Oregon Omicron Case Count Tiny, Surge Expected, COVID Deaths Rise

PORTLAND, OR — It's been two days since the Oregon Health Authority delivered the news that the omicron variant of COVID-19 had arrived. Three cases – two in Washington County and one in Multnomah County had been diagnosed.

While no others have yet been reported and the three that have, make up just .0016 percent of all cases this week – well below the national average of 3 percent, officials expect a surge.

"We're on the edge here, the lead data scientist at OHSU and the director of their Office of Advanced Analytics, Peter Graven, Ph.D, said. "The delta variant remains high in Oregon.

"If omicron turns out to cause severe illness and hospitalization, we would see serious strain on hospital resources."

Dr. Peter Sidelinger, the state's health officer and state epidemiologist, urged people to get vaccinated if they haven't already.

"Vaccines continue to be our most effective tool in our ongoing response to pandemic," he said. "All of the vaccines now authorized for people ages 5 and older in the United States provide protection from COVID-19 infection and illness, including the more transmissible variants.

"We continue to ask all Oregonians who have not received a shot to get vaccinated as quickly as they can, and for those who already started their vaccine series, to get their next shot or schedule a booster as soon as they are able."

Meanwhile, on Tuesday OHA reported that another 907 people across the state have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and another 39 people have died.

Officials say that even though COVID-19-related hospitalizations decreased slightly for the second straight day, hospitals are at nearly capacity. Around Oregon, 90 percent of all ICU beds for adults and 95 percent of non-ICU beds for adults are full.

Only three of Oregon's 36 counties didn't report new cases on Tuesday.

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

Baker (3), Benton (8), Clackamas (63), Clatsop (25), Columbia (5), Coos (23), Crook (12), Curry (7), Deschutes (39), Douglas (51), Gilliam (3), Grant (12), Harney (3), Hood River (5), Jackson (63), Jefferson (5), Josephine (36), Klamath (18), Lake (2), Lane (68), Lincoln (8), Linn (45), Malheur (4), Marion (90), Morrow (3), Multnomah (128), Polk (28), Tillamook (13), Umatilla (16), Union (2), Wasco (2), Washington (87), and Yamhill (30).