Snow and ice conditions in parts of Oregon caused the state’s coronavirus tests and case numbers to plummet on Monday, with less than 200 new daily cases reported for the first time since September 28.
The significant decline in new cases is the direct result of a dramatic reduction in testing. State officials have announced the results of less than 5,000 tests, which is about a third of the typical daily volume in recent weeks.
In all, state officials reported only 184 new cases and zero deaths on Monday.
Likewise, the number of vaccines recently administered has also dropped dramatically, with major vaccination sites in Portland closed over the weekend because of slippery roads. State officials said fewer than 6,700 new doses had been administered in the past few days, equal to figures reported about a month ago.
Although conditions in the Portland area are improving rapidly with rising temperatures on Monday, state officials have warned that shipments of new doses of vaccines from the federal government may be delayed.
“Bad weather and poor travel conditions are expected to delay shipments of the vaccine this week,” the Oregon Health Authority said in a tweet. “OHA will provide updates on delays as the situation evolves.”
Where the new cases are by municipality: Benton (7), Clackamas (7), Columbia (1), Crook (1), Curry (3), Deschutes (24), Douglas (13), Harney (4), Jackson (6), Jefferson (4), Josephine (4), Klamath (1), Lake (5), Lane (26), Linn (1), Malheur (1), Marion (6), Multnomah (23), Polk (3), Umatilla (3), Union (5), Washington (30), Yamhill (6).
Deaths: State officials have reported no further deaths.
The prevalence of infections: The state reported 185 new positive tests out of 4,926 tests performed, equaling a positive rate of 3.8%.
Who was infected: Information on confirmed or suspected infections by age group is not available because Monday is a public holiday.
Who is in the hospital: The state reported 210 Oregon residents with confirmed coronavirus infections at the hospital on Monday, three fewer than Sunday. Of those, 53 patients with coronavirus were in intensive care units, an increase from Sunday.
Vaccines: Oregon reported that 683,887 doses of the vaccine were administered, or about 77% of the doses received. Oregon reported 6,693 new doses administered, which include 3,650 on Sunday and the rest of the previous days.
Since it started: Oregon reported 150,464 confirmed or suspected infections and 2,137 deaths, among the lowest per capita numbers in the country. To date, the state has reported 3,411,860 test lab reports.
– Brad Schmidt; [email protected]; 503-294-7628; @_brad_schmidt