Gov. Brown declares state of emergency to address spread of COVID-19; 7 new presumptive cases identified

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    PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) — Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has declared a state of emergency as COVID-19 continues to spread in Oregon.

On Sunday, Brown along with Oregon Health Authority officials announced seven new presumptive cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of people in the state who have tested positive for the virus to 14.

Of the new cases, one is in Douglas County, one is in Marion County, and five are from Washington County, according to OHA.

Officials say the three of the cases were hospitalized at the time they were diagnosed, while the remaining four cases experienced mild symptoms and illnesses and are recovering at home.

None of the seven new cases are related to international travel.

Four of the five new cases in Washington County are related to contact with previous identified cases, OHA said. The remaining three cases are considered community-acquired.

OHA says contact investigations have begun to identify anyone who may have been in close contact with the new cases.

Brown said Sunday’s emergency declaration gives the OHA and Office of Emergency Management all the resources at the state’s disposal to stem the spread of COVID-19.

She says the state of emergency will remain in place for 60 days but can be extended until public health threat from the virus is contained.

It activates Oregon’s reserves of emergency volunteer health care professionals, which Brown says will be particularly important for rural Oregon where access to medical care can be limited.

The move also gives “broad authority” to the state public health director, OHA, and OEM to take immediate action and devote all available state resources to containing the virus.

OHA says those include:

Finalizing agreements with major hospital systems to expand locations where COVID-19 tests can be conducted safely
Preparations to mobilize Oregon’s medical reserve corps to provide emergency support for vulnerable populations.
Expanding telemedicine so patients can be screened, evaluated and treated by health care providers without coming into a clinic or hospital emergency department.
Convening providers who serve older adults and vulnerable populations to mobilize an aggressive outreach and prevention strategy to protect at-risk people.
Seeking additional funding to support Oregon’s response efforts.
OHA says the legislature on Monday will consider a $5 million emergency funding request to fight COVID-19 in Oregon.

Health officials say the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified people most at risk from severe illness from COVID-19 as older adults and people who have severe chronic medical conditions such as heart, lung, or kidney disease.

They recommend older adults and people with underlying conditions to take the following steps to stay safe and healthy:

Minimize contact with people who may be ill.
Avoid large public gatherings.
Order prescriptions by mail.
Take daily precautions: wash your hands frequently, don’t touch your anywhere on your face and clean surfaces.
Health officials say most people with COVID-19 have mild symptoms. If you are feeling sick with mild symptoms and do not need to seek medical care, stay home while you recover. If you are sick and plan to seek care, call before going in for care so arrangements can be made to prevent exposing others.

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