A6 — BAKER CITY HERALD
SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2021
LOCAL & STATE
Delta variant driving COVID-19 surge in Oregon
By Gary A. Warner
Oregon Capital Bureau
The highly contagious
COVID-19 delta variant has
caused a steep increase in
the number of infections in
Oregon — but with different
impacts across the state.
“Oregon is open, but the
pandemic is not over,” said
Oregon Health Director Pat
Allen during a press call
Thursday, July 22.
COVID-19 infections by the
delta variant have doubled
in the past week, leading to a
new spike in total numbers.
OHA reported the number of
delta variant cases had risen
25% between Wednesday and
Thursday alone.
The delta variant now
accounts for over half of all
COVID-19 cases in Oregon
and is likely to rise, mirroring
the national average of 80%.
The statistics were rolled
out at OHA’s fi rst high profi le
press briefi ng since Gov. Kate
Brown ended statewide CO-
VID-19 restrictions June 30.
The rise in cases comes as
vaccinations in the state have
slowed to a trickle. While
about 2.4 million residents
have received at least one
shot of vaccine, Allen said the
latest daily number of new
inoculations was about 2,000.
That’s down from a peak of
over 50,000 on some days in
early April.
Allen said COVID-19 cases
are surging, up tenfold in the
past week. The delta variant
spreads up to 75% faster than
the original COVID-19 virus
that fi rst appeared in Oregon
in February 2020.
The spread of the virus is
not evenly spread throughout
Oregon as in earlier spikes,
OHA reported.
Allen singled out Umatilla
County, which reported 70
new cases but has vaccinated
just under 43% of eligible
adults.
In contrast, Washington
County, near Portland,
place since March 2020 and
renewed several times.
Allen said that getting
people to realize the gravity
of the pandemic and to make
An 83-year-old woman from Baker County, who died
their own choice to get vac-
March 25 at a hospital in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, was
cinated was going to work
the county’s 17th COVID-19-related death, the Oregon
best.
Health Authority (OHA) reported on July 21.
“I don’t care what you
In explaining the nearly four-month delay in reporting
think, you have to get vac-
the woman’s death, the OHA said that death certifi cates
cinated” was a message that
are sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Preven-
wouldn’t help anyone.
tion, and when the person dies when not in their home
Asked if any Republican
state the process can take longer to be reported to that
leaders in the state had
state.
stepped up to publicly push
“Her passing was reported to us almost four months
for vaccination, Allen said he
after the fact, and our condolences are certainly belated,
had had conversations with
but I want to take this opportunity to let her loved ones
many leaders of all political
know I’m deeply sorry and they are in our thoughts,”
views and it was up to them
Baker County Commissioner Mark Bennett said in a press
to decide their public role.
release.
“Let them speak for them-
The woman tested positive on March 17. Doctors have
selves,” he said, adding, “Who
not determined whether she had underlying medical
are the right messengers,
conditions, according to OHA.
what is the right message?”
The county’s 16th COVID-19-related death was a
Up until June 30, the state
59-year-old man who died on July 13, six days after
had decided the risk level
testing positive. He had underlying medical conditions,
for infection in each county
according to OHA.
and what restrictions should
His death was the fi rst related to COVID-19 reported in
be in place. Though Brown
Baker County since May 15.
offi cially disconnected the
The county’s infection rate has not risen as fast as the
risk analysis from state re-
statewide average over the past few weeks. Baker County
sponse, the statistics are still
reported 17 cases from July 1-15. The county’s test positiv-
reported each Monday.
ity rate for the two-week period ending July 17 was 2.1%,
Statewide, the percentage
compared to a statewide average of 3.8%.
of positive cases averaged
The county’s vaccination rate, by contrast, falls well
3.8% through the two-week
short of the statewide average. As of July 22, 46% of
period ending July 17. But
county residents 18 and older had been vaccinated. The
in Umatilla County, the
Oregon average is 68.2%. Baker County’s rate is lower
percentage was 12.4% and
than all but eight of Oregon’s 35 other counties, just
Morrow County was 14.4%.
behind Union County (46.9%) but ahead of several other
Baker County’s percentage
counties in the region, including Grant (42.4%), Uma-
was 2.1%.
tilla (42.7%), Malheur (37.5%), Harney (43.0%), Morrow
In contrast, Multnomah
(45.0%). Wallowa County has the highest vaccination rate
County — which includes
among Eastern Oregon counties, at 57.5%.
Portland — was 2%. Lane
— Jayson Jacoby
County — including Eugene
— was 2.9%. And Deschutes
County — including Bend —
require vaccinations.
Up in September if Uma-
was 3.4%. But OHA reported
Citing the “highly politi-
tilla County’s infection rates even these small percentages
cal” nature of the COVID-19 stayed at current levels, Allen were increases over the prior
debate, Allen said efforts to
demurred.
two-week periods going back
increase vaccinations had
“Two or three months in
to June 20.
to come from trusted local
the future are an eternity” in
OHA on Wednesday posted
sources, including civic and
the pandemic, he said.
an update showing the num-
faith leaders, as well as politi-
While transferring daily
ber of confi rmed cases of the
cal offi ceholders.
control of the pandemic re-
COVID-19 delta variant had
Asked directly if the state
sponse to counties, Brown has more than doubled, from 43
would step in to curb or
not lifted the state emer-
to 90, between reports on July
cancel the Pendleton Round- gency order that has been in 10 and July 17.
Baker County reports 17th
COVID-19-related death
Brooke Herbert/Oregonian fi le
A woman holds up her COVID-19 vaccination card.
“Oregon is open, but the pandemic is not over.”
— Pat Allen, director, Oregon Health Authority
reported 43 new cases and
has vaccinated 75% of eligible
adults.
“The pandemic is fading
for those that are vaccinated
— they can resume activities
with relative peace of mind,”
Allen said.
While signifi cantly more
contagious, the delta variant
has not been shown to be any
more virulent or able to break
through vaccines that have
been widely available since
spring.
While infections and hos-
pitalizations are rising, the
number of deaths is expected
to be capped well below levels
seen last winter when the
virus was rampant and no
vaccines were available.
Allen said that despite
Thursday’s press call to pub-
licize the extent of the delta
variant, there were no plans
for Brown or OHA to step in
and exert control over local
decisions.
While OHA was ready to
help with additional vaccine
and other supports, it is up to
county health departments
to take a measure of the
local impact of the virus and
for county commissioners to
decide what should be done.
Salem would not issue
edicts, but advice.
“Take action now,” Allen
said of counties with lagging
vaccination rates.
Allen pointed to state sta-
tistics showing that 15 out of
36 counties had started vac-
cinating less than half their
adult population. Statewide
the number is about 70%.
Dean Sidelinger, the state
health offi cer and chief
epidemiologist, said the jump
in infections should be a “red
alert” for those who have not
been vaccinated.
“You are at higher risk now
than you were earlier in the
pandemic and you are put-
ting the people around you at
risk,” Sidelinger said.
Not moving to increase vac-
cination levels would mean
the shadow of the pandemic
would continue in communi-
ties, schools, workplaces and
gatherings.
“The virus looms large,”
Sidelinger said.
OHA again said it was hop-
ing for increased persuasion
and for local infl uential indi-
viduals and political leaders
to take action. There were no
plans for new mandates, or
to tell employers they should
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