Live updates: More than 21,000 Oregonians have been diagnosed with COVID-19

By Meerah Powell (OPB) and Courtney Sherwood (OPB)
Aug. 9, 2020 1 p.m. Updated: Aug. 9, 2020 5:07 p.m.

Oregon will soon charge out-of-state campers more to stay in state parks and is developing office mask guidelines in its effort to slow the pandemic's spread.

Out-of-state visitors to Oregon state parks can expect to pay more for overnight visits starting Monday, as the state seeks to address funding shortfalls linked to the coronavirus pandemic, while also encouraging tourists to stay close to home.

Camping costs will climb as much as 30% for out-of-state visitors. The new charge is temporary, and could raise as much as $500,000 for the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. Out-of-state camping reservations made before Monday will not be charged extra.

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Related: Out-of-state campers will pay more at Oregon state parks

What masks should office workers wear?

Oregon requires people to wear masks at indoor businesses that serve the public, but the state has not set specific guidelines for the office settings where many people work.

Gov. Kate Brown’s office hopes to change that, with detailed guidelines for face coverings in offices likely to come in the next few weeks.

The governor said she’s talking with medical professionals to determine what guidelines would look like.

“I think the challenge is that you have a diversity of office settings and we want to make sure that people can remain safe regardless of the types of office settings,” Brown said.

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Oregon reports 263 new COVID-19 cases

The Oregon Health Authority announced 263 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 diagnoses Sunday and one death.

The bulk of the new cases were in the Willamette Valley region with 66 in Multnomah County, 42 in Washington County and 28 in Marion County. Additionally, Umatilla County reported 40 new cases.

Oregon’s most recent confirmed COVID-19 death was a 72-year-old Multnomah County man who tested positive on Aug. 2 and died on Aug. 6 at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center. He had underlying medical conditions.

Since the start of the pandemic, 21,272 people have tested positive for or are presumed to have the virus in Oregon, and 356 people are known to have died with it.

Health officials said Friday that the weekly growth in cases seems to have plateaued, though they cautioned that if people do not continue to wear masks and avoid crowds the pandemic could surge again.

“We cannot let our guard down,” said Dean Sidelinger, the state’s epidemiologist.

Related: COVID-19 by the numbers

Clark County passes 2,000 diagnoses

Clark County, Washington, has now had more than 2,000 COVID-19 diagnoses. The state announced 26 more positive test results on Friday and one new death. That brings total diagnoses to 2,018, and deaths to 42.

Statewide, 60,917 people in Washington have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, and 1,653 have died, according to the latest data available from the state.

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