UPDATE (2:34 p.m. PT) — The Oregon Health Authority reported 218 new confirmed and presumptive coronavirus diagnoses Tuesday, bringing the state to 10,605 known cases.
Many of those new cases are in the Portland metro area, with 52 in Multnomah County, 27 in Washington County and 18 in Clackamas County. OHA said Tuesday it is also investigating a workplace outbreak in Morrow County, with 22 cases of COVID-19 reported at Columbia River Processing, a dairy processing company.
The state health agency reported five new coronavirus-related deaths Tuesday. The number of people confirmed to have died from the virus in Oregon is 220.
OHA describes those deaths as:
A 93-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive June 25 and died June 30 at Providence Portland Medical Center. He had underlying medical conditions.
A 74-year-old woman in Yamhill County who tested positive June 23 and died June 30 at Willamette Valley Medical Center. She had underlying medical conditions.
A 56-year-old woman in Linn County who tested positive May 27 and died July 5 at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center. She had underlying medical conditions.
An 80-year-old man in Marion County who tested positive June 14 and died July 6 at his residence. He had underlying medical conditions.
A 62-year-old woman in Marion County who tested positive June 10 and died July 6 at Salem Hospital. She had underlying medical conditions.
As of Tuesday, 191 people are hospitalized with suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 across the state, including 22 who are on ventilators. The coronavirus has led to the hospitalization of 1,141 people statewide over the course of the pandemic.
Umatilla County coronavirus case increase from sick workers
Umatilla County had 772 known coronavirus cases as of Monday.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports a spike in cases there has been partially fueled by sick employees returning to work as the economy reopens.
The Eastern Oregon county saw 125 new known cases Monday, according to the East Oregonian.
It's one of eight counties in the state on a “watch list” for coronavirus spread.
Joseph Fiumara, Umatilla County’s public health director, told the Oregonian/Oregonlive that people with minor symptoms are returning to work, creating a surge in infections.
“A lot of time, people just don’t think they have the virus,” Fiumara told the paper. “They think it’s allergies. The symptoms are so minor that they go to work for a few days — slight runny nose or scratchy throat — then they go in and get tested and it comes back positive.”
Lamb Weston, a potato company in Umatilla County, has seen 72 coronavirus cases in a workplace outbreak, according to the Oregon Health Authority.
Copyright 2020 Oregon Public Broadcasting
