LOCAL & STATE
THURSDAY, JULY 13, 2021
BAKER CITY HERALD — A5
Delta variant of COVID-19 in Umatilla County
By Bryce Dole and Carlos Fuentes
EO Media Group
UMATILLA COUNTY — The
delta variant has arrived in Eastern
Oregon.
And with vaccination rates across
the region lagging behind the state,
the question for health experts is
not if the latest and most contagious
strain of COVID-19 will spread
through communities, but how
large the outbreak will be.
“It’s not a question for unvacci-
nated people if they’re going to get
the virus,” said Dr. Jon Hitzman,
Umatilla County’s public health of-
fi cer. “It’s when they’re going to get
it and how sick they’re going to get.”
The state has reported 14 delta
cases so far and three in the Oregon
Health Authority’s Region 9, an
area that encompasses Morrow,
Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Baker
VACCINE
and Malheur counties. Each of
those cases were reported in
Umatilla County, according to Dr.
Bill Messer, an associate professor
in the department of microbiology
and immunology and the division
of infectious diseases at Oregon
Health & Science University,
Portland.
But experts say that almost
certainly is an undercount, as only
a small percentage of cases are
sequenced to confi rm if they are
delta. In Umatilla County, only 16
of 116 positive cases over a two-
week period in early June were
sequenced to confi rm if they were
delta.
“The short answer is that we,
collectively the state, we want to se-
quence absolutely every specimen
we can get our hands on,” Messer
said. “But there are logistical prob-
lems for that, particularly for the
Eastern Oregon counties and rural
hospitals.”
According to Messer, the state is
two weeks behind in its sequencing.
That means cases reported since
June 15 have not been confi rmed as
delta or not.
“There is a lag there, and a lot of
cases in those lags,” Messer said.
Cases have declined across
Oregon in recent weeks as the state
reached its goal of 70% of residents
vaccinated.
Umatilla County — where nearly
33% of residents are vaccinated —
has reported some of the highest
daily case counts statewide in
recent weeks. From July 6 to July 9,
Umatilla County reported 67 cases.
And since mid-June, the county has
reported at least 260 cases, accord-
ing to county health data.
PARADE
Continued from Page A1
As of Monday, July 12, there were
26 entries, just four short of the
minimum of 30 that Shelly Cutler,
executive director of the Baker
County Chamber of Commerce, had
hoped to have signed up.
“It’s a far cry from what we’re
used to seeing,” Cutler said. “But it’s
enough to make people happy.”
Cutler said several community
members stepped up to participate
in the parade, many of which have
never participated before. They
wanted the parade to happen, so
they took it into their own hands.
The parade will start at 11 a.m.
at Baker Middle School as usual.
Entries will head east on Broad-
way to Second, south on Second to
Valley, east on Valley to Main, then
north on Main to the end at Madi-
son. There will not be an announcer,
Cutler said.
“We’re actually curious to know
if this uptick in cases is due to the
delta variant,” Messer said. “I would
be very surprised if it wasn’t.”
About the delta variant
The delta variant, fi rst identifi ed
in India in December 2020, is the
most “fi t” variant of all coronavirus
mutations, experts say. All viruses
mutate, and as they do, they become
better adapted to latch onto a host.
But many experts say vaccinated
people don’t need to fear the variant.
Early research suggests the delta
variant is 50% more transmissible
than the alpha variant, a strain out
of the United Kingdom that is 50%
more transmissible than the origi-
nal coronavirus strain from Wuhan,
China. That means the variant is
two to three times as transmissible
as the original strain.
rate and the statewide rate is
smallest.
Continued from Page A1
Among people 80 and older,
It is the second-highest
Baker County’s rate of 67.7%
rate, though, among eight
is less than 10 percentage
AGES 12-15
AGES 50-59
counties in Eastern Oregon
points below Oregon’s aver-
State: 42.5%
State: 67.1%
— Baker, Union, Wallowa,
age of 77.4% (see chart on this
Baker: 13.9%, 101 of 725
Baker: 40.4%, 924 of 2,289
Umatilla, Harney, Malheur,
page).
residents
residents
Morrow and Grant.
The difference between
AGES 16-19
AGES 60-69
In that group, only Wal-
Baker County’s and Oregon’s
State: 51.3%
State: 73.6%
lowa County, at 56.6%, has a
rates is 18.5 percentage
Baker: 23.5%, 151 of 643
Baker: 51.5%, 1,586 of
higher vaccination rate than
points among people in their
residents
3,082 residents
Baker County.
70s.
AGES 20-29
AGES 70-79
Staten said she worries
In all other age groups, the
State: 56.4%
State: 83.2%
that with fewer than half
gap between the county and
Baker: 28.1%, 365 of 1,301
Baker: 64.7%, 1,419 of 2,192
of Baker County residents
statewide rate ranges from
residents
residents
vaccinated, COVID-19 case
22.1% (ages 60-69) to 34.1%
AGES 30-39
AGES 80 AND OLDER
rates, which have averaged
(ages 30-39).
State: 62.8%
State: 77.4%
slightly fewer than two per
Staten said she un-
Baker: 28.7%, 559 of 1,947
Baker: 67.7%, 749 of 1,106
day since May 1, could rise
derstands that younger
residents
residents
again, with more contagious
residents are less likely to be
AGES 40-49
variants, most notably the
vaccinated given that people
State: 66.4%
Source: Oregon Health
delta variant, beginning to
70 and older are at a much
Baker: 37.8%, 622 of 1,644
Authority
spread.
higher risk of dying if they’re
residents
There have been three
infected.
cases of the delta variant in
In Oregon, 74% of the
Umatilla County, but none
2,792 people whose deaths
in Baker County (see related ranges from 42.5% for people residents 80 or older.
are attributed to COVID-19
story above).
age 12 to 15 — who have
The county’s highest rates, were 70 or older, according to
“We want our community been eligible to be vaccinated in common with statewide
the Health Authority.
to be healthy,” Staten said.
only since May — to 83.2%
fi gures, are for people 70 and
Of the 15 deaths in Baker
Oregon’s statewide vacci-
among Oregonians ages 70
older, who were eligible start- County, all but one were
nation rate among residents to 79.
ing in January or February.
older than 70 (the exception
16 and older is 66.8%.
Baker County’s vaccina-
That’s also the age range
was a 59-year-old man).
Among age groups, the
tion rates range from 13.9% where the gap between
Baker County has had
statewide vaccination rate
for ages 12 to 15, to 67.7% for Baker County’s vaccination
three COVID-19 deaths since
COVID-19 vaccination rates:
Baker County and Oregon
March 11, and none since
May 15.
But Staten also points
out that the percentage of
cases in the county among
people younger than 70 has
increased substantially since
late March.
In some two-week peri-
ods since then, the highest
percentage of new cases has
been among people in their
20s, 30s, 40s and 50s.
For the most recent period
the Health Department has
measured, June 16-30, almost
41% of new cases were among
county residents in their 50s.
Another 18% were people
in their 40s, and almost 14%
were in their 60s or in their
20s.
The average number of
vaccinations given in Baker
County has plummeted since
a series of clinics at Baker
High School in February,
March and early April.
The county administered
3,034 doses — 26% of its total
doses — on just fi ve days dur-
ing that period.
The county hasn’t given
more than 96 doses in any
day since June 11. The big-
gest daily number since then
was 39, on June 17, and the
county’s seven-day running
average of doses adminis-
tered has ranged from 17 to
20 since June 20.
Stephanie Johnson, a reg-
istered nurse from Richland,
said she has declined to be
vaccinated in part because
she has “essentially no risk of
dying.”
Johnson, 33, also said she’s
leery of taking a vaccine that
the federal government has
approved only for emergency
use, and for which no long-
term studies exist about the
potential side effects.
“I’m not anti-vax at all,”
Johnson said. “I personally
don’t want to be part of a
medical study.”
She said the COVID-19
vaccines are a “great option”
for people who are at a high-
er risk of becoming severely
ill if they’re infected.
But Johnson said she
doesn’t believe government
offi cials should try to “coerce”
people into being vaccinated.
“It’s a choice,” she said. “For
me, the risk is higher than
the benefi t. Medical deci-
sions should be between the
patient and provider.”
OF BAKER CITY
Grand Opening
Lunch
Hand Tool Sale
July 15th from 11AM - 2PM.
Hamburgers, Hot Dogs,
Sides, Sales!
20% off all hand tools
July 12th - 16th
SPECIALS
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Filter Sale
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