UPDATED: (4:40 p.m. PT) The number of Oregonians who've died from COVID-19 is unchanged from Sunday. The death toll remains at 148, the Oregon Health Authority reported Monday.
OHA also reported 19 new confirmed cases and 4 new presumptive cases of COVID-19, bringing the state total to 3,949.
Presumptive cases are people who have not tested positive for the novel coronavirus, but who have symptoms and have had close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19.
Firestone Pacific Foods has 65 employees test positive
As of Monday, 65 people have now tested positive for COVID-19 as part of an outbreak at a Vancouver fruit processor, according to a press release from the company, Firestone Pacific Foods. 87 people tested negative after the company required all employees to be tested. Last Friday, an official with Clark County Public Health confirmed that 38 Firestone employees had tested positive.
The company’s statement released Monday says the fruit processing location at the center of the outbreak will remain closed until May 28. It goes on to say:
“We hope to resume limited freezing and packaging later this week once we receive approval from the Clark County Health Department, and our leadership team feels confident the facility is safe and ready for the return of team members.”
Firestone said a few of its employees have not been tested, and that it’s working to contact them. The company is requiring testing and followup in order for employees to return to work.
Clark County stepped back from its request to move to Washington's Phase 2 of reopening, after the COVID-19 outbreak at Firestone.
It may be the largest non-health care-linked cluster of coronavirus cases in the greater Portland metro area.
In addition to Clark County, Kittitas County's application to enter Phase 2 was put on hold Saturday because of an outbreak investigation there.
Baker County judge must act Tuesday on COVID-19 closure challenge
The Oregon Supreme Court Saturday issued an order directing the Baker County Circuit Court to act on a ruling that had initially declared Gov. Kate Brown's coronavirus-related executive orders null and void.
Earlier this week, a group of churches challenged Brown’s executive orders that mandated social distancing and required businesses to close. The Baker County Circuit Court sided with the churches, stating that Brown had exceeded her authority in the length of the pandemic-related orders.
Now, the state’s high court is directing Baker County Circuit Court to either vacate its order by 5 p.m. Tuesday, argue further on why it should not, or do nothing and allow circuit-court-level litigation to continue.
Oregon COVID-19 Map
Jacob Fenton, The Accountability Project at the Investigative Reporting Workshop
Clark County at more than 400 cases
Health officials in Clark County announced Friday that eight more residents have tested positive for COVID-19. In total, 427 people have tested positive and 25 people have died.
The most recent available data from the Washington Department of Health show 19,265 confirmed coronavirus cases in the state and 1,050 known deaths.