26 Oregon Counties Approved For Phase 2 Of Reopening

UPDATE (3:12 p.m. PT) — Oregon Gov. Kate Brown Thursday approved 26 counties to move to Phase 2 of her reopening plan as soon as Friday.

The following counties are approved to enter Phase 2 on the following dates:

June 5: Benton, Curry, Douglas, Grant, Jackson, Klamath, Lake, Lane, Linn, Morrow, Union, Wallowa, Wasco, Wheeler.

June 6: Baker, Clatsop, Columbia, Coos, Crook, Gilliam, Harney, Josephine, Malheur, Sherman, Yamhill.

June 8: Tillamook.

Deschutes, Jefferson and Umatilla counties applied for Phase 2, but state health officials are continuing to review their applications.

Six counties have not yet applied for Phase 2: Clackamas, Hood River, Lincoln, Marion, Polk and Washington.

Multnomah County has not yet applied for Phase 1, but is expected to submit an application Friday.

Oregon known coronavirus cases surpass 4,400

The Oregon Health Authority Thursday reported 4,474 presumptive and positive coronavirus cases in the state.

Presumptive cases are people who have not tested positive for the virus but have symptoms and have had close contact with a confirmed case.

OHA reported no additional coronavirus-related deaths, leaving the state’s total deaths at 159.

Oregon COVID-19 Map

Jacob Fenton, The Accountability Project at the Investigative Reporting Workshop

Clark County’s total cases at more than 560

Clark County Thursday reported three new coronavirus cases, bringing the county’s total to 569. To date, 25 people have died from COVID-19 in Clark County.

According to the most recently available data, Washington state has 22,484 confirmed coronavirus cases. The state has seen 1,135 coronavirus-related deaths.

Oregonians file more than 12,000 initial claims for unemployment benefits

Oregonians last week filed 12,196 initial claims for regular unemployment benefits, according to the Oregon Employment Department.

That’s the lowest number of initial claims since coronavirus-related public health measures began putting people out of work in mid-March.

The peak in initial claims was the week of March 22 to March 28 when Oregonians filed 88,600 claims for regular unemployment benefits.

OHA reports workplace outbreaks

In its weekly report, the Oregon Health Authority began Wednesday reporting coronavirus outbreaks in workplaces across the state.

Prior to Wednesday’s report, the agency had only reported some workplace-based outbreaks.

Prisons Have Oregon's Largest COVID Outbreak But Testing, Social Distancing Remain Scarce

The workplace with the most cases is the Oregon State Penitentiary, with 167 confirmed COVID-19 cases.

The most recent outbreak included in the data is at Bob’s Red Mill in Milwaukie. That outbreak occurred in late May with the most recent case being reported on June 1. There are 19 total cases in that outbreak.

Other workplaces with the largest numbers of cases include Townsend Farms, with 93 total cases across its three locations, National Frozen Foods in Albany, with 41 cases, and Portland’s VA Medical Center, with 34 cases.