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 Wednesday evening:
- Oregon: 101 deaths, 2,446 cases, 54,472 tests (52,026 negative) Latest Oregon numbers
- Washington: 801 deaths, 14,070 cases, 187,800 tests (173,730 negative) Latest Washington numbers
- United States: 60,876 deaths, 1,038,451 cases Latest U.S. numbers
- World: 227,535 deaths, 3,190,743 cases Latest global numbers
11:25 p.m.
- Oregon restaurants may be asked to consider keeping the names, contact information and dates of visits for patrons as part of the state’s effort to reopen parts of the economy during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a draft version of the plan obtained by The Oregonian/OregonLive. Learn more
- Rudy Thompson grew up outside Toledo, Oregon, where U.S. soldiers logged timber for WWI. He believes they brought the Spanish flu with them. Learn more
6:50 p.m.
- When you take your dog on a walk, don't let your social distancing guard down. The same goes for your indoor/outdoor cat. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it's best to take precautions and keep your pets away from other people and animals at this time. Learn more
- A California-based personal finance company predicts Oregon's unemployment numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic will far surpass numbers from the Great Recession between 2009 and 2012. "A little over twice as bad," said Doug Milnes of Money Geek. Learn more
- Everyone in Oregon who has died from COVID-19 has had an underlying condition. The most common underlying condition is heart disease, according to the Oregon Health Authority. Learn more
- Anyone looking to apply to any of the seven public universities in Oregon won’t have to submit their SAT or ACT test scores if they don’t want to due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more
5:30 p.m.
- Employees at several long-term care facilities hit hard by coronavirus sounded the alarm before the outbreak spread. The workers complained about a lack of masks, improper training and being forced to return to work despite having tested positive for COVID-19, according to records from the state Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Learn more
- With testing ramped up for current infections in Oregon, the next step will be testing to see if you ever had COVID-19 over the past couple months. Health officials say many of the antibody tests on the market right now are not reliable and could give people a false sense of protection from COVID-19. Learn more
- Most major Portland retailers, like grocery stores, have stopped accepting can and bottle returns during the coronavirus pandemic, in an effort to reduce the number of people in their stores. Learn more
- Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced today that the current order of stay-home and stay healthy will remain in effect after May 4. Inslee said the state is not ready to open back up. He said more information will be released on Friday about the phases that the state will reopen. Learn more
- A total of 16 employees at the Kelso, Washington, Foster Farms facility have now tested positive for the coronavirus. Foster Farms employs approximately 600 people in Kelso. Learn more
1:15 p.m.
- The Oregon Health Authority announced two additional deaths from the coronavirus, bringing the state's total to 101 since the outbreak began. A 75-year-old man died at his home on April 22, and a 71-year-old woman died while in the hospital on April 20. Both deaths were reported in Multnomah County. The agency also announced 61 new confirmed cases, pushing that total to 2,446. A total of 54,472 people have been tested, with 52,026 tests (95% of them) coming back negative. Learn more
12:45 p.m.
- The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is hoping to connect with the millions of Oregonians stuck at home during the coronavirus pandemic. The southern Oregon theater company launched its new digital platform, O!, where it expects to begin streaming previously staged performances as well as documentaries, behind-the-scenes footage, interviews and educational videos. Learn more
11:25 a.m.
- The experimental drug remdesivir from Gilead Sciences has proved effective against the new coronavirus in a major study, shortening the time it takes for patients to recover by four days on average, U.S. government and company officials announced Wednesday. Having a treatment could have a profound effect on the global pandemic, especially because health officials say any vaccine is likely a year or more away. Learn more
11 a.m.
- Portland woman Whitney Rutz has raised more than $28,000 for the Oregon Food Bank through selling giant cinnamon rolls she makes in her home. Susannah Morgan, the food bank’s CEO, said Rutz's unique way of raising money was an “amazing example” of people coming together to make a difference. Learn more
9 a.m.
- More Oregonians died the past month than is typical in mid-March and early April, according to data released by state health officials, but fewer than half the excess deaths were officially connected to coronavirus. It is unclear if other fallout from the pandemic, including a fear of seeking health care, played a rule in the other 167 deaths, and officials said the data is preliminary. Learn more
7:50 a.m.
- In its weekly report, the Oregon Health Authority listed the most common symptoms reported by people who have tested positive for COVID-19. The most common symptoms were cough, fever and muscle aches. Learn more
- Oregon’s state park system will likely remain closed through much of May, as officials keep parks closed to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. Learn more
- Oregon Gov. Kate Brown wants to see counties' detailed testing reports, including approval from public health leaders, before reopening areas of the state. Learn more
- The City of Portland will close 100 miles of streets to car traffic in an effort to create more space for people to walk, bike or run during the coronavirus pandemic while maintaining proper social distancing. Learn more
- A long-term care facility in Vancouver has seen 26 confirmed coronavirus cases in the past month, including seven deaths, according to health officials. Learn more
WATCH: KGW Q&A | YouTube playlist
RELATED: Real-time updates (nation-world): US virus recoveries near 116,000; GDP fell nearly 5% last quarter