Oregon COVID-19 Cases Reaches New High Again, Third Time In Days

PORTLAND, OR — There were 6,203 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Oregon on Tuesday as the omicron variant continues driving the surge. It was around 1,500 more than had been reported the day before and the third all-time high set in less than a week.

The 6,203 bring to 441,648 the total number of cases reported since the pandemic began.

There were also nine new deaths, down from the 44 that had been reported on Monday. There have been 5,715 deaths since the pandemic began.

The Oregon Health Authority said that they've ordered 1.1 million more test kits that will be distributed starting next week after the first batch arrives at a warehouse in Wilsonville.

The dramatic rise in cases – more than 10,000 new cases reported in the first two days of the week – is also filling up the hospitals to dangerous levels.

In 12 of the state's 36 counties – Benton, Clackamas, Columbia, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Tillamook, Washington, and Yamhill –there are a combined total of 51 hospital beds available for adults.

That's 51 total beds – ICU beds and non-ICU beds – for adults in one-third of Oregon's counties.

Meanwhile, the OHA reports that the more than 6,000 cases were spread across 34 of the state's 36 counties.

Here's the county by county breakdown of new cases:

Baker (17), Benton (214), Clackamas (594), Clatsop (46), Columbia (49), Coos (136), Crook (37), Curry (5), Deschutes (716), Douglas (93), Gilliam (1), Grant (26), Hood River (37), Jackson (264), Jefferson (77), Josephine (89), Klamath (24), Lake (2), Lane (518), Lincoln (52), Linn (206), Malheur (14), Marion (395), Morrow (29), Multnomah (1268), Polk (94), Tillamook (29), Umatilla (218), Union (10), Wallowa (9), Wasco (23), Washington (874), Wheeler (3) and Yamhill (34).