Oregon spike: 278 new COVID-19 cases, 119 in Union County

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Blowing past all previous daily COVID-19 case records, Oregon reported 278 new and presumed cases of the virus on Tuesday along with 2 more deaths.

The new cases brings the overall total of Oregon cases to 6098 with 182 deaths.

Of the other 159 cases in 17 Oregon counties, Multnomah had 42, Washington 37, Marion 22, Clackamas 21, and Lincoln 17.

The latest deaths took an 89-year-old Clackamas County man and an 85-year-old Marion County woman. Both had underlying medical conditions.

Oregon Health Authority COVID-19 updates

Union County outbreak

The 278 total cases includes 119 new cases in Union County in eastern Oregon, where their 2-day total now stands at 218 cases. Overall, they’ve recorded 240 cases. Union County now has the highest COVID-19 infection rate in the state.

Union County COVID-19 statistics

Carrie Brogoitti, the Public Health Administrator for the Center for Human Development in Union County, said they are still learning the scope and scale of the outbreak there.

A number of cases are connected with the Lighthouse Pentecostal Church, which, officials said, is very responsive and taking appropriate steps. The Lighthouse Pentecostal Church held onsite testing. They have not returned a request for comment from KOIN 6 News.

“Right now, more than ever we need our community to work together to help limit the spread of this virus and protect our most vulnerable populations,” Brogoitti said in a statement.

Outbreak: Oregon reports 184 cases, 4 deaths

There are only about 25,000 residents in Union County, and 13,000 of them live in the county seat of La Grande. Businesses just entered Phase 2 and began reopening their doors 2 weeks ago.

Small business owners who spoke with KOIN 6 News said they used to feel a bit protected from the pandemic because of their remote location.

“I think the biggest thing we’ve been hearing is a lot of small business owners are really wanting to ensure the safety of their staff and customers,” said Suzannah Moore-Hemann, the one-time director of the Union County Chamber of Commerce. “So now there’s a lot of talk about making decisions about going back to more restrictions or closure to help the public safety on their end.”

Union County is served by Grande Ronde Hospital, which only has about 40 beds. Most of its beds remain open at this time, but the sudden outbreak has county health workers preparing for the worst. They’ve initiated their emergency operation plan.

Several health care workers from nearby Umatilla County are now helping Union County with the difficult job of contact tracing.

There were several large celebrations and community events over Memorial Day, which add to the challenge of tracking everyone down.

Continuing Coverage: Coronavirus