Oregon Gov. Kate Brown at the start of April called our current moment in the COVID-19 pandemic a “race” between the coronavirus and vaccines.
This week it appears vaccines are losing that race.
The state is reporting infections at levels not seen since January. Oregon has confirmed an average of almost 600 cases a day this past week, with some daily case counts exceeding 700 and 800 — and those are just the infections confirmed by positive tests.
That’s with nearly a quarter of Oregon adults fully vaccinated and more than a third having received at least one shot.
Oregon joined other states in pausing the use of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine this week, while federal health authorities investigate six cases of extraordinarily rare blood clots among the nearly 7 million people who received that vaccine.
Oregon has administered relatively few Johnson & Johnson vaccines so far, but had planned on using them to inoculate harder-to-reach populations.
Public health officials are urging people to limit indoor gatherings, maintain 6 feet of social distance, wear a mask that covers their nose and mouth, and wash their hands to prevent the spread of the deadly virus.
The upswing in coronavirus cases triggered increased public restrictions in several Oregon counties — including Multnomah, Clackamas and Deschutes — on April 6. The state will release new county risk levels Tuesday, April 20.
Brown and Oregon state health officials will address the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic at 10:30 this morning. Watch in the video player above.
This is a developing story. Watch for updates.
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