Oregon reports 331 new confirmed cases of coronavirus

On Thursday, the Oregon Health Authority confirmed 331 new known cases of COVID-19 alongside two additional fatalities.

At the time of writing, the number of known cases in Oregon sits at 15,713, with 273 deaths.

According to Oregon Health Authority, the new cases are in the following counties: Clackamas (18), Columbia (three), Coos (three), Crook (one), Deschutes (18), Douglas (13), Hood River (one), Jackson (eight), Jefferson (three), Josephine (three), Klamath (13), Lake (one), Lane (12), Lincoln (five), Linn (three), Malheur (10), Marion (39), Morrow (four), Multnomah (77), Polk (13), Tillamook (one), Umatilla (39), Wasco (six), Washington (33), and Yamhill (four).

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“Oregon’s 273rd COVID-19 death is a 79-year-old woman in Marion County who tested positive on July 8 and died on July 21, at Salem Hospital. She had underlying conditions,” writes the OHA.

“The projections show the need for Oregonians to continue to wear face coverings, stay six feet apart and limit the size of social gatherings to bend the curve again. These actions, along with the recent measures put in place by Gov. Kate Brown, will make a difference in the course of COVID-19 in our state.”

Oregon’s newly expanded face covering ordinance is now in effect, which mandates that all Oregonians wear masks when in public if a distance of six feet cannot be maintained. This includes indoor and outdoor spaces. Today, the mandate was extended to children above the age of five.

The restrictions in an executive order passed down by Governor Brown have recently seen loosening. Instituting a new phased reopening plan, the state will reevaluate how to approach the coronavirus on a county-by-county basis as businesses look to reopen.