Oregon coronavirus update, Jan 13: Free COVID-19 tests available starting Wednesday

Bill Poehler, Salem Statesman Journal
·4 min read
The novel coronavirus, or COVID-19.
The novel coronavirus, or COVID-19.

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 Friday, Jan. 14.

Free at-home COVID-19 tests available Wednesday

Ordering for free at-home COVID-19 tests will start Jan. 19 by the federal government.

Four free tests will be available at covidtests.gov and are expected to ship about a week after being ordered.

Pres. Biden vowed prior to Christmas that the country would buy 500 million rapid tests and distribute them free of charge.

On Thursday, Biden announced he would purchase an additional 500 million tests for Americans.

Six more in Marion County die from COVID-19

Five more people from Marion County have died from COVID-19, according to the Oregon Health Authority, bringing the county's total number of confirmed deaths among residents to 563.

They include:

  • A 59-year-old man who tested positive Jan. 14 and died the same day.

  • An 85-year-old woman who tested positive Dec. 26 and died Jan. 2 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

  • A 48-year-old woman who tested positive Dec. 22 and died Jan. 7 at Salem Hospital. She had underlying conditions.

  • A 42-year-old man who tested positive Dec. 20 and died Jan. 5 at Silverton Hospital.

  • A 64-year-old man who tested positive Dec. 29 and died Jan. 9 at Santiam Hospital.

  • A 68-year-old man who died Dec. 2 in his residence.

The county has had the second highest number of deaths in the state from COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. Only Multnomah County has had more.

State updates contact tracing at schools

Oregon will no longer consider masked contact with an individual with COVID-19 in school settings, including school busses, to be an exposure.

The new recommendation is to allow the schools to focus on spread elsewhere in schools, according to the Oregon Health Authority.

They will still have to perform contact tracing in unmasked lunchrooms and during unmasked extracurricular activities.

Also, schools will no longer be required to report negative antigen tests to the OHA.

State reports 8,672 new cases

There were 8,672 new cases of COVID-19 reported Friday by the Oregon Health Authority. The state has had a cumulative total of 513,391 cases of the coronavirus reported since the beginning of the pandemic.

The state reported 13 more deaths, bringing the death toll from the disease to 5,883.

Marion County had 787 new cases announced Friday for a cumulative total of 49,401 cases since the start of the pandemic. Polk County had 202 new cases for a total of 10,645 cases.

People hospitalized with COVID-19 in Oregon continued to rise Thursday with 811 in beds across the state, an increase of 34 from Wednesday.

In addition, 153 patients with the coronavirus were in ICU beds, an increase of nine from the day before.

The OHA reported there are 42 available ICU beds of 666 in the state and 222 available adult non-ICU beds of 4,122.

The state reported 20,623 doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state’s registry Thursday.

Of those, 1,870 were first doses, 1,170 were second doses and 8,011 were third doses. The state is averaging 16,382 per day.

COVID-19 patients at Salem Health

Coronavirus patient numbers at Salem Health on Friday, Jan. 14:

  • 82: Total COVID-19 inpatients, 52% unvaccinated.

  • 7: COVID-19 patients in the ICU.

  • 4: COVID-19 patients on a ventilator.

COVID-19 by the numbers statewide

Here's the most recent data from the Oregon Health Authority, as of Friday, Jan. 14:

  • 5,883: People who have died from COVID-19.

  • 513,391: Total cases of COVID-19.

  • 811: 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 Friday, Jan. 14.

  • Baker: 2,539 cases, 38 deaths.

  • Benton: 9,697 cases, 46 deaths.

  • Clackamas: 44,561 cases, 456 deaths.

  • Clatsop: 3,380 cases, 37 deaths.

  • Columbia: 5,391 cases, 66 deaths.

  • Coos: 7,775 cases, 128 deaths.

  • Crook: 4,192 cases, 62 deaths.

  • Curry: 2,370 cases, 40 deaths.

  • Deschutes: 33,443 cases, 225 deaths.

  • Douglas: 15,408 cases, 320 deaths.

  • Gilliam: 222 cases, 4 deaths.

  • Grant: 1,285 cases, 17 deaths.

  • Harney: 1,283 cases, 34 deaths.

  • Hood River: 2,621 cases, 38 deaths.

  • Jackson: 30,926 cases, 48 deaths.

  • Jefferson: 5,253 cases, 70 deaths.

  • Josephine: 12,202 cases, 284 deaths.

  • Klamath: 10,268 cases, 178 deaths.

  • Lake: 1,115 cases, 23 deaths.

  • Lane: 38,990 cases, 396 deaths.

  • Lincoln: 4,710 cases, 60 deaths.

  • Linn: 18,319 cases, 217 deaths.

  • Malheur: 6,520 cases, 95 deaths.

  • Marion: 49,401 cases, 563 deaths.

  • Morrow: 2,352 cases, 26 deaths.

  • Multnomah: 85,133 cases, 935 deaths.

  • Polk: 10,645 cases, 112 deaths.

  • Sherman: 228 cases, 3 deaths.

  • Tillamook: 2,713 cases, 54 deaths.

  • Umatilla: 17,684 cases, 190 deaths.

  • Union: 3,870 cases, 65 deaths.

  • Wallowa: 879 cases, 13 deaths.

  • Wasco: 3,693 cases, 50 deaths.

  • Washington: 61,187 cases, 460 deaths.

  • Wheeler: 165 cases, 2 death.

  • Yamhill: 12,414 cases, 168 deaths.

Source: Oregon Health Authority

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon COVID-19 update: Free tests available starting Wednesday