November 5, 2020
PORTLAND, Ore. — COVID-19 has claimed five more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 710, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.
Oregon Health Authority reported 805 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today bringing the state total to 47,839.
“COVID-19 is spreading in Oregon at an unprecedented rate, driven in no small measure by in-person, indoor social gatherings. You are most likely to get COVID-19 from your family and friends,” said Governor Kate Brown. “Let me be clear: we cannot allow this disease to continue to spread so rapidly in our communities. Lives are at stake. Oregonians have made tremendous sacrifices to help each other throughout this pandemic, which is why Oregon has done relatively better than many other states at containing COVID-19. We can’t let up now. I will take further action to stop the spread of COVID-19, and I need Oregonians to continue to do their part as well.”
Governor Brown, State Health Officer Dean Sidelinger and Rachael Banks, Public Health Director at OHA, will speak to the media at a press conference tomorrow, Friday, Nov. 6. Time and more details to come.
“Today’s high case count, combined with recent high counts, continue to show that COVID-19 is spreading more rapidly in Oregon than we had hoped,” said Dean Sidelinger, state health officer at OHA.
“Our data on the cases reported today is incomplete, as the case investigations are in process. But the case data from the past several days and weeks continue to show that the increased spread is driven through small informal gatherings and not due to large workplace or other outbreaks. Oregon’s sporadic cases, those not traced to a source, are also increasing. The percentage of tests that come back positive are rising – up to 8.5% last week. All this data leads us to conclude that Oregonians are circulating more in their communities and letting their guard down more and doing so as the weather turns colder, and they are spending more time indoors. Our tools to manage such spread rely on Oregonians getting more strict with themselves: not gathering or attending parties of any kind, wearing face coverings when outside the household, and physically distancing at all times.”
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (13), Benton (7), Clackamas (71), Clatsop (1), Columbia (7), Coos (2), Crook (4), Deschutes (45), Douglas (10), Grant (5), Hood River (2), Jackson (67), Jefferson (4), Josephine (9), Klamath (1), Lane (37), Lincoln (1), Linn (24), Malheur (18), Marion (79), Morrow (3), Multnomah (196), Polk (8), Umatilla (26), Union (7), Wallowa (1), Wasco (6), Washington (134), and Yamhill (17).
Oregon’s 706th COVID-19 death is a 74-year-old man in Clackamas County who tested positive on Nov. 2 and died on Nov. 3 at Providence Portland Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.
Oregon’s 707th COVID-19 death is an 86-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Oct. 14 and died on Nov. 2 at Legacy Mt. Hood Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.
Oregon’s 708th COVID-19 death is a 62-year-old woman in Douglas County who tested positive on Oct. 14 and died on Nov. 4 at Mercy Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.
Oregon’s 709th COVID-19 death is an 80-year-old woman in Douglas County who tested positive on Oct. 8 and died on Nov. 4 at Mercy Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.
Oregon’s 710th COVID-19 death is a 75-year-old man in Crook County who tested positive on Oct. 29 and died on Oct. 17 in his residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.
Stay informed about COVID-19:
Oregon response: The Oregon Health Authority leads the state response.
United States response: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention leads the U.S. response.
Global response: The World Health Organization guides the global response.