vulnerable and may be a little too relaxed with social behaviors such as wearing face coverings and the level of contact in social and work environments. The Crook County Health Department, through its investigative process, has determined that the increase in cases is largely due to social interactions and workplace exposures. Crook County citizens have done their part to keep the numbers lower up to this point and it is very important to remember that the virus is still here and there continues to be a need to be diligent. The Crook County Health Department supports guidance released by the CDC and the Oregon Health Authority regarding the recommendations to use face coverings while in public indoor settings. As the vaccination status in Crook County continues to be one of the lowest in the State of Oregon, the Local Health Department encourages everyone to get vaccinated. This is reported to be the best way to protect yourself and others around you." Local Public Health Departments around the state and the Oregon Health Authority continue to recommend people take everyday precautions such as: • If you feel sick, call ahead to your healthcare provider to discuss whether you need to be seen. • Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue and then throw the tissue in the trash. • Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. • Avoid close contact with people who are sick. • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. • Clean and disinfect surfaces that are often touched. • Take care of your health overall. Staying current on your vaccinations, including flu vaccine, eating well, and exercising all help your body stay resilient. • Stay home if you are sick and talk with your employer now about a plan if you do become ill and cannot show up for work. CROOK COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT "A Healthy and Safe Future for the People of Crook County" 375 NW Beaver St., Suite 100 Prineville, OR 97754 Telephone: (541) 447-5165 Fax (541) 447-3093 • It is advised that anyone with compromised immune systems, chronic medical conditions and the elderly not attend large events and practice social distancing to protect yourselves. Crook County Leadership in partnership with local and neighboring Health Departments and medical community, which includes St. Charles Health System continues to monitor the situation very closely and will continue following the preparedness plans that were set in place in March of 2020. Our community has experienced getting back to normal daily routines and it is difficult to consider being restricted again with mandatory requirements. Oregon Health Authority announced last week that there is now a ruling in place that makes it mandatory for health care workers and staff in health care settings either be fully vaccinated or be tested each week. This is an effort to help keep the community safe and to continue to slow the spread. Oregon Health Authority and the CDC asks everyone to continue to follow the recommended guidance. As we get closer to flu season the virus may continue to throw more variants at us. These next few months may be difficult, and it will take a lot of work to continue to follow the guidance for keeping ourselves and our community safe. For as long as the virus continues to be a threat, we will need to continue to stay the course with safety measures and precautions to keep everyone safe and well. Crook County Judge, Seth Crawford stated "I appreciate the work that the Health Department has done in partnership with community organizations to keep our citizens healthy and safe; work that will continue until there is no continued threat from this virus." For more information or general questions, the Crook County Health Department will be there to refer you to the right place to get answers - Office: 541-447-5165 Vaccinations in Oregon OHA reported that 5,300 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry. Of this total, 3,132 doses were administered on Aug. 9 and 2,168 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on Aug. 9. The seven-day running average is now 5,345 doses per day. Oregon has now administered 2,697,675 first and second doses of Pfizer, 1,799,466 first and second doses of Moderna and 186,279 single doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines. As of today, 2,526,326 people have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 2,335,892 people have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series. Cumulative daily totals can take several days to finalize because providers have 72 hours to report doses administered and technical challenges have caused many providers to lag in their reporting. OHA has been providing technical support to vaccination sites to improve the timeliness of their data entry into the state's ALERT Immunization Information System (IIS). To date, 3,051,045 doses of Pfizer, 2,325,860 doses of Moderna and 299,100 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines have been delivered to sites across Oregon. These data are preliminary and subject to change. Updated vaccination data are provided on Oregon's COVID-19 data dashboards and have been updated today. The total number of patients in hospital beds may fluctuate between report times. The numbers do not reflect admissions per day, nor the length of hospital stay. Staffing limitations are not captured in this data and may further limit bed capacity. More information about hospital capacity can be found here.