UPDATE (7:35 p.m. PT) — Oregon State Parks Saturday announced more outdoor sites reopened for limited day use.
The agency has reopened a number of sites in Central and Eastern Oregon in addition to sites in the Willamette Valley and Southern Oregon that reopened earlier this week.
A full list of open sites is available on the Oregon State Parks website.
All Oregon State Parks sites on the coast remain closed.
FDA restricts use of KN95 respirators
The Oregon Health Authority Saturday said that due to a decision by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Oregon health officials are advising medical professionals to stop using KN95 respirators.
The FDA had previously allowed for the use of KN95 respirators but made the decision Thursday to revoke authorization for more than 65 manufacturers, citing poor quality, OHA said. KN95 respirators are regulated by the Chinese government.
The FDA announcement does not impact any other personal protective equipment, or PPE, the agency said.
OHA said it notified health and dental providers in Oregon Friday about the discontinuation of the respirators. The respirators can still be used as face coverings, OHA said.
Oregon known coronavirus cases surpass 3,000
The Oregon Health Authority on Saturday confirmed 79 new coronavirus cases, bringing the state’s known total to 3,160.
Health officials also reported 13 new presumptive cases. Presumptive cases are people who have not tested positive but have coronavirus symptoms and have had close contact with a confirmed case.
Officials also announced three new coronavirus-related deaths.
In Oregon, 127 people are now known to have died from COVID-19.
OHA detailed the deaths as:
- A 76-year-old woman in Clackamas County who tested positive on April 8 and died on May 8 at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center. She had underlying medical conditions.
- An 81-year-old man in Linn County who tested positive on April 19 and died on May 2 at Samaritan Albany General Hospital. He had underlying medical conditions.
- A 92-year-old woman in Polk County who tested positive on May 1 and died on May 7 at Salem Hospital. She had underlying medical conditions.
Washington has more than 16,000 confirmed cases
In Southwest Washington, Clark County Public Health Friday reported one new confirmed case of coronavirus, bringing the county’s total number of known cases to 375.
Clark County has removed one case from its case count after learning the person lived in a different county.
No new deaths were reported Friday. In total, 23 people are known to have died of COVID-19 in Clark County.
The latest available data from the Washington Department of Health show 16,674 diagnosed cases of the coronavirus and 921 related deaths.
Beaches stay closed as some parks reopen
As some parts of Oregon are expected to get temperatures in the high 80s this weekend, state officials are reminding people to continue following public health guidelines amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Although some Oregon State Parks have opened for limited day-use, both facilities and staffing will be limited, Chris Havel, spokesperson with Oregon State Parks, said.
And while warm, sunny weather might make the Oregon Coast look extra enticing this weekend, Havel is reminding people that no state park sites on the coast have reopened.
Oregon to quarantine foster youth amid COVID-19 concerns
Two Oregon teenagers placed in a Michigan facility where at least 37 youth tested positive for COVID-19 will soon be moved to quarantine in Oregon. The teenagers are en route back to Oregon after being placed at Lakeside Academy in Michigan, a private facility operated by Sequel Youth and Family Services.
The two Oregon teenagers, ages 13 and 16, will be placed in a house leased by the state’s child welfare department. Oregon child welfare officials announced last week they were working to find a new placement for the teenagers after learning another child restrained by staff for throwing a sandwich had died.
