Oregon has seen a record high number of COVID-19 cases in the past few weeks, and projections show that the number of cases could continue to skyrocket if Oregonians don’t change their individual actions.
New modeling by the Oregon Health Authority on Friday, Oct. 16 shows the COVID case count in Oregon is expected to jump from 345 each day to 570 each day by Nov. 5 if transmission continues at its current rate. Additionally, since most coronavirus cases go undetected, officials estimate the actual number of Oregonians infected each day would be around 2,200.
If the rate of transmission continues to increase over the next three weeks, the number of new cases each day could double to 740 – around 3,400 Oregonians infected each day, whether cases are identified or not.
Despite recent projections, the Oregon Health Authority hasn’t released any new restrictions, and instead continued to emphasize the importance of physical distancing, wearing masks, avoiding large groups, and washing your hands.
Some argue additional action should be taken to reduce the spread of COVID in the state, including closing bars and prohibiting indoor dining at restaurants. Yet, health officials said Oct. 16 that they don’t have evidence of coronavirus spreading in bars or dining rooms in Oregon.
In contrast, however, a September study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that those who tested positive for COVID were twice as likely to have dined in a restaurant.
State health official Dr. Dean Sidelinger said cases could drop within the coming weeks if Oregonians avoid risky COVID behaviors. But with colder weather and Halloween approaching, it could be much easier said than done.
There has been a total of 38,935 COVID cases reported in Oregon, along with 617 deaths. Benton County has been on Gov. Brown’s watchlist since Oct. 2, and currently has a total of 416 cases.
By Jada Krening
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