UPDATE (5:01 p.m. PT) — Bend city leaders have worked for decades to build the community's reputation as a central Oregon travel destination. But now local officials are asking would-be tourists to stay away until after Labor Day.
City Manager Eric King issued a non-binding administrative order Friday strongly discouraging travel to Bend for recreation, vacation or other discretionary reasons, in order to limit the spread of COVID-19.
The order asks people to avoid staying in hotels, RV parks or any other short-term lodgings, unless for reasons of health, safety, employment or other essential travel. It also asks the people who run these lodgings not to allow tourists and vacation travelers to make new reservations until after Sept. 7.
Health officials report 5 Oregon COVID-19 deaths
The Oregon Health Authority announced five new COVID-19 deaths Friday, and 307 new diagnoses. Since the start of the pandemic, 13,802 people have been diagnosed with the coronavirus in Oregon.
The more densely populated Portland-metro area continues to drive the rise in cases, with 144 new confirmed and presumptive new cases Friday.
Known hot spots away from Portland are also pushing numbers up, with Marion County reporting 39 cases and Umatilla County reporting the most cases outside the Willamette Valley, with 38.
Related: Pandemic Reveals Itself As A Threat To Rural And Urban Oregonians, Alike
State health officials warned Thursday there's a risk of still more rapid growth. The percentage of tests coming back positive has gone up, to 6.2 %, and in about half of all new cases investigators can't explain how the infected person was exposed to COVID-19.
The Oregon Health Authority provided these details about the people whose deaths were announced Friday:
- A 77-year-old man from Wasco County died July 15 at OHSU Hospital. He tested positive June 27 and had underlying conditions.
- A 72-year-old man from Umatilla County died July 14 in his residence. He tested positive July 8 and had no known underlying medical conditions.
- A 99-year-old man from Marion County died July 15 in his residence. He tested positive July 8 and had underlying medical conditions.
- An 82-year-old woman from Clackamas County died July 16 in her residence. She tested positive July 6 and had underlying medical conditions.
- A 35-year-old woman from Multnomah County died July 11 in her residence. She tested positive July 6 and had underlying medical conditions.
Officials continue to urge people to wear masks, limit the size of gatherings, keep a distance from each other and “find alternative ways for those who are vulnerable to participate” at events.
Related: COVID-19 In Oregon: By The Numbers
New Oregon COVID-19 Cases By ZIP Code
This map shows new cases of COVID-19 in each ZIP code in Oregon. ZIP codes are colored by the number of cases per 10,000 residents. ZIPs are shaded to show contrast; rates in Oregon remain lower than most of the U.S.
Jacob Fenton, The Accountability Project at the Investigative Reporting Workshop Sources: OHA's current and prior weekly reports. OHA does not report case counts in smaller ZIP codes, and doesn't provide an exact figure for ZIP codes where fewer than 10 cases have been recorded. ZIP codes are shaded by the lowest possible rate in the new cases view. ZIP code populations and outlines are from Esri's "Updated Demographics 2019" so rates differ from those published by OHA.
34th death reported in Clark County, Washington
Health officials in Clark County, Washington, said Friday that another 44 people have tested positive for COVID-19 and a man in his 60s has died. It's not clear if the man who died had underlying conditions.
To date, 1,434 residents of the southwest Washington county have tested positive for COVID-19 and 34 people have died.
According to the latest available data, Washington has 44,313 confirmed coronavirus cases and 1,427 known deaths. As of Wednesday, coronavirus has led to the hospitalization of 4,944 people in Washington.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has warned that if case numbers don’t improve, he may have to start shutting down the economy again. Counties throughout the state will have to remain in their current phase of reopening until at least July 28.
Oregon families, school staff express concerns about return to in-person learning
When the coronavirus closed schools statewide, parents, students and school employees all had a difficult adjustment. What started as "supplemental” learning became “Distance Learning For All,” and for some, academics took a back seat to more essential needs like staying healthy and keeping food on the table. Expectations fell off, as schools dropped letter grades and judged students on a pass/incomplete basis.
In survey responses collected by OPB in the spring, parents shared their concerns: that students may fall further behind, student mental health and well-being could decline, and that distance learning was simultaneously too challenging for some and too easy for others.
While everyone may want a return to normalcy this fall, that's not going to happen. There are health and safety guidelines to follow. Schools that open will do so with smaller groups of students. And a lot of families say they feel more comfortable staying at home, learning remotely.
Read more: Oregon Families And School Staff Express Concern For Return To School