Nearly 19,000 New COVID-19 Cases In Oregon Reported This Weekend

LAKE OSWEGO, OR — The Oregon Health Authority reports that while the number of new cases of COVID-19 reported over the past three days didn't approach the record high of more than 10,000 set last Thursday, there were still thousands of new cases each day. There were 18,538 new cases Friday through Sunday.

There were also 18 more deaths.

OHA says that there have been 478,203 cases since the pandemic began and 5,779 Oregonians have died.

The rise in cases is also driving a rise in hospitalizations. As of Monday morning, there are 692 people in the hospital with COVID-19 related illnesses, a jump of 33 from the day before. That's still around 40 percent less than the high during last summer's surge.

Hospitals across the state only have 7 percent of their beds for adults available.

While the omicron variant is considered less serious than delta, officials say it is still quite serious, pointing to the fact that in five days ending Monday morning, the number of patients on ventilators nearly doubled – to 53 from 27.

The omicron surge is also driving more people to get tested.

On Friday, 51,996 people were tested, the third-highest since the pandemic began.

OHA says that the 18,538 new cases was split between Friday 8,156), Saturday (6,292), and Sunday (4,090) and were divided among 34 of the state's 36 counties.

Here's the county by county breakdown:

Baker (28), Benton (600), Clackamas (1926), Clatsop (95), Columbia (146), Coos (214), Crook (73), Curry (91), Deschutes (1337), Douglas (136), Grant (8), Harney (5), Hood River (86), Jackson (898), Jefferson (181), Josephine (202), Klamath (84), Lake (1), Lane (1367), Lincoln (67), Linn (448), Malheur (33), Marion (1366), Morrow (46), Multnomah (4393), Polk (267), Sherman (1), Tillamook (53), Umatilla (214), Union (102), Wallowa (10), Wasco (25), Washington (3781) and Yamhill (254).