PORTLAND, Ore. — Cases of COVID-19, a new strain of coronavirus, began popping up in the United States in January. The first case in Oregon was reported on Feb. 28.
We post a new blog post 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 Monday evening:
- Oregon: 75 deaths, 1,956 cases, 40,045 tests (38,089 negative) Latest Oregon numbers
- Washington: 652 deaths, 12,085 cases, 141,011 tests (128,926 negative) Latest Washington numbers
- United States: 42,335 deaths, 787,370 cases Latest U.S. numbers
- World: 170,324 deaths, 2,477,426 cases Latest global numbers
REAL-TIME UPDATES
11:30 p.m.
- An antibody study in Oregon plans to answer big questions about COVID-19. Antibody tests can help estimate how many people in a population have been infected, and it can help figure out how many cases were asymptomatic or went undiagnosed. Learn more
- Small business owners frustrated by Paycheck Protection Program loan process. Learn more
- When customers started wearing masks due to the coronavirus, it created an unexpected communication barrier for a deaf Trader Joes employee. His co-workers stepped in to help him communicate with customers. Learn more
9:15 p.m.
- Gov. Kate Brown and her administration is working on a plan to reopen Oregon, although a time frame has not been determined. A draft report provides insight on what the three-phase plan could look like. Learn more
- President Donald Trump tweeted that he will be temporarily suspending immigration into the United States because of the coronavirus pandemic but offered no further details. Learn more
- If you have any dollars to spare from that stimulus check, here are some ideas for how to spend it, and help people around Oregon at the same time. Learn more
- Local coffee shops are making sure we don't have to go without our cup of joe, even though that means some big changes on their part. Learn more
7:20 p.m.
- KGW has learned thousands of COVID-19 tests are going unused each week in Oregon. Learn more
- Iconic Portland toy store Finnegan's Toys & Gifts has been around for a long time. And despite closing down over coronavirus concerns, it is doing what it can to stay afloat. Learn more
6:45 p.m.
- In response to Republican leaders calling for an easing of social and economic restrictions in rural areas, Gov. Brown's office said it appears certain parts of the state will reopen before others, but a time frame as to when that will be was not given. Learn more
- The Columbia Theatre, a staple of the St. Helens community, had to stop showing movies last month. But they've figured out a way to bring something of a movie experience to the street outside. Learn more
5:40 p.m.
- Under a projection from the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Oregon could consider easing social distancing guidelines the week of May 25. Learn more
- Washington reports 18 more deaths and 295 new coronavirus cases. There has been a total of 12,085 known coronavirus cases in the state, including 652 people who have died. Learn more
3:50 p.m.
- Oregon officials are crediting early action and luck to curbing the spread of the coronavirus in the state. Oregon is one of only five states expected to have the fewest COVID-19 deaths per capita as the peak reaches each state. Learn more
- The areas that Portland Parks & Recreation closed last month to support social distancing will now remain closed until June 6, the bureau announced Saturday morning. In Vancouver, many parks department closures will stay in place through July 31. Learn more
- Celebrity couple Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis announced they were launching an Oregon pinot noir “quarantine wine” with 100% of profits going to COVID-19 relief efforts. Learn more
- A bill introduced by Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) looks to cancel rent and home mortgage payments nationwide for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic. The Rent and Mortgage Cancellation Act would establish full rent payment forgiveness, with no build-up of debt for renters or homeowners, regardless of income. The legislation would also establish a relief fund for landlords and mortgage holders to cover losses from the canceled payments. Learn more
1 p.m.
- Thousands of Oregon hair stylists are turning to a petition to get back to work, one client at a time, by April 27. So far more than 34,000 people have signed it. Learn more
- Oregon Senate Republicans want portions of the state's economy to start reopening and they plan on "ramping up pressure" on Gov. Brown to do so. Learn more
- Hundreds of people protested Gov. Brown's stay-at-home order Friday evening outside a shuttered Redmond City Hall. They shook hands, they hugged and they passed a microphone around to several speakers, openly defying the governor's order. Learn more
12:45 p.m.
- The Oregon Health Authority has reported one more death, bringing the state's death toll to 75. They also report 47 new cases, bringing the number of known cases in Oregon to 1,956. Learn more
11 a.m.
- The Oregon National Guard has begun rapid distribution of about 400,000 pieces of personal protective equipment to long-term care centers around the state, Gov. Kate Brown announced. Learn more
7:55 a.m.
- An Oregon native is an ER doctor on the front line of the fight against coronavirus in New York City. Mary McLean, a Sunset High School grad with Beaverton roots, is sending a message back to her West Coast community: we need to learn from her new East Coast home. "It's been really difficult to convey how serious it's been here in New York City," McLean told KGW. Learn more
- Some Oregon parents and students are upset over the state's pass/incomplete grading system that is being implemented as part of its distance learning guidelines. A group has started a petition to ask that students have the option to be assessed a letter grade, while keeping the pass/incomplete system for students who want it. Learn more
- In Washington state, protesters descended on the state capitol on Sunday afternoon to rally against Gov. Jay Inslee's stay-at-home order that is in effect in Washington until at least May 4. Learn more