PORTLAND, Ore. — Cases of COVID-19 began popping up in the United States in January. The first case in Oregon was reported on Feb. 28.
We've been posting a daily blog to track the changes in Oregon and Southwest Washington as we get them. CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LATEST UPDATES
BY THE NUMBERS
As of this evening:
- Oregon: 208 deaths, 8,931 cases, 242,954 tests (234,429 negative tests) Latest Oregon numbers
- Washington: 1,339 deaths, 33,435 cases, 571,964 tests (5.8% positive) Latest Washington numbers
- United States: 128,062 deaths, 2,686,480 cases Latest U.S. numbers
- World: 516,210 deaths, 10,694,288 cases Latest global numbers
REAL-TIME UPDATES
11 p.m.
- Oregon had a record 281 new confirmed coronavirus cases Wednesday, but officials predict that the increase may become much steeper during the next month - potentially reaching 900 new cases per day. Learn more
- Since early March, senior care facilities have been shut off from outside visitors because of the COVID-19 pandemic. That isolation period has had dramatic effects on those separated from the outside world. Learn more
- Due to the pandemic, Portland newspaper Street Roots has been publishing stories about homelessness solely online. They hope to start selling physical papers again later this summer. Learn more
- Wedding licenses are down in Multnomah County, but a local wedding planner says interest in the process is still strong. Learn more
4:10 p.m.
- The Oregon Health Authority's weekly report provided updates on active COVID-19 workplace outbreaks in the state. There are now 32 active outbreaks, four more than the week before. Learn more
- A Lake Oswego day care center hit by a COVID-19 outbreak in June has at least 28 cases. The investigation into Lake Grove KinderCare began June 16. Learn more
1 p.m.
- In Washington, Clark County officials are urging residents to stay home for the Fourth of July holiday weekend after 40 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the county Wednesday. Learn more
Noon:
- Oregon Gov. Kate Brown urged all Oregon residents to follow the state's mask requirement and warned Oregonians about the potential of a spike in COVID-19 cases overwhelming hospitals and forcing business closures during a news conference Wednesday morning. Learn more
- Oregon is reporting 281 new cases Wednesday, the highest case count since the pandemic began, state epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger said at Gov. Brown's press conference. He added that last week the state's percentage of positive tests rose to 4.3%. Learn more
10:20 a.m.
- Oregon Gov. Kate Brown will hold a news conference Wednesday to discuss the state of COVID-19 in Oregon. KGW will stream the news conference live. Brown plans to discuss the 60-day extension of Oregon's COVID-19 state of emergency and the statewide face mask requirement. Learn more
9 a.m.
- All Oregonians statewide will be required to wear face coverings in indoor public spaces, beginning today. The mandate applies to business owners, employees, and members of the public visiting indoor public spaces. The requirement was previously in effect in only seven counties. Learn more
- With the mandate in effect, people may be asking what kind of face masks they should wear? Are cloth face masks the way to go? Are face shields OK? What about surgical masks? We tracked down the most current information from the CDC. Learn more
- The longer the COVID-19 crisis continues, the smaller Portland's restaurant scene becomes. Two more notable restaurants — Mi Mero Mole in Old Town Chinatown and Bluehour Restaurant in the Pearl District — recently said they are closing permanently. Learn more
INTERACTIVE: Oregon COVID-19 cases (updated Wednesday afternoon)
INTERACTIVE: Oregon COVID-19 data by age group