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
BY THE NUMBERS
As of Friday afternoon:
- Oregon: 137 deaths, 3,470 cases, 89,444 tests (85,974 negative) Latest Oregon numbers
- Washington: 992 deaths, 17,951 cases, 273,303 tests (255,352 negative) Latest Washington numbers
- United States: 86,851 deaths, 1,432,045 cases Latest U.S. numbers
- World: 306,051 deaths, 4,516,360 cases Latest global numbers
REAL-TIME UPDATES
6:30 p.m.
- Seaside and Astoria reopened today here's how it went.
6 p.m.
- TriMet will begin requiring riders to wear face coverings, among other changes as it begins to slowly allow more riders. Learn more
- The state is allocating $8.5 million to help people who have lost income during the COVID-19 pandemic pay their rent. Learn more
5:40 p.m.
- Business owners in Old Town are seeing an increasing number of tents on the sidewalks. The number of violent and destructive incidents is also rising, they are concerned about the safety of their businesses and potential clients are they consider reopening. Learn more
- Casinos reopening in Oregon will be operating a little differently. Learn more
5 p.m.
- Washington County's board of commissioners on Friday approved a plan to reopen. The county expects to apply and get approval from Gov. Kate Brown’s office to enter Phase 1 of reopening by early to mid-June. Learn more
- Gigantic Brewing in Southeast Portland has adapted during the pandemic by "driving around like the local milkman" to make home beer deliveries and keep business afloat. Learn more
2:30 p.m.
- Kroger, which owns Fred Meyer, announced on Friday it will be giving front-line workers a one-time “thank you pay” bonus. The move comes after the company decided to end its “hero bonus." Learn more
1:30 p.m.
- While many counties in Oregon began Phase 1 of reopening on Friday, Multnomah County is still likely weeks away. Here's why. Learn more
- Oregon health officials reported zero new COVID-19 deaths in the state for the fifth time this month. Oregon’s death toll remains at 137 people. Learn more
11:35 a.m.
- Retail stores across Oregon are reopening Friday, but with new safety guidelines. Here’s what you should expect. Learn more
10:30 a.m.
- The owner of a Salem salon that reopened last week in defiance of Gov. Kate Brown’s stay-home order has been fined $14,000. Learn more
- Two motel owners in Pacific City are suing Tillamook County, saying coronavirus restrictions that stopped their businesses from fully operating in the last two months violate their constitutional rights. Learn more
- Having a COVID-19 vaccine by January is “a stretch goal,” but the head of the National Institutes of Health is gearing up for a master experiment to rapidly tell if any really work. Learn more
7:00 a.m.
- All Oregon stores can open to shoppers again today, as long as they aren't in a mall and they follow state COVID-19 health guidelines. Learn more
- Yesterday, Gov. Kate Brown and the Oregon Health Authority gave the go-ahead to 31 of 33 counties that applied to enter Phase 1 of the state’s reopening plan. And the three Portland metropolitan area counties - Clackamas, Washington and Multnomah counties, may be weeks away from applying for the status. Two counties, Marion and Polk, were told to put their reopening plans on hold. Here's why. Learn more
- Another 14,100 Oregonians filed initial claims for unemployment benefits during the week of May 3 to May 9. With the new initial claims, 396,000 Oregonians have applied for unemployment since the coronavirus pandemic prompted business closures in mid-March. Learn more
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