The State of the Coronavirus in Oregon
Description
On Monday, everyone 16 and older became eligible to schedule a vaccine appointment, which is good news for folks who do not like living through a pandemic. But the bad news is, the pandemic is far from over. Recent data suggests that case numbers are increasing in 89 countries, including in the United States, where we’re currently seeing twice as many cases as in the past month.
In Oregon, even though nearly one million Oregonians, or 23 percent, are fully vaccinated, we’re seeing similar data.
“As of today OHA has reported 173,626 COVID-19 cases in Oregon," says state epidemiologist Dean Sidelinger. “But recent data are troubling, showing that the virus is again on the march throughout our state, sickening our friends and neighbors. Daily cases, hospitalizations, our positive case rate, and, sadly, COVID-19 deaths are all on the upswing. Daily cases of COVID-19 have more than doubled in just over a month, increasing from a seven-day moving average of 249 on March 6, to a daily average of 595 cases.”
So today on Footnotes, we wanted to talk a little bit about recent coronavirus news and how it affects Oregon. From the Johnson & Johnson pause, to vaccine hesitancy, to herd immunity, this is the state of the coronavirus in Oregon.
Guests
- Dean Sidelinger, Oregon state epidemiologist
- Patrick Allen, director at Oregon Health Authority
- Chunhuei Chi, professor of international health at Oregon State University
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