Oregon health officials reported a 14% drop in new identified coronavirus cases last week, the sixth consecutive week of declining cases of COVID-19.
Several other pandemic metrics show the current coronavirus wave is receding.
Hospitalizations have fallen below 300 occupied beds, a 36% drop since July 17. The percent of coronavirus tests that come back positive has fallen below 9%, after several months exceeding 10% on most days. Samples at all but two wastewater monitoring sites show a plateau or decline in how much virus is in their communities. And the percent of emergency department visits for symptoms that resemble COVID-19 fell to 2.5% Tuesday, down from 6.2% a month ago.
The overall trend of a receding pandemic is expected to continue through the third week in September, when a Oregon Health & Science University forecast predicts hospitalizations will bottom out at 129 occupied beds.
That’s around when hospitalizations would start climbing again due to a forecasted fall surge. Cases and hospitalizations would continue to climb at least through the end of the year. Since the omicron variant came to Oregon, about half or more of hospitalizations are considered to be incidental.
Two Oregon counties currently have “high” levels of COVID-19, according to federal metrics based on case counts and hospitalizations. They are Malheur and Morrow counties.
a
Since it began: Oregon has reported 873,957 confirmed or presumed infections and 8,368 deaths.
vv
Hospitalizations: 297 people with confirmed coronavirus infections are hospitalized, down 31 since Wednesday, Aug. 17. That includes 36 people in intensive care, down two since Aug. 17.
Vaccinations: As of Aug. 22, the state has reported fully vaccinating 2,953,793 people (69.2% of the population), partially vaccinating 299,885 people (7%) and boosting 1,729,726 (40.6%).
New deaths: Since Aug. 17, the Oregon Health Authority has reported 42 additional deaths connected to COVID-19.
— Fedor Zarkhin
