Oregon set a daily record for the number of new COVID-19 cases Wednesday for the third time in a week and health officials said more than one in five tests administered were coming back as positive for the virus — more than double the rate recorded last week.
The Oregon Health Authority announced 6,203 new confirmed or presumptive cases Wednesday, smashing a record set just the day before by roughly 1,500 cases. New cases were up 140% from a week ago and hospitalizations were up 57% from the same period last week as the highly contagious omicron variant takes hold.
There were 43 reported COVID-19 related deaths, down from 89 reported the previous week.
The state also said providers administered nearly 35,000 COVID-19 tests Tuesday — the sixth-highest single daily count since the pandemic began. Starting Monday, Oregon will begin receiving shipments of the 1.1 million test kits it ordered and those deliveries will continue for five weeks, OHA said.
“Any scarcity of tests is a function of disease in the community and not a lack of supply,” the agency said in a statement. “As the number of cases increase, rapid testing will be critical to efforts to encourage people to take steps that reduce transmission.”