On Wednesday, July 28th, the CDC recommended people begin wearing masks indoors again, including fully vaccinated individuals.  

Governor Kate Brown directed the Oregon Health Authority and the Oregon Department of Education to create a rule to require masks indoors for K-12 schools statewide for the 2021-22 school year, as well as mandating all state employees (regardless of vaccination status) in any indoor state agency space to wear face coverings; the requirement also applies to visitors and customers who enter state agency indoor spaces.

Vaccination rates for the state slowed even further in the past week as the state sat at 68.2% vaccinated last week, and to date, now sits at 68.8% an increase of .6% in the past week, and a total of 1.0% in the past 2 weeks. Oregon Health Authority, said Friday, July 17th, that the fully vaccinated are well protected from COVID, including the delta variant.

The Oregon Health Authority has reported a total of 179 Delta variant cases, an increase 89 new cases in the state with Oregon’s coastal counties leading the way with almost 60% of all Delta variant cases in the state  according to the Oregon Health Authority.

As of Friday, July, 30th, the state of Oregon had tested 5,624,307 individuals, an increase of 78,161 individuals in the past week and now 5,283 more than the week prior. Over 1,413,028 more people than the states 4,289,440 population have now been tested and of that, 5,385,857 have tested negative for the novel COVID-19 virus and 316,611 have tested positive. Oregon has recorded 5,957 new cases in the past week, and 219,755 total cases. Individuals hospitalized rose to 221 hospitalizations statewide in the past week, and now stands at 12,334. In the past week 22 deaths were recorded statewide, and Oregonians who have unfortunately succumbed to COVID-19 has now reached 2,858 in the entire state since the pandemic began.

Curry County’s latest numbers as reported Friday July 24th, by the Oregon Health Authority, now reports testing 14,285 individuals with 13,367 negative tests, 718 total positive COVID-19 tests and after adding 36 new cases in the last week according to the latest data from the Oregon Health Authority and has recorded 791 total cases and 12 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.

Del Norte County Department of Health and Human Services reported testing 15,945 individuals, with 14,277 negative results, after adding 25 new cases in the past week now reaching 1,668 total confirmed cases reported by Public Health, with 115 active cases, 4 current hospitalizations and 8 deaths.

Coos County to the north, reported testing 57,980 individuals last week with 55,213 negative results, adding 34 new cases in the past week with now 2,767 total positive cases and 39 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.

Josephine County has seen significant increases in recent weeks has reported testing 99,336 individuals with 94,249 negative results, 5,087 total positive test results adding 257 new cases in the past week with now 4,169 total cases of COVID-19 and now 75 deaths.

Jackson County, which includes the Medford area, with a total population of 221,290, reports testing 279,451 individuals, 58,161 more people than the counties total population, with 260,155 negative test results, 19,296 positive results, and 12,709 total cases of COVID-19 with now 156 deaths as of Friday, July 30th.