Gov. Brown, health officials: COVID-19 surge should ease in 2-3 weeks as vaccinations rise
Governor defends Extreme Risk move: I chose to save lives
SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) – As 15 Oregon counties moved back to “Extreme Risk” COVID-19 restrictions on Friday, Gov. Kate Brown and state health officials said the latest modeling shows that this round of severe business limits should end in about three weeks, thanks to increased number of vaccinated Oregonians.
Oregon has had the nation’s fastest-growing rise in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks as “cases are widespread, driven by new, more contagious variants,” Brown said, after five straight weeks of case increases of 20 percent or more and a near-doubling of hospitalizations in just a week.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown gives update Friday on fourth surge in COVID-19 cases
(Update: Adding Gov. Brown news release)
But officials say if vaccinations continue to rise, state could be out of critical stage by late June
SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) – Gov. Kate Brown and state health officials presented an even stronger mix of immediate gloom and long-range hope Friday at their latest COVID-19 briefing, saying the fourth surge in cases and hospitalizations could put at least a dozen counties, including Deschutes and Crook, back in the restrictive “Extreme Risk” category next Friday.
A dozen counties Baker, Clackamas, Columbia, Crook, Deschutes, Grant, Jackson, Josephine, Klamath, Linn, Marion and Polk would already have moved to Extreme Risk this Friday, if the statewide hospitalization metrics (topping 300 COVID-19 patients statewide) had been met. The governor and other officials will analyze the data again early next week to see which counties may need to roll back into Extreme
Oregon reports 2 more COVID-19 related deaths, 704 new cases
Cases have nearly doubled in past month; nearly 39,000 Oregonians vaccinated daily
PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) There are two new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 2,457, the Oregon Health Authority reported Friday.
OHA also reported 704 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. Fridday, bringing the state total to 173,626.
Information from Friday’s media briefing
The number of cases has nearly doubled in a month, officials said at a news conference on Friday. Officials attribute that to a variety of factors, from schools back in session to the rise of virus variants and pandemic fatigue.
Oregon reports no new COVID-19 related deaths, 492 cases; vaccinations to expand
(Update: Adding governor s news release)
PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) There are no new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, keeping the state’s death toll at 2,149, the Oregon Health Authority reported Friday.
OHA also reported 492 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. Friday, bringing the state total to 152,190.
At a Friday news conference, Gov. Kate Brown and OHA officials said that despite this week s weather-related vaccine shipment delays, those eligible for vaccinations will expand as scheduled on Monday to include those 70 and older, and the following week to seniors over 65.
Gov. Kate Brown, other officials defend vaccine rollout pace, priorities
(Update: Hospitals express doubts about governor s timeline)
Say they are keeping commitment to seniors, despite doses for educators
SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) – Gov. Kate Brown and other state officials explained and defended the state’s vaccination priority and rollout during a Friday news conference, while noting the limited availability of doses here and nationwide have led to some difficult choices and public frustration.
“I’m using every single tool we have to get our children back in the classroom this school year,” Brown said, noting a recent study that shows staying in remote learning could result in substantial educational losses, especially in math, as well as the other impacts on families, working mothers and the like.