Oregon state health leaders took every opportunity to alert the public that the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over. That warning takes on a new weight this week as the state and country prepare for a possible fourth wave of infections.
“It is clear that in Oregon and across the country, the fourth outbreak of the virus is on our doorstep,” said Governor Kate Brown during a news conference on Friday.
Brown characterized the current moment of the pandemic COVID-19 as a “race” between vaccines and the virus. Inoculations are increasing, but so are infections and hospitalizations. The severity of a fourth wave depends on which one rises the fastest.
The governor and public health officials said earlier that the daily case count would increase as public confidence increased and adherence to precautions such as masking and social detachment decreased. This prediction has largely come true.
Oregon recorded 28% more cases of COVID-19 this week than the week before. Coronavirus-related hospitalizations also increased 17% in March.
This means that nearly a fifth of Oregon’s adult population has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and nearly a third has received at least one dose.
Many social restrictions eased at the start of the second year of the pandemic. Children are returning to school. Restaurants, bars and gyms are receiving more customers. However, state epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger said on Friday that the county’s risk levels – and the associated restrictions – could rise again with increased transmission of the virus.
“Just because we were vaccinated does not mean that we can still go back to pre-pandemic life,” said Sidelinger.
Oregon will also expand vaccine eligibility again in an effort to get more vaccines.
Frontline workers will be eligible for statewide consultations on Monday, and many Oregon counties have already started vaccinating them. The governor announced on Friday that the relatives of these workers will also be eligible. Subsequently, an advisor specified that the extended eligibility would generally apply to people who live in the same household as a frontline employee, but not to relatives who live in different families than the eligible worker.
Also eligible for vaccination as of Monday are Oregon residents aged 16 and over with underlying health problems. The state is expanding its list of conditions to match the list of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Oregon’s updated list now includes current smokers and ex-smokers, which the state has so far excluded.
Oregon has reported more than 166,000 cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic and almost 2,400 associated deaths.