The number of newly identified coronavirus cases declined in Oregon for a fifth week in a row Monday, pushing average daily cases 36% below the summer summit.
Oregon recorded about 10,400 cases in the past week, a 9% drop from a week earlier. That includes the 3,286 cases announced Monday by the Oregon Health Authority for the preceding three days.
State health officials Monday also reported eight COVID-19-related deaths.
Oregon’s summer coronavirus rise and autumn decline generally mirror the national trend. But the highly transmissible delta variant proved especially troublesome for Oregon, producing the state’s highest case counts and hospitalizations of the pandemic, and the second-highest number of deaths.
While confirmed and presumed infections have been falling for weeks, the rates of weekly declines have been modest, ranging from a high of 11% to just 2%. The winter and spring peaks produced much steeper drop-offs, with new infections falling more quickly.
New forecasts suggest the number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals will remain above pre-summer surge levels into December.
Where the new cases are by county: Baker (10), Benton (78), Clackamas (258), Clatsop (24), Columbia (50), Coos (48), Crook (27), Curry (3), Deschutes (324), Douglas (60), Gilliam (1), Grant (10), Harney (11), Hood River (48), Jackson (153), Jefferson (44), Josephine (49), Klamath (54), Lake (4), Lane (275), Lincoln (28), Linn (236), Malheur (34), Marion (333), Morrow (8), Multnomah (477), Polk (41), Sherman (2), Tillamook (7), Umatilla (80), Union (46), Wallowa (20), Wasco (39), Washington (320), Wheeler (3) and Yamhill (81).
Who died: Oregon’s 3,816th COVID-19-related death is an 85-year-old Washington County man who tested positive Sept. 11 and died Sept. 25 at Portland VA Medical Center.
The 3,817th fatality is an 80-year-old Washington County man who tested positive Aug. 9 and died on Aug. 17 at Providence Milwaukie Medical Center.
Oregon’s 3,818th death is a 93-year-old Linn County woman who tested positive Sept. 12 and died Sept. 17 at his residence.
The 3,819th fatality is a 60-year-old Linn County woman who tested positive Sept. 16 and died Sept. 30 at Salem Hospital.
Oregon’s 3,820th death is a 65-year-old Josephine County man who tested positive Sept. 17 and died Sept. 30 at Asante Three Rivers Medical Center.
The 3,821st fatality is a 56-year-old Jackson County man who tested positive Aug. 20 and died Sept. 26 at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center.
Oregon’s 3,822nd death is a 90-year-old Curry County woman who tested positive Sept. 10 and died Oct. 1 at her residence.
The 3,823rd fatality is a 74-year-old Coos County man who tested positive Sept. 13 and died Sept. 27 at Oregon Health & Science University Hospital.
Each person had underlying health conditions or officials were determining if conditions were present.
Hospitalizations: 769 people with confirmed COVID-19 infections are hospitalized, down 23 since Friday. That includes 207 people in intensive care, down 16 since Friday.
Vaccines: 8,149 people have been reported newly vaccinated since Friday.
Since it began: Oregon has reported 334,971 confirmed or presumed infections and 3,823 deaths, among the lowest per capita numbers in the nation. To date, the state has reported 5,160,576 vaccine doses administered, fully vaccinating 2,523,987 people and partially vaccinating 224,466 people.
To see more data and trends, visit https://projects.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/
— Brad Schmidt; bschmidt@oregonian.com; 503-294-7628; @_brad_schmidt