x
Breaking News
More () »

Real-time coronavirus updates: Oregon mayors advise Gov. Brown statewide stay home order is necessary

COVID-19 is spreading in Oregon and Southwest Washington. We'll post updates here as we get them.

PORTLAND, Ore. — SEE THE LATEST DATA AND REAL-TIME UPDATES HERE

Cases of COVID-19, a new strain of coronavirus, began popping up in the United States in January. On Feb. 28, the first case in Oregon was announced.

Every few days, we will post a new blog that tracks the daily changes in Oregon and Southwest Washington as we get them. Click here to see updates from March 16-17

FACTS NOT FEAR: GET THE LATEST NEWS ON THE CORONAVIRUS

BY THE NUMBERS

As of Saturday morning:

SUNDAY, MARCH 22

11 a.m.

  • Clark County announces another new confirmed case of COVID-19
  • Governor Kate Brown orders stop to residential evictions during COVID-19 crisis. 
  • County Chairs of Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington Counties call for "Stay Home, Stay Healthy" executive order.

SATURDAY, MARCH 21

5 p.m.

  • Seaside, Oregon residents began a petition calling on its city leaders to declare a State of Emergency for the city.

1:30 p.m.

11 a.m.

  • Clark County announces three people have tested positive for novel coronavirus, COVID-19. These new cases bring the total number of COVID-19 cases in Clark County to nine.

7:20 a.m.

  • USA Track and Field joins call to postpone Tokyo Olympics. In a letter to the CEO of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, USA Track and Field CEO Max Siegel urged the federation to advocate for the postponement of the Games, which are to start July 24. Learn more

FRIDAY, MARCH 20

11 p.m.

  • Marion County reports a person has died from coronavirus. It's the first COVID-19-related death in the county and the fourth in Oregon. Learn more
  • The US-Canada border is closed to all non-essential travel. Commercial trade and health care workers can still cross. Tourism and family visits will be suspended. Learn more
  • Safeway and Albertsons have added safety measures to help shoppers and clerks avoid spreading the coronavirus. The pandemic has thrust grocery workers in a new light as they work to keep supermarkets open while facing their own safety risks. Learn more
  • If you're looking for companionship during this time of social distancing, pet adoptions resumed at the Oregon Humane Society. You can only adopt by appointment now. Learn more
  • How to care for young children has been a common question during the pandemic. KGW's Maggie Vespa asked your questions to a pediatrician. Learn more

7 p.m.

  • Gov. Kate Brown, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury held a joint press conference to say they are working on a "stay home, stay healthy" order which will ask people to stay home unless absolutely necessary to leave. Details of the plan, including whether it will be citywide, countywide or statewide will be worked out over the weekend. Learn more
  • Nine more deaths and 148 new coronavirus cases were reported in Washington. There is now a total of 83 deaths and 1,524 cases in the state. Learn more

2:30 p.m.

  • Oregon Gov. Kate Brown re-iterated she will not be calling for a statewide shelter-in-place order yet. When pressed on when she would issue an order, the governor said all Oregonians should be social distancing and isolating themselves if they are over 60. Learn more
  • The U.S.-Canada border closes tonight for all non-essential travel for the next 30 days, in a mutual response to the coronavirus pandemic. Learn more

12:30 p.m.

  • Oregon has 26 new cases of COVID-19, state health officials reported. The largest single-day increase in the number of cases so far brought Oregon's statewide total to 114, according to the Oregon Health Authority. Three people have died. Learn more

12:00 p.m.

  • The Portland Police Bureau held a press conference over the phone answering questions about how PPB is preparing and handling the COVID-19 pandemic in Portland. Learn more

11:05 a.m.

  • Two more people have tested positive for novel coronavirus COVID-19 in Clark County, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases in the county to six. One case is a woman in her 60s and the other is a man in his 70s; neither had known contact with other confirmed cases. Both are quarantined and recovering at home. Learn more

10:30 a.m.

  • Mt. Hood Meadows announced it's closing for the rest of the season due to the coronavirus risk. "After much consideration and evaluation of the current COVID-19 pandemic we have decided that it is in the best interest of our guests, our team and our community to suspend operations for the season," spokesman Dave Tragethon said. Learn more

8:00 a.m.

  • Oregonians are among thousands of Americans stranded in countries across the globe as nations restrict international travel and close borders to stop the spread of COVID-19. Oregon senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley have been working to aid Oregonians who are stranded abroad. Learn more

7:30 a.m.

  • Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced the Trump administration has decided to push the income tax filing date to July 15 from April 15. Learn more

6:15 a.m.

  • The Oregon Convention Center will transform into a 130-bed temporary coronavirus-related homeless shelter on Friday. Learn more
  • Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has ordered a temporary halt to elective surgeries and dental procedures in Washington to free up enough protective gear for medical staff working to treat coronavirus. Learn more
  • In national news, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said economic relief could be on the way for Americans impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. A family of four could receive $3,000 under the virus relief proposal. That's $1,000 per adult and $500 per child. Learn more

Overnight stories:

THURSDAY, MARCH 19

10 p.m.

  • An employee at the Northeast Glisan Fred Meyer store in Portland tested positive for the coronavirus last week. Fred Meyer did not tell customers or employees. Learn more
  • Businesses on the Oregon Coast are hurting as people who typically show up to the area for spring break aren't expected to come. The owner of The Waves motel in Cannon Beach estimates 60% of his reservations over the next three months have been canceled. Learn more
  • Day care centers in the area have not yet been a casualty of social distancing. There has been some pushback, an employee at Grandma’s Place Early Learning Center in Portland admitted, but they feel they're filling a valuable need. “We have people who work in hospitals and doctor’s offices and grocery stores, and all those services that most people just take for granted. Those employees are very appreciative that we're staying open,” said Molly Slough with Grandma's place. Learn more
  • Portland-area farmers markets are getting creative to serve customers. The new practices include drive-throughs and pre-orders. Learn more
  • Washington state has received 8,000 additional COVID-19 test kits from the U.S. Department of Human Services. The department also delivered more protective equipment. Learn more

6:15 p.m.

  • The president of the Oregon Association of Hospitals says she would support a statewide shelter-in-place order. Gov. Kate Brown has resisted making that order. Learn more
  • Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said the city drafted a shelter in place policy to try to prevent a massive spike of coronavirus cases in the city. The policy hasn't been enacted but Wheeler said he didn't want the city to be caught "flat-footed." Learn more
  • Eight more deaths and 189 new coronavirus cases were reported in Washington. There are now a total of 1,376 known cases in the state, including 74 people who have died. Learn more
  • The Oregon Convention Center in Portland will become a 130-bed homeless shelter amid the coronavirus pandemic. The center, owned by Metro, hasn't held events since March 12. Learn more

3:25 p.m.

  • Officials on Thursday announced the annual Rose Festival celebration in Portland has been put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic. This year’s festival was scheduled for May 22 to June 7. Learn more
  • Thanks to Oregon’s long-established vote-by-mail system, the state will proceed with the May 19 primary as planned, Oregon Secretary of State Bev Clarno told The Oregonian. Learn more
  • Oregon is setting up a 250-bed emergency hospital at the state fairgrounds in Salem to help increase capacity for an anticipated surge in coronavirus cases. The hospital should be operational by Friday and is part of an effort to increase by 1,000 the total number of hospital beds in the state. Learn more

Noon

  • Oregon has 13 new cases of COVID-19, state health officials reported Thursday morning. The statewide total is now 88 cases, according to the Oregon Health Authority. Three people have died. Learn more
  • Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced Thursday morning that, for now, she will not be instituting a shelter in place order for the state. She emphasized that Oregonians over the age of 60 or those with underlying health problems should, in effect, already be sheltering in place themselves. Learn more
  • Oregon is suspending overnight camping at state parks, forests and wildlife areas to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Day-use areas remain open to the public. Learn more

8:30 a.m.

  • Central Oregon food pantries are experiencing "the perfect storm" during the COVID-19 pandemic: They're losing volunteers who are in self-quarantine, losing donations from grocery stores where shelves are bare, and the demand for food has spiked due to layoffs. Learn more

7:10 a.m.

  • The Estacada School District is implementing virtual learning and providing free meals delivered on bus routes. The Oregon Department of Education says public schools can't switch to online classes unless everyone has access. But Estacada was able to send 800 middle and high school students home with Chromebook laptops, and kids without internet access got hot spots to take home.

6:30 a.m.

Other local stories from overnight:

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18

9:40 p.m.

  • Gov. Brown ordered Oregon’s higher education institutions to transition to online learning through April 28. The ban on in-person classes is the latest in a growing list of moves by the state to practice social distancing with the hope of curbing the spread of the coronavirus. Learn more
  • Unemployment claims in Oregon skyrockets as businesses lay off workers in the midst of the pandemic. The Oregon Employment Department said the number of initial unemployment insurance claims rose from about 800 on Sunday to 18,500 on Tuesday. Learn more
  • The Oregon Health Authority says its stockpile of personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies is running dry. Doctors have already used 28% of the N95 or respiratory masks, 63% of surgical masks and 83% of surgical gowns. It's enough to make people in other industries want to pitch in. Learn more

6:20 p.m.

  • The city of Portland is considering a shelter in place order to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. A spokeswoman for the office of Mayor Ted Wheeler said all options are on the table. Learn more
  • Gov. Brown ordered Oregon hospitals, clinics, dentists and veterinarians to stop non-emergency procedures to conserve protective gear. Learn more
  • Coronavirus testing was completed at a Lebanon, Oregon, veterans' home that has been the site of an outbreak. Of the 151 residents, 14 tested positive for COVID-19. Those positive tests have already been reported by the Oregon Health Authority. Learn more

4:30 p.m.:

  • Providence Health & Services will begin processing coronavirus tests at its lab, which can handle tests for as many as 500 to 600 patients a day. Learn more
  • New Seasons, Albertsons, Safeway and other stores set aside early hours in the morning for "vulnerable shoppers." Learn more
  • The Washington State Department of Health reported 14 new deaths among 175 new cases of coronavirus on Wednesday afternoon. The death toll is now 66 people among 1,187 total confirmed coronavirus cases in Washington state. Learn more
  • Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced he would implement a statewide moratorium on evictions for failure to pay rent for residential tenants for next 30 days. Learn more
  • Electric and natural gas utilities in Oregon will waive fees for late payments during the coronavirus outbreak. Learn more

2 p.m.

A student at Aloha High School has tested positive for COVID-19 and went to school while feeling sick during the week of March 9-13, according to the Beaverton School District. The district and Washington County Public Health are working to reach out to people who had close contact with the student. Learn more

12:20 p.m.

  • Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announces the state has signed a contract with a private provider to bring 20,000 more COVID-19 tests to Oregon. Learn more
  • A third person from Clark County, Washington has died of COVID-19, according to health officials. The person, a man in his 70s, died late Tuesday night. He had been the first confirmed coronavirus patient in the county. Learn more
  • Two more people have died of COVID-19 in Oregon. The deaths bring Oregon’s statewide total to three. The Oregon Health Authority also announce 10 new cases of the coronavirus in the state, which brings Oregon’s total to 75. Learn more

7:05 a.m.

Kaiser Permanente Northwest will temporarily close clinics and medical offices in the Portland area Thursday to prepare for an expected surge of patients infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus. Learn more

6:30 a.m.

  • Oregon's Special Joint Committee on Coronavirus Response will hold its first public meeting at 10 a.m. on Wednesday. KGW will live stream the meeting right here.
  • Landlords are concerned with Multnomah County's eviction moratorium. "Little bit of a gut punch initially," said Ken Schriver with Rental Housing Alliance Oregon. He said plenty of landlords rely on rent to pay their own bills. "We have to make sure we don't shift the burden of the load from one side to the other." Learn more

6:05 a.m.

Worldwide cases top 200,000 and there are confirmed cases in each of the 50 states. Get real-time national and global updates here

CLOSINGS AND CANCELLATIONS

GET THE LATEST INFORMATION ON SCHOOL CLOSINGS  

The table below shows events, organizations and businesses that announced closures since March 18 to help flatten the curve during this outbreak.

Click here for a list of closures announced through March 17

RELATED: Coronavirus live blog: Trump to marshal private sector against virus

RELATED: Real-time updates: US, Canada to temporarily close border to slow spread of coronavirus

Before You Leave, Check This Out