Reports of new Covid cases fell slightly in Marion County last week as hospitalizations remained about flat.
In the past few weeks, Gov. Kate Brown has issued several executive orders aiming to provide more resources to health care facilities amidst a sustained surge of Covid, flu and RSV cases. Salem Hospital again began diverting ambulances to other hospitals due to capacity issues after Thanksgiving, a temporary practice that is used as needed to manage hospital capacity.
HOSPITAL CAPACITY
As of Friday, Dec. 16, Salem Hospital had 20 inpatients with Covid. Of those, three were in the ICU and two were on a ventilator.
409 of the 415 adult acute and critical care beds were in use, or 99%.
475 total hospital beds were in use on Friday. The hospital recently expanded its licensed bed capacity from 494 to 644 with the addition of a new tower, but that total includes every potential licensed bed at Salem Hospital including those dedicated to specific uses, like pediatrics, inpatient psychiatry, and labor and delivery.
The daily number of hospitalized Covid patients has been between 18 and 29 patients over the past week, according to Lisa Wood, Salem Health spokeswoman. Last week, the number was between 21 and 26.
Region 2, which is Marion, Polk, Yamhill, Linn, Benton and Lincoln counties, had 46 people hospitalized with Covid as of Dec. 14 compared with 44 the week prior and 46 two weeks ago.
CASES
For the week ending Dec. 14, the average daily number of new Covid cases reported decreased statewide and in Marion County, and increased in Polk County compared to the week prior.
Marion County: 43.7 new Covid cases per day on average, a rate of 88.1 cases per 100,000 residents.
That’s down from 56 average daily cases last week but up from 35 two weeks ago.
7.6% of Covid tests this week were positive, up slightly from 7.4% last week and 7.6% two weeks ago.
The Oregon Health Authority reported six newly identified deaths of county residents with Covid in the past week.
Polk County: 16.9 new Covid cases per day on average, a rate of 132.7 cases per 100,000 residents.
That’s up from 14 average daily cases last week and 15 two weeks ago.
12.4% of Covid tests this week were positive, an increase from 11.8% last week.
The Oregon Health Authority reported one newly identified death of a county resident with Covid in the past week.
Oregon: 616 new cases per day on average, down from 715 average daily cases last week and up from 465 two weeks ago; 10.3% of tests were positive, compared with 9.9% last week.
VACCINATION AND BREAKTHROUGH CASES
The Oregon Health Authority has a data dashboard showing trends in cases, hospitalizations and deaths by vaccination status, updated on the second Wednesday of each month.
The most recent data as of Dec. 5 shows Covid infection, hospitalization and death rates continue to be highest among Oregonians not vaccinated against Covid compared with those vaccinated as recommended, which includes a booster shot.
In October, the state recorded eight deaths with Covid per 100,000 unvaccinated adult Oregonians, compared to two deaths per 100,000 adults vaccinated as recommended. Hospitalization rates in October were 50 per 100,000 unvaccinated adults compared to 18 per 100,000 vaccinated as recommended.
The data will next be published in mid-January.
MANDATES
Oregon’s mask mandate lifted on March 11 at 11:59 p.m.
Contact reporter Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241.
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Rachel Alexander is Salem Reporter’s managing editor. She joined Salem Reporter when it was founded in 2018 and covers city news, education, nonprofits and a little bit of everything else. She’s been a journalist in Oregon and Washington for a decade. Outside of work, she’s a skater and board member with Salem’s Cherry City Roller Derby and can often be found with her nose buried in a book.
