PORTLAND, Ore. — Cases of COVID-19, a new strain of coronavirus, began popping up in the United States in January. On Feb. 28, the first case in Oregon was reported.
We will post a new blog every day that tracks the daily changes in Oregon and Southwest Washington as we get them. CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LATEST UPDATES
As of Thursday evening:
- Oregon: 64 deaths, 1,736 cases, 33,351 tests (31,688 negative) Latest Oregon numbers
- Washington: 583 deaths, 11,152 cases, 128,900 tests (117,748 negative) Latest Washington numbers
- United States: 33,284 deaths, 671,331 cases Latest U.S. numbers
- World: 144,243 deaths, 2,158,250 cases Latest global numbers
11:15 p.m.
- Oregon high school students won’t receive letter grades for classes they took in the latter half of this academic year but will instead be marked as passing their courses or earn an incomplete for the term. Learn more
- American Red Cross asking COVID-19 survivors to donate convalescent plasma. Learn more
- Portland photographer captures images of social-distancing families through their windows. Learn more
9:15 p.m.
- In the wake of widespread layoffs and furloughs, a coalition of seven independent health care clinics and groups across Oregon and Southwest Washington are pressing federal and state officials for help. They say Oregon Governor Kate Brown’s moratorium on elective and non-urgent procedures is pushing them to the brink of permanent financial ruin. Learn more
- Oregon's nearly $700 million seafood industry has taken a big hit. For the people who fish, the distributors, and the restaurants, Gov. Brown's stay-home order has been costly. Learn more
6:45 p.m.
- For the first time, we are hearing from the family of the man who was the first confirmed COVID-19 patient to die in Oregon. Family members describe 70-year-old Lynn Bryan as a kindhearted man who loved horses and loved to dance. Learn more
- Federal money to provide loans for small businesses has run out. The U.S. Small Business Administration processed 14 years' worth of loans in less than 14 days, totaling more than $311 billion. Learn more
- A handful of strip club owners are suing the federal government, which says they're not eligible to apply for federal stimulus loans because of the businesses they run. Congress approved small business loans totaling $350 billion in late March under the Small Business Administration, but the loans exclude a niche of businesses -- including strip clubs. Learn more
- Like many food banks, the North County Community Food Bank in Battle Ground is especially busy. And new volunteers are stepping in to help. Learn more
5:30 p.m.
- Scammers are trying to cash in on people waiting for their stimulus checks. Know this: If you don't have direct deposit, your check has not been mailed yet, and it may not arrive for weeks or even months. Learn more
4:35 p.m.
- Gov. Kate Brown said Oregon will waive the “waiting week” for jobless claims. The change will be applied retroactively to workers who have already filed for benefits. The switch could provide more than $100 million in additional benefits. Learn more
- Have you heard about contact tracing? It's a process you may soon start hearing a lot about in Oregon and other states, as leaders look for pathways to reopening closed economies. Learn more
- The Oregon Department of Human Services filed a scathing review of the conditions at a Southeast Portland nursing home where at least nine residents, and possibly more than 14, have died from COVID-19 during the pandemic. Learn more
1:25 p.m.
- The Oregon Health Authority reports six more deaths and 73 new coronavirus cases. There is now a total of 1,736 cases in the state, including 64 people who have died. Learn more
12:45 p.m.
- Residents and local leaders question whether the same stay-home rules should apply to harder-hit urban centers and rural communities that have very few coronavirus cases. Learn more
- KGW speaks with two employment experts, Worksystems' Roland Chlapowski and Jesse Aronson, to get answers to your unemployment questions. Learn more
10:30 a.m.
- Another 53,800 Oregonians filed for unemployment benefits last week, according to statistics released by the Oregon Employment Department. There have been 296,800 Oregonians have filed unemployment claims in the past four weeks. Learn more
7:45 a.m.
- Another 5.2 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week, according to data released this morning by the federal government. About 22 million Americans have sought jobless benefits in the past month, easily the worst stretch of U.S. job losses on record. It means that roughly one in seven workers have lost their jobs in that time. Oregon's unemployment numbers will be released later today. Learn more
- U.S. students including those in Oregon will pay a staggering academic toll from the prolonged coronavirus-induced school shutdown, new research conducted in Portland based on 5 million test scores indicates. Learn more
- Washington Gov. Jay Inslee affirmed the current stay-at-home order will remain in place through May 4, and raised the possibility it could be extended. Learn more
- President Trump said the United States "has passed the peak" on new cases. He said he will have a discussion Thursday with governors and announce new guidelines for various states to open sooner than the May 1 deadline. Learn more