As omicron wave moves west, COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the Mid-Valley

Mike Stucka
·3 min read

New coronavirus cases increased 7.1% in Oregon in the week ending Sunday as the state added 57,501 cases. The previous week had 53,691 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Oregon ranked 34th among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows.

In the latest week, coronavirus cases in the United States decreased 14.9% from the week before, with 4,770,122 cases reported. With 1.27% of the country's population, Oregon had 1.21% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 27 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.

Investigation: Dozens of long-term care facilities in Oregon have had three or more outbreaks of COVID-19

Many counties did not report during data during the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, disrupting the current and previous weeks' statistics. Week-to-week comparisons are skewed and these numbers will be unreliable even as they're accurate to what states reported.

Marion County reported 6,048 cases and seven deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 4,388 cases and nine deaths. Throughout the pandemic, it has reported 55,435 cases and 570 deaths.

Medical staff with Salem Health work to test patients for COVID-19 at Salem Health Lab on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022 in Salem, Ore.
Medical staff with Salem Health work to test patients for COVID-19 at Salem Health Lab on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022 in Salem, Ore.

Polk County reported 1,315 cases and three deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 1,050 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic, it has reported 11,966 cases and 115 deaths.

Within Oregon, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Jefferson County with 2,539 cases per 100,000 per week; Deschutes County with 2,069; and Umatilla County with 2,064. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.

Adding the most new cases overall were Multnomah County, with 9,032 cases; Washington County, with 7,731 cases; and Marion County. Weekly case counts rose in 23 counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Marion, Lane and Jackson counties.

>> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases

Oregon ranked 20th among states in share of people receiving at least one shot, with 75.7% of its residents at least partially vaccinated. The national rate is 75.5%, a USA TODAY analysis of CDC data shows.

In the week ending Sunday, Oregon reported administering another 125,306 vaccine doses, including 30,545 first doses. In the previous week, the state administered 99,257 vaccine doses, including 18,893 first doses. In all, Oregon reported it has administered 7,180,124 total doses.

Across Oregon, cases fell in 12 counties, with the best declines in Multnomah County, with 9,032 cases from 10,721 a week earlier; in Washington County, with 7,731 cases from 8,736; and in Clackamas County, with 4,914 cases from 5,253.

>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States

In Oregon, 53 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 122 people were reported dead.

A total of 570,892 people in Oregon have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 5,936 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States, 70,700,678 people have tested positive and 866,540 people have died.

Hospital admissions rising

USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, Jan. 23.

Likely COVID-19 patients admitted in the state:

  • Last week: 1,462

  • The week before that: 1,351

  • Four weeks ago: 673

Likely COVID-19 patients admitted in the nation:

  • Last week: 188,864

  • The week before that: 197,883

  • Four weeks ago: 99,261

Hospitals in 25 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 22 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 30 states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.

The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control. If you have questions about the data or the story, contact Mike Stucka at mstucka@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon COVID-19 update: Cases rise in state as omicron wave moves west