Salem Mayor Chuck Bennett puts on a face mask made by a neighbor on Thursday, April 9. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter)
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State and local health authorities and hospitals are sharing a variety of data related to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it’s often spread across various websites, Facebook posts and emails and difficult to access.
Salem Reporter has compiled key data on COVID-19 cases in the Salem area and how it compares to the rest of the state. This data is current as of April 14, 2020.
We plan to publish updated data at least weekly during the pandemic.
Salem Health began reporting COVID-19 patient data for Salem Hospital twice weekly in late March. Over the past week, the number of patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases has fallen, as has the share of hospital beds occupied.
Statewide, 311 Oregonians were hospitalized with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 as of April 14.
Of Marion County’s 290 residents confirmed to have COVID-19, 73 have been hospitalized at some point during their illness, about the same rate as the rest of Oregon. Salem Hospital’s patients are counted in their county of residence, so not all hospital patients are Marion County cases, and Marion County patients may be hospitalized elsewhere.
While deaths in Marion County and across Oregon have been mostly among elderly residents, Salem-area cases have been spread across adults. The county has not released an age breakdown for those hospitalized with the illness.
Oregon has shipped needed protective equipment to counties based on population and the number of people with COVID-19. County emergency management departments then distribute the equipment to local providers and agencies who need it.
After a large shipment to all 36 Oregon counties on April 13, the state stockpile was completely depleted, according to the state’s daily COVID-19 report. County health officials and Salem Hospital have said the shipments are helpful, but fall short of what is needed.
Marion County has had the highest rate of COVID-19 cases per capita since early in Oregon’s outbreak, though it’s not testing a higher percentage of residents than many other urban counties. State and county public health officials say it’s difficult to explain why, or to tell how significant the data is since so few Oregonians are being tested at all.
What local data would you like to see? 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.
