PORTLAND, Ore. — There have been more than 23,000 known cases of COVID-19 in Oregon. Wheeler County, the state's least populous county with a population of 1,450 (as of 2018), is the only county in the state without a reported positive case or death from the virus.
Wheeler County, which was established in 1899, is located in northeast Oregon and is perhaps best known for the Painted Hills, a popular tourist destination at the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.
The town of Fossil, its county seat, has a population of 450 people. Other towns in Wheeler County include Spray (population 150) and Mitchell (population 125).
Wheeler County has conducted 145 COVID-19 tests, according to data from the Oregon Health Authority. That number represents 10% of the county population.
The county is in Phase 2 of Gov. Kate Brown's reopening plan for the state and students in Wheeler County, in the Mitchell, Spray and Fossil school districts, will be returning to school with in-person classes.
"Currently, Wheeler County is the ONLY county in Oregon in which schools are allowed to meet in person because our county has not had ANY positive COVID-19 cases," Mitchell School District Superintendent Vince Swagerty wrote in a letter to parents and students.
INTERACTIVE: Oregon coronavirus map
Other Oregon counties with similar populations to Wheeler County include Sherman (1,785) and Gilliam (1,985). Sherman has conducted 300 tests (16.8% of population), with 16 positive cases and no deaths and Gilliam has conducted 213 tests (10.7% of population) with four positive cases and no deaths.
Wheeler County's testing percentage is similar to Oregon's most populous counties. Multnomah County has conducted 111,289 tests, which reflects 13.7% of the county's population; and Washington County has conducted 71,738 tests, which reflects 11.8% of its population.
