Katrina Rothenberger, incident commander at the Marion County Health and Human Services COVID-19 incident command works in the office on Monday, July 13. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter)
Private Fourth of July gatherings are behind Marion County’s highest one-day increase in new Covid cases, epidemiologists reported during a Monday briefing at the county’s incident command center.
The county recorded 61 people diagnosed with the virus Saturday after averaging 31 new cases daily over the past week, the highest number since the outbreak began in March.
Katrina Rothenberger, the county’s public health division director, said Monday’s report was the first where epidemiologists and contact tracers flagged private social gatherings as a significant factor spreading the virus here.
Household spread and long-term care facility outbreaks have been bigger factors in Marion County, she said. But she said Monday’s announcement also reflects contact tracers’ increased efforts to pinpoint social engagements and dive deeper into factors beyond where people work and live.
“Our teams are getting better about asking those questions,” Rothenberger said.
Marion County, which had the highest number of Covid cases per person for much of the pandemic, has now taken a backseat as the virus’ spread has overwhelmed several smaller counties, many in eastern Oregon.
Though the volume of new cases is high, Rothenberger said the county’s team of epidemiologists and contact tracers has been able to keep pace, which she attributed to a hiring wave she started in March. The department continues to recruit new contact tracers.
Rothenberger is one of about a dozen county health employees working out of a converted conference room and kitchen on the first floor of the county’s health and human services building. She serves as incident commander, reviewing data and overseeing the county’s response, which includes getting needed protective equipment to long-term care facilities and helping coordinate testing with partner organizations.
Tim Meade, safety officer, speaks during a weekly briefing video call at the Marion County Health and Human Services COVID-19 incident command on Monday, July 13. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter)
In an interview Monday, Rothenberger said she’s concerned about the virus’ growing spread here and urged residents to continue wearing masks and socially distancing.
It’s true many people newly diagnosed with Covid are at low risk for a serious reaction, she said. Last week’s highest growth in new cases was among children and teenagers, ages 10 to 19, and young people in general have been a greater share of new cases since Oregon businesses began reopening.
But Rothenberger said it’s still worrisome because the more widespread the virus is, the more likely it will spread to someone at high risk of a lengthy hospital stay or death.
“What concerns me is they might unknowingly pass it on to someone who’s in one of those high-risk categories,” she said.
Health officials look at trends in hospitalization, emergency room visits and deaths as indicators of how serious the coronavirus is.
Statewide, Rothenberger said emergency room visits for patients with Covid-like illness are up slightly over the past month. The number of people newly hospitalized from the virus climbed over a low point in mid-May, but it’s remained flat, according to the latest state numbers, which only report through July 5.
Rothenberger said the governor’s mask mandate has helped and she’s seen more people wearing masks out and about. Public health officials say masks and keeping six feet away from others remain the best tools to limit the virus’ spread until there’s a definitive treatment or vaccine.
“Covid’s going to be in our community for the foreseeable future,” she said.
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Contact reporter Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241.
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.
