Coronavirus updates Wednesday: 48 new cases in Lane County, one new death
For the second time this week, Lane County government on Wednesday reported a record high amount of infectious COVID-19 cases — and officials are predicting a surge ahead.
Earlier in the week, officials warned that small gatherings of mostly younger people were still managing to spread the virus. Now, the county is seeing further spread.
"It'll only get worse probably for the next three to four weeks," Jason Davis, Lane County Public Health spokesman, said. "Those initial surges — even if we're able to really drill down on a specific community, a specific age group and a specific behavior — have a ripple effect."
On Wednesday, 143 people were reportedly infectious, meaning that number of people are within 10 days of their symptom onset and are considered by officials as capable of passing on the virus. The previous record was on Monday, when the county reported 125 infectious cases.
The agency reported 48 new presumptive and confirmed COVID-19 cases Wednesday — also a one-day record — raising the total of known cases to 1,071.
A third of new cases are from young people, county says
While public health officials on Tuesday reported Lane County had nine fewer infectious cases of COVID-19 than Monday's count, they remain concerned about growing numbers.
"Lane County has had very low numbers relative to other large counties in Oregon. We've done a great job, but we need to actually double down now," Jocelyn Warren, division manager at Lane County Public Health, said at a Tuesday press conference. "There's been more infectivity in the county than there has been previously, so please be aware of that, please wear your masks and please take care of each other."
On Monday, the county reported 125 infectious cases of the virus, meaning that number of people are within 10 days of their symptom onset and are considered by officials as capable of passing on the virus.
On Tuesday, the count of infectious cases lowered slightly to 116. Fourteen more cases were reported and eight people in Lane County are hospitalized for the virus. Fifteen have died and there have been 1,023 total confirmed and presumptive cases.
Even small groups can lead to large spread
"I think one of the things that's most concerning for us is that we're seeing outbreaks in many different settings," Warren said.
Small social gatherings appear to be the source of many of the recent cases. Warren said about a third of new cases are from people between 20 and 30 years old.
Jason Davis, a spokesperson for the county, said at the press conference the jump in cases can't be blamed on big parties. He said that well-intended people are having small gatherings, but when the gathering gets comfortable, masks come off and the space between people shrinks.
He told The Register-Guard on Monday that it's understandable that people want to spend time together and that the cost of distancing is not the same for everyone.
"This will be a sacrifice, and that sacrifice will be harder felt for some people than other people, especially if you experience various forms of mental health issues, especially if you're feeling isolated," Davis said.
He recommends that people continue to make efforts to reach out to their community, friends and family, but in ways that keep social distancing measures in mind. Staying outside, keeping masks on, keeping groups sizes small and moving to virtual meetups when possible are some of the tips Davis shared.
He said those who are less impacted by the isolating effects of the pandemic should reach out to the people in their community who are more impacted.
"That piece of thinking beyond yourself and thinking how you can make life better for others is what will get us through this and will help soften the edges and the corners of some of the hardships that COVID has brought," Davis said.
— Tatiana Parafiniuk-Talesnick
FDA to impose higher standard for emergency authorization of vaccine
The Food and Drug Administration, whose autonomy has been questioned amid repeated interference from the Trump administration, will impose a higher standard for emergency authorization of a coronavirus vaccine in an effort to gain public trust, the Washington Post reported. The new requirement would make it highly unlikely a vaccine would be available before the Nov. 3 election, contrary to what President Donald Trump has predicted.
Vaccine manufacturers will have to follow participants in Stage 3 clinical trials for at least two months after they receive a second shot of the vaccine candidate, the newspaper said. Surveys have shown many Americans are skeptical a new coronavirus vaccine would be safe and effective, with as many as half the respondents saying they would not get the immunization if it were available today.
The FDA granted emergency authorization to hydroxychloroquine and convalescent plasma, two treatments for the virus touted by Trump but questioned by public health experts.
Notre Dame postpones game over positive tests
Seventh-ranked Notre Dame halted all its football activities and postponed Saturday's road game at Wake Forest after seven Irish players tested positive for the coronavirus. Notre Dame said in a statement that 13 players are in isolation, with 10 in quarantine. The schools may reschedule the game for Oct. 3, an open date for both.
"We managed an increase in positivity rates in August, and the players handled it wonderfully,'' Irish coach Brian Kelly said in a statement. "We knew COVID would present challenges throughout the season, and we'll always put student-athlete health and safety at the forefront of our decision making.''
-- Eddie Timanus
200,000 in US dead as widely available vaccine still months away
The U.S. death toll reached 200,000 on Tuesday as states grapple with opening schools, restaurants, gyms and other small businesses. In March, President Donald Trump said keeping the death toll between 100,000 to 200,000 people would have indicated that his administration had “done a very good job.” As the number has continued to climb and a vaccine available to the masses does not appear imminent, Trump has sought to reshape the significance of the death tally.
“If we didn’t do our job, it would be three and half, two and half, maybe three million people,” Trump said Friday, leaning on extreme projections of what could have happened if nothing was done to fight the pandemic. “We have done a phenomenal job with respect to COVID-19.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi scheduled a moment of silence Tuesday in memory of the 200,000-plus Americans killed by COVID-19.
– Adrianna Rodriguez
California opens testing to all
With turnaround times for coronavirus tests in California down to an average of 1.2 days, the state no longer sees a need to prioritize who gets tested. State Health Secretary Mark Ghaly said Tuesday that California is urging counties to open the screenings to anyone who wants them, including people without symptoms.
Ghaly also said nail salons, which Gov. Gavin Newsom pinpointed as the origin of the state's initial outbreak, will be allowed to open, although the final decision will be up to the county health departments. On Monday, California officials said the state's positivity rate had dipped below 3% for the first time, down to 2.8%.
Nicole Hayden, Palm Springs Desert Sun
Trump blasts WHO, says China 'unleashed this plague onto the world'
President Donald Trump on Tuesday used his speech to the United Nations General Assembly to call on the global organization to hold Beijing accountable for the coronavirus pandemic, saying China "unleashed this plague onto the world." Trump said China locked down domestic travel while allowing flights to leave China and infect the world. Trump again referred to COVID-19 as the "China virus" and berated the World Health Organization, which the U.S. has begun withdrawing from, for being "virtually controlled by China."
Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke shortly after Trump, calling for global cooperation and saying "any attempt of politicizing the issue or stigmatization must be rejected."
– Courtney Subramanian
North Carolina may soon allow fans in stadiums
College and professional sports teams in North Carolina may be allowed to host a few thousand fans in outdoor stadiums as soon as Oct. 2, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper said Tuesday, adding that the decision would hinge on the state's coronavirus numbers continuing to improve or remaining flat.
Places that can seat more than 10,000 people outside would be able to operate at 7% of capacity while adhering to the recommended 6 feet of physical distancing, Cooper said.
Outbreak at immigration center forces mass testing
Hundreds of detainees and staff at one of the largest federal immigration detention centers in the country are being tested for the coronavirus amid an outbreak.
As of Sunday, 53 of 394 people had tested positive for COVID-19 at the 1,940-bed Adelanto ICE Processing Center in San Bernardino County, California, according to a court filing citing Gabriel Valdez, assistant field office director of enforcement and removal operations for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE previously designated 20 of those 53 people as being at greater risk of complications from COVID-19 due to their age and preexisting medical conditions.
"I'm afraid of dying here," Jose Ricardo Viveros Rodriguez said in Spanish. Viveros Rodriguez, 72, has diabetes and high blood pressure and went on a hunger strike to raise awareness of the risk he faces at the facility.
Rebecca Plevin, Palm Springs Desert Sun
Study: Up to 70% of KN95 masks from China don’t meet filter standards
The KN95 mask is meant to filter out 95% of aerosol particles. However, the nonprofit patient safety organization ECRI issued an alert against the masks after an analysis found that up to 70% of the KN95s imported from China did not meet these filtration standards. U.S. hospitals were forced to purchase hundreds of thousands of KN95 masks produced in China over the past six months. ECRI tested nearly 200 masks from 15 different manufacturer models purchased by some of the largest health systems in the country. There was not only variability among the different brands but also inconsistencies among masks made by the same manufacturer.
“We are concerned about the safety of health care workers and patients when using KN95s in high-risk procedures and that’s why we sent out the hazard alert,” said Dr. Marcus Schabacker, ECRI’s president and chief executive officer. “We don’t use this lightly; we reserve that for immediate risk.”
– Adrianna Rodriguez
Ex-White House task force member says Trump's views were 'frightening'
Former White House coronavirus task force member Olivia Troye says “it was frightening” when President Donald Trump said the virus would disappear "like magic."
Troye, an ex-aide to Vice President Pence, told NBC News’ "TODAY" show the task force was aware of how big COVID-19 would be in late January, before the first U.S. death. Troye said the president appeared dismissive of the virus.
“He said, 'When you're a politician, you have to shake a lot of hands. You have to shake a lot of hands. And these people are disgusting. It's gross. And so maybe, COVID'S probably a good thing, right? I don't have to shake hands. I don't have to do that anymore.'”
Pence has described Troye as a disgruntled employee while Trump says he does not remember ever meeting her.
Goodell on $100K fines for NFL mask violations: 'You can't let up'
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says he has no qualms about harshly penalizing coaches who violate the NFL’s protocols mandating that they wear face masks while roaming the sidelines. The NFL on Monday fined three coaches – San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan, Denver’s Vic Fangio and Seattle’s Pete Carroll – at $100,000 each for disregarding the policy. Their respective teams were docked $250,000 apiece.
“It’s consistent with the message,” Goodell told USA TODAY Sports. “You can’t let up. We’ve got to consistently do the things that have gotten us to this place and not think, ‘OK, things have gone so well, so it’s OK now.’ It’s not. You’ve got to stay on your toes and we’ve got to continue to be disciplined.”
– Jarrett Bell
Fauci laments 'confused messages,' politicization of public health protocols
Dr. Anthony Fauci's appearance on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah" on Monday night was no laughing matter. Fauci denied having any political agenda and lamented the politicization taking place over public health protocols for combating COVID-19. He also acknowledged and decried the "confused messages" coming from the Trump administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"What has evolved now is that people almost take sides, like wearing a mask or not is a political statement, and that’s really very unfortunate, totally unfortunate," Fauci said. "This is a purely public health issue. It should not be one against the other.”
Historian sees irony in cancellations of Mayflower anniversary events
Many of the art exhibits, festivals and lectures planned to mark the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower's arrival at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, have been delayed or canceled because of coronavirus concerns, a development historian Elizabeth Fenn finds ironic. Disease introduced by traders and settlers – either by happenstance or intention – played a significant role in the “conquest” of Native people.
“The irony obviously runs quite deep,” says Fenn, a history professor at the University of Colorado who has studied disease in Colonial America. “Novel infections did most of the dirty work of colonization.”
Boo! CDC says trick-or-treating is ill-advised
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released updated guidelines highlighting different levels of risk for Halloween fun.
Pumpkin carving at home or outside at a distance from others, participating in a virtual costume contest or having a "scavenger hunt-style trick-or-treat search" at home are all considered lower risk.
Moderate-risk activities include leaving grab-and-go goodie bags outside for trick-or-treaters, having a small, outdoor and socially distant costume parade and visiting a one-way, socially distant haunted forest with masks (greater distance is advised "if screaming will likely occur").
The CDC recommends avoiding higher-risk activities such as traditional trick-or-treating and indoor costume parties or haunted houses.
– Erin Jensen
By the numbers: COVID-19 cases in Oregon
Reported by Oregon Health Authority, updated at 12 a.m. Friday.
Case investigations
30,342: Total cases confirmed by test and presumptive cases
521: Total deaths
28,871: Tests that are positive
599,080: Tests that were negative
627,951: Total number of tests given
Cases by age group
0 to 9: 1,419 (5%)
10 to 19: 3,115 (10%)
20 to 29: 6,580 (22%), 3 deaths
30 to 39: 5,369 (18%), 4 deaths
40 to 49: 4,971 (16%), 11 deaths
50 to 59: 3,861 (13%), 35 deaths
60 to 69: 2,431 (8%), 82 deaths
70 to 79: 1,479 (5%), 135 deaths
80 and older: 1,103 (4%), 251 deaths
Not available: 14 (0%)
Sex
Female: 15,666 cases (52%), 222 deaths (43%)
Male: 14,585 cases (48%), 299 deaths (57%)
Non-binary: 3 case (0%), 0 deaths
Not available: 88 cases (0%), 0 deaths
Hospitalized
Hospitalized: 2,356 (8%)
Not hospitalized: 24,970 (82%)
Not provided: 3,016 (10%)
Source: Oregon Health Authority
Directories of open local businesses, including those doing delivery, take-out
The Eugene and Springfield chambers of commerce are compiling listings of local businesses that are open and the modified ways they are offering their goods and services to make it easier for people to support them while staying home.
Read the full story, including links to the lists, here.
Closures, cancellations and postponements