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Covid remains mostly flat at workplaces and care facilities while two more employers report outbreaks

An image of the coronavirus from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Outbreaks of Covid at workplaces and long-term care facilities in the Salem area remained mostly steady with few spikes in new cases.

The numbers on the outbreaks were included in the most recent weekly Covid report from the Oregon Health Authority. The health authority began including workplace outbreaks in the report at businesses and government agencies in May to help Oregonians avoid infection.

The state began disclosing outbreaks at long-term care facilities earlier in the pandemic because residents are particularly vulnerable to the virus.

Currently, 11 long-term care facilities in Marion and Polk counties have active outbreaks. The number of cases at most facilities remained flat or rose slightly.

However, French Prairie Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, at 601 Evergreen Road in Woodburn, saw its cases jump to 28 from five the previous week. It also reported one new death.

Two Marion County companies are new to the list of workplace outbreaks.

Ezequiel Labor Contracting in Woodburn has six cases in an outbreak that the state said started July 3. Another is Goschie Farms in Silverton, where five workers became ill in outbreak that started Aug. 26.

Other employers with ongoing outbreaks, including Salem Hospital and the Amazon fulfillment center in Salem, saw only one additional case each in the previous week. Currently, Salem Health has 41 workers who have contracted the virus and Amazon has 30.

Other employers saw their number of cases increase slightly or remain flat. The Oregon State Hospital, MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility in Woodburn, Norpac and others remained the same.

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Contact reporter Jake Thomas at 503-575-1251 or [email protected] or @jakethomas2009.