Oregon coronavirus update, Jan. 20: 10,034 new cases, 8 deaths
To provide our community with important public safety information, the Statesman Journal is making this daily update related to the coronavirus free to read.
We'll update this story with the latest news about coronavirus and its effects in Oregon on Thursday, Jan. 20.
10,034 new cases, 8 deaths
The Oregon Health Authority reported an additional 10,034 cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, along with eight deaths.
Marion County accounted for 1,073 cases, while Polk County had 226.
Of those whose deaths were reported, none were from Marion or Polk counties.
The health authority's weekly report shows a rise in cases over the past week, and a slight decline in hospitalizations and deaths.
OHA reported 52,337 new cases of COVID-19 during the week of Jan. 10, through Jan. 16, an 11% increase from the previous week and another weekly high for the pandemic.
There were 441 new COVID-19 hospitalizations, down from 486 last week and 83 reported COVID-19-related deaths, a decrease from the 113 reported the previous week.
Hospitals worry about staffing, beds
Officials are sounding the alarm on staffing shortages and lack of beds across Oregon hospitals.
An unprecedented spike in hospitalizations is on the horizon as the omicron variant continues to sweep the state, and the lack of available hospital beds is pushing the system to a breaking point, said Becky Hultberg, president and CEO of the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems, said Thursday.
Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 aren't as sick as they were with the delta variant, but the sheer number of patients, exacerbated by a lack of staffing and discharge challenges has the potential to overwhelm the health care system, she said.
Forecasting released earlier this month from Oregon Health and Science University predicts a late-January peak of 1,652 people with COVID-19 taking up hospital beds in Oregon. That would be 30% higher than the delta variant's hospitalization peak of 1,200 people in September.
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Hospitals statewide were treating 981 patients with COVID-19, including 142 in intensive care unit beds.
The state's adult ICU bed capacity is at 93% and non-ICU bed capacity is at 94%.
The normal capacity for hospitals is between 60 and 70%, Hultberg said.
Between staff who are have left the profession and those who are out sick, hospitals are in a much worse position with staffing than they were at any other point during the pandemic, Hultberg said.
Nationally, one in five health care workers has quit their job during the pandemic. Hultberg did not provide exact data for Oregon but said the state is on par with national trends.
The staffing shortages are causing hospitals to rely on contract staff, an expensive and unsustainable option, Hultberg said.
The state is also relying on Oregon National Guard members, who started their second hospital relief mission Tuesday with approximately 500 soldiers and airmen supporting 40 hospitals throughout the state.
The number of service members will increase to 1,200 by the end of January. They will be responsible for serving in non-clinical hospital roles for about a month.
Statewide, hospitals are also facing challenges with discharging patients to other long-term care and recovery facilities, Hultberg added.
As of Thursday, Oregon hospitals have 582 patients who are ready to be discharged but have no place to go. Examples of these patients are those with payer issues, behavioral health challenges and unhoused populations.
Additionally, 229 patients across the state are waiting for emergency department beds to free up, she said.
Hultberg pointed to a national blood shortage and a limited supply of monoclonal antibodies, which help fight the virus, as another challenge.
COVID-19 patients at Salem Health
Coronavirus patient numbers at Salem Health on Thursday, Jan. 20:
91: Total COVID-19 inpatients, 46 unvaccinated.
9: COVID-19 patients in the ICU.
1: COVID-19 patients on a ventilator.
COVID-19 by the numbers statewide
Here's the most recent data from the Oregon Health Authority, as of Thursday, Jan. 20:
5,916: People who have died from COVID-19.
559,960: Total cases of COVID-19.
981: COVID-19 patients in hospitals.
Oregon COVID-19 cases by county
Here are the number of cases, both tested positive and presumptive, and deaths as of Thursday, Jan. 20:
Baker: 2704 cases, 40 deaths.
Benton: 11,068 cases, 46 deaths.
Clackamas: 48,986 cases, 458 deaths.
Clatsop: 3617 cases, 37 deaths.
Columbia: 5,795 cases, 66 deaths.
Coos: 8,365 cases, 128 deaths.
Crook: 4561 cases, 62 deaths.
Curry: 2574 cases, 41 deaths.
Deschutes: 36,867 cases, 225 deaths.
Douglas: 16,164 cases, 323 deaths.
Gilliam: 224 cases.4 death.
Grant: 1374 cases, 18 deaths.
Harney: 1304 cases, 34 deaths.
Hood River: 2,823 cases, 38 deaths.
Jackson: 33,824 cases, 411 deaths.
Jefferson: 5,666 cases, 70 deaths.
Josephine: 12,992 cases, 291 deaths.
Klamath: 11,033 cases, 178 deaths.
Lake: 1157 cases, 23 deaths.
Lane: 42,887 cases, 397 deaths.
Lincoln: 5,195 cases, 62 deaths.
Linn: 20,085 cases, 221 deaths.
Malheur: 6,871 cases, 96 deaths.
Marion: 54,229 cases, 568 deaths.
Morrow: 2,526 cases, 26 deaths.
Multnomah: 92,679 cases, 935 deaths.
Polk: 11697 cases, 112 deaths.
Sherman: 233 cases.3
Tillamook: 2,897 cases, 54 deaths.
Umatilla: 19,183 cases, 190 deaths.
Union: 4088 cases, 65 deaths.
Wallowa: 972 cases, 13 deaths.
Warm Springs: 0 cases, 0 deaths.
Wasco: 3848 cases, 50 deaths.
Washington: 67,637 cases, 461 deaths.
Wheeler: 172 cases, 2 deaths.
Yamhill: 13,663 cases, 168 deaths.
Virginia Barreda is the breaking news and public safety reporter for the Statesman Journal. She can be reached at 503-399-6657 or at vbarreda@statesmanjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at @vbarreda2.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon coronavirus update, Jan. 20: 10,034 new cases, 8 deaths
