To provide our community with important public safety information, the Statesman Journal is making this daily update related to the coronavirus free to read.
We’ll update this story with the latest news about coronavirus and its effects in Oregon on Monday, Feb. 7.
Oregon to lift school, indoor mask requirements by March 31
Oregon will remove general mask requirements for indoor public places no later than March 31, state health officials announced Monday.
Mask requirements for schools will be lifted on March 31.
Scientists project that 400 or fewer Oregonians will be hospitalized with COVID-19 by late March, the Oregon Health Authority said. That’s the level of hospitalization the state experienced before the Omicron wave.
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To date, COVID-19 hospitalizations have not topped the 1,178 high point of the Delta surge, despite initial projections that warned Omicron hospitalizations could more than double Delta’s zenith.
Mask requirements need to remain in place for now, however, because COVID-19 hospitalizations remain high and the state’s health care system is under strain, health officials said.
Over the past week, the average number of newly diagnosed cases has dropped about 40% in Oregon. At the same time, hospitalizations, which are a lagging indicator, have remained above 1,000 people per day.
Oregon’s high number of COVID-19 hospitalizations comes at a time when state health officials have mobilized an unprecedented response to prevent Oregon’s health care system from buckling.
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The Oregon National Guard has mobilized 1,300 Reserve National Guard members to help staff hospitals. The state has contracted to bring in more than 1,179 nurses and other medical staff from out of state to help treat the high numbers of severely ill patients.
Current models show hospitalizations peaking at 1,169 and then beginning to decline throughout February and March as infections slow.
However, health officials cautioned that the state’s emergence from the Omicron surge depends on Oregonians sustaining effective prevention measures in coming weeks.
“We’re likely to see as many cases on the way down from the Omicron peak as we saw on the way up. That means we need to keep taking steps to prevent more hospitalizations and deaths,” state epidemiologist Dean Sidelinger said.
Also on Monday, OHA filed a permanent rule requiring masks indoors in public places. The filing was the only way to extend the temporary mask rule past its Feb. 8 expiration date. Officials will lift the rule March 31, or earlier if hospitalizations decline sooner than expected.
Oregon reports 7,928 new COVID-19 cases, 30 new deaths
Oregon has reported 7,928 new cases of COVID-19, and 30 new deaths over the weekend.
That brings the state’s cumulative case count to 662,250, and the death toll to 6,244, according to the Oregon Health Authority.
The state recorded 4,053 cases on Friday, 2,047 cases on Saturday, and 1,828 cases on Sunday.
Marion County reported 774 new cases, while Polk County reported 213 new cases.
Other counties’ new cases were: Baker (22), Benton (242), Clackamas (652), Clatsop (63), Columbia (104), Coos (110), Crook (89), Curry (42), Deschutes (561), Douglas (178), Gilliam (1), Harney (7), Hood River (22), Jackson (416), Jefferson (97), Josephine (133), Klamath (178), Lake (2), Lane (776), Lincoln (110), Linn (384), Malheur (43), Morrow (13), Multnomah (1216), Sherman (1), Tillamook (34), Umatilla (98), Union (22), Wallowa (12), Wasco (35), Washington (1088) and Yamhill (190).
There were 1,072 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 Monday, which is one fewer than on Sunday. Of those, 197 were in intensive care.
Oregon has administered an average of 7,890 COVID-19 vaccine doses per day over the past week.
As of Monday, 2.8 million people in Oregon had completed a vaccine series, and 300,054 had received at least one dose.
OHA did not release details Monday of the 30 new deaths.
COVID-19 patients at Salem Health
Coronavirus patient numbers at Salem Health on Monday, Feb. 7:
- 105: Total COVID-19 inpatients, 62% unvaccinated.
- 13: COVID-19 patients in the ICU.
- 4: COVID-19 patients on a ventilator.
Latest COVID-19 by the numbers statewide
Here’s the most recent data from the Oregon Health Authority, as of Monday, Feb. 7
- 6,244: People who have died from COVID-19.
- 662,250: Total cases of COVID-19.
- 1,072: COVID-19 patients in hospitals.
Oregon COVID-19 cases by county
Here are the number of cases, both tested positive and presumptive, and deaths as of Monday, Feb. 7:
- Baker: 3,061 cases, 42 deaths.
- Benton: 13,829 cases, 55 deaths.
- Clackamas: 56,665 cases, 490 deaths.
- Clatsop: 4,293 cases, 38 deaths.
- Columbia: 6,996 cases, 72 deaths.
- Coos: 9,903 cases, 132 deaths.
- Crook: 5,658 cases, 64 deaths.
- Curry: 3,009 cases, 43 deaths.
- Deschutes: 43,445 cases, 234 deaths.
- Douglas: 18,401 cases, 342 deaths.
- Gilliam: 265 cases, 4 deaths.
- Grant: 1,506 cases, 18 deaths.
- Harney: 1,498 cases, 36 deaths.
- Hood River: 3,302 cases, 41 deaths.
- Jackson: 39,831 cases, 443 deaths.
- Jefferson: 6,852 cases, 73 deaths.
- Josephine: 15,029 cases, 305 deaths.
- Klamath: 13,311 cases, 183 deaths.
- Lake: 1,287 cases, 23 deaths.
- Lane: 52,905 cases, 424 deaths.
- Lincoln: 6,433 cases, 65 deaths.
- Linn: 24,569 cases, 222 deaths.
- Malheur: 7,928 cases, 100 deaths.
- Marion: 65,499 cases, 602 deaths.
- Morrow: 2,886 cases, 26 deaths.
- Multnomah: 106,231 cases, 991 deaths.
- Polk: 14,272 cases, 117 deaths.
- Sherman: 296 cases, 3 deaths.
- Tillamook: 3,401 cases, 55 deaths.
- Umatilla: 21,672 cases, 194 deaths.
- Union: 4,791 cases, 70 deaths.
- Wallowa: 1,176 cases, 14 deaths.
- Wasco: 4,798 cases, 53 deaths.
- Washington: 80,277 cases, 483 deaths.
- Wheeler: 207 cases, 3 deaths.
- Yamhill: 16,768 cases, 184 deaths.
Source: Oregon Health Authority
