Oregon health officials recorded the lowest number of COVID-19 diagnoses in any daily report of 2022 on Tuesday. At the same time, hospitalizations also declined. The downward trend is consistent with forecasts from pandemic experts earlier this month and confirms that the omicron variant is coming down from its peak last month.
The Oregon Health Authority reported 1,613 cases Tuesday. Less than a month ago, the state was reporting numbers nearly seven times that high as the omicron wave peaked.
Results from over the weekend, which were reported Monday, also reflected a sharp downturn in case numbers. The state recorded just 895 cases on Sunday, when fewer cases are typically registered compared to other days of the week.
Hospitals remain stretched in some parts of Oregon, but the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 is dropping quickly. The state’s latest report counts 805 people in hospital beds with COVID-19, a drop of 60 patients since Monday. However, capacity remains tight, with just 8% of intensive care beds available, and 6% of non-ICU beds available, statewide.
At the same time that case and hospitalization numbers are trending down, vaccination numbers are falling off, too. Oregon’s seven-day average for vaccinations hit its high point on Jan. 11, when it approached 18,000 doses. That’s plummeted in recent weeks, with the latest seven-day average at just 5,104 doses, as of Feb. 14.
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