As Omicron cases increase, state leaders promote vaccines, boosters and masking to blunt the spread

As Omicron COVID-19 cases continue to set new records in Oregon, leaders from Oregon Health Authority (OHA), Oregon Department of Education (ODE) and Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) urged people to get vaccinated and boosted and to practice safety measures, during a joint press conference Jan. 7, 2022. Read on for more.

Help hospitals by avoiding the emergency room if possible

New high-volume vaccination site opening in Coos County

• Opening Sat., Jan. 8
• Pony Village Mall, 1611 Virginia Ave., North Bend
• Outdoor drive-through clinic
• Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Several counties throughout Oregon have high-volume vaccination sites that offer a free, convenient way to get vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19. All three COVID-19 vaccines, boosters and pediatric doses are offered at these sites, and no insurance or appointments are required. Next weekend, on Sat., Jan. 15, another high-volume vaccination site will open at Spirit Mountain Casino in Grand Ronde. Keep an eye on our regularly-updated list of these sites across Oregon. 

Oregon reports 10,451 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 33 new deaths

Due to delayed reporting, a large volume of more than 10,000 backlogged electronic laboratory reports (ELRs) were received on Jan. 6. Results were from Dec. 6 to Dec. 30. As a result, test counts and case counts are higher than anticipated for Jan. 6.

We want to keep you informed about COVID-19 in Oregon. Data are provisional and change frequently.

• Samples for 619,297 tests have been reported positive.
• Samples for 8,275,301 tests have been reported negative. 

State continues march toward goal of boosting a million more people in Oregon

Oregon continues to move closer to meeting Gov. Kate Brown’s goal, announced Dec. 17, of getting 1 million more people in the state a booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of January.

When the challenge began, 949,749 people had received a booster dose. Since then, 259,984 more Oregonians have received a booster.

As of today, Oregon needs 740,016 people to get a booster to reach the goal and make our state safer from the Omicron variant. Find a booster here.

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 625, which is 37 more than yesterday. There are 119 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is nine more than yesterday.

There are 47 available adult ICU beds out of 660 total (7% availability) and 219 available adult non-ICU beds out of 4,075 (5% availability).

Note: Please do not visit an emergency department for COVID-19 testing, unless you require emergency care for your symptoms.

Emergency departments in Oregon are under significant strain. You can find a test here. If you have a medical condition that doesn’t require emergency care, contact your provider. An urgent care center may also help you get the care you need and will save emergency departments from added strain.

More information about hospital capacity can be found here.