OHA Director Patrick Allen during today’s press conference: "New cases are slowly starting to decline. That’s a hopeful sign that Oregonians efforts to wear face coverings, stay physically distant and limit social gatherings, are slowing the spread of #COVID19."
"The percentage of positive tests has leveled off. Last week, we reported 25,678 test results, and the rate of positive tests stayed the same at 5.4%. Please note that this data point is provisional."
"Hospitalizations offer another encouraging sign: new #COVID19 hospitalizations also declined last week from 143 to 115. The downward week to week trend in COVID-19 cases is in line with our modeling, which we updated today."
"I want to share one more encouraging development on #COVID19 testing. This week we secured more 400,000 tests via an agreement between the Oregon State Public Health Laboratory (OSPHL) and ThermoFisher."
"The agreement to provide will add over 20,000 tests to our weekly capacity on average. The tests will be distributed to certain qualifying laboratories, increasing Oregon’s overall #COVID19 testing capacity."
"Adequate testing is vital to slowing the spread of #COVID19. If we cannot test people and get the results back quickly, we lose our ability to take steps to keep the virus at bay. This agreement will help speed up results and ensure we have more capacity to test as needed."
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Dr. Dean Sidelinger, deputy state health officer and state epidemiologist, providing an update this morning: “We are now well into the new year, with spring rapidly approaching, and I’m happy to report there’s reason for optimism in the months ahead.”
“Overall, respiratory virus hospitalizations in Oregon have decreased significantly. And influenza and RSV spread in our communities continues to decrease, which means even fewer hospitalizations are expected in coming weeks.”
“We are keeping an eye on a recent uptick in COVID-19 activity, and we remain alert to the possibility of a second influenza wave driven by influenza B.”
Dr. Dean Sidelinger, deputy state health officer and state epidemiologist, providing an update this morning: “Thank you for joining us. As we begin 2023, I am hopeful for the situation we are facing.”
"As we did during December’s monthly media briefing, I will share what we know about the status of the three respiratory viruses we’ve been watching closely over the past few months, including RSV, influenza and COVID-19. I will also provide a brief update on mpox."
“For everyone who is sick or caring for a child or loved one – my thoughts are with you. We are still seeing Oregonians get sick.”
Dr. Dean Sidelinger, OHA state health officer and state epidemiologist, speaking at today's news conference with @ORDeptEd Director Colt Gill: "I’d like to elaborate on some of the changes that are being made to the resiliency framework."
"It’s important to remember that while the worst of the current surge is behind us, #COVID19 still exists. It will continue to cause disease, even as we transition into a post-pandemic phase."
"It’s important to remember that while the worst of the current surge is behind us, #COVID19 still exists. It will continue to cause disease, even as we transition into a post-pandemic phase."
Dr. Dean Sidelinger, OHA state health officer and state epidemiologist: "Today marks the 2nd anniversary of our first #COVID19 case in Oregon. Since that time, we’ve experienced unprecedented disruption and loss. Oregon has logged 690,000+ cases and 6,500+ COVID-19 deaths."
"Each death is a heart-breaking reminder of the threat #COVID19 poses. We’ve lost family members, friends, colleagues and neighbors. My thoughts go out to everyone who has lost someone to the virus and those still battling the disease or helping a loved one recover."
"Since that first case, we’ve learned how to protect each other and our communities against #COVID19. We’ve also learned about the resilience and the resolve of Oregonians have shown in fighting back against the virus."
Dr. Dean Sidelinger, OHA state health officer and state epidemiologist, at today's news conference: "The highly contagious #Omicron variant is driving an alarming spike in #COVID19 infections, virus-related hospitalizations and test positivity, that we have seen in recent days."
"Today, OHA will report 10,451 new daily cases of #COVID19, a sobering reminder of the formidable challenge that lies ahead."
"This is not the way any of us wanted to begin the new year. We are all tired of taking steps to fight this virus. We are anxious as we hear from more of our family and loved ones who are sick with – or were exposed to – #COVID19."
Dr. Dean Sidelinger, OHA State Health Officer and State Epidemiologist, speaking at this morning's press conference: "Daily #COVID19 cases and hospitalizations are slowly coming down from record-highs, indicating that Oregonians are once again stepping up to fend off the virus."
"Our ability to sustain this hopeful progress and regain the upper hand over the coming weeks is dependent upon getting more adult Oregonians vaccinated, and on all of us continuing to wear masks and reconsidering plans that put us or others at higher risk of getting #COVID19."
"I want to emphasize that this latest surge is far from finished. The #DeltaVariant remains a formidable threat. We're still totaling 1,000+ #COVID19 related hospitalizations a day. These capacity levels are not sustainable. Our health system remains under significant stress."