PORTLAND, Ore. — There are 88 active COVID-19 workplace outbreaks in Oregon as of this week. That’s up from the 80 active outbreaks reported last week by the Oregon Health Authority (OHA).
The largest active outbreak for the second week in a row is at the Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution in Pendleton. The outbreak there was first identified in early July and the case count has continued to rise over the past month.
There have been 209 coronavirus cases linked to the outbreak, with the most recent onset reported on Aug. 14.
Officials track outbreaks of five or more employees at workplaces where there are at least 30 workers. Health officials say an outbreak remains active if there has been a case within the past 28 days. The case count for each workplace includes everyone who is linked to the outbreak, whether they are workers or a close contact.
Interactive: Workplace outbreaks in Oregon
Umatilla County in Eastern Oregon has been hit hard by workplace outbreaks, and despite having a population of just 78,000, the county is home to 11 of the 20 largest active outbreaks, and 21 of the 88 total active outbreaks in the state. Three weeks ago, Gov. Kate Brown put the county back under a stay-home order because of the spread of COVID-19 in the area.
Interactive: Active workplace outbreaks in Umatilla County
The full workplace outbreak list was published in OHA's weekly report, which details the state’s response to limit the spread of the coronavirus. The data is current as of 11 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 16. The weekly report also lists 79 workplaces where COVID-19 outbreaks have been resolved.
Three of the four active outbreaks with the most cases are at correctional facilities. In addition to the outbreak at the Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution, 207 COVID-19 cases are connected to the Snake River Correctional Institution in Malheur County and 185 COVID-19 cases have been linked to the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem.
“The presence of correctional facilities and food packing and agricultural worksites on this list highlights the challenges of controlling COVID-19 in settings where people must work or live in proximity,” OHA said in the report.
Eight COVID-19 deaths have been associated with workplace outbreaks in the state. For the second week in a row, no new deaths were reported in connection with these outbreaks. The OHA does not report employee deaths by specific workplace.
