It's been a week since the Oregon Health Authority began publicly releasing coronavirus cases organized by ZIP code. At first glance, it would seem as though the 97071 zip code is dealing with a full-on outbreak of the disease.
With 174 confirmed cases of the virus, the Woodburn ZIP code is among those with the highest rate of confirmed coronavirus cases in the state.
Combined with the fact that the city is home to one of Oregon’s largest farmworker and Latino populations, it’s easy to start making assumptions about how COVID-19 has taken hold there.
Oregon state Rep. Teresa Alonso León, D-Woodburn.
Courtesy of Rep. Teresa Alonso León's office
But Oregon state Rep. Teresa Alonso León, who represents Woodburn and its surrounding areas, said it’s better to not judge the situation too quickly.
“We have to take it with a grain of salt,” said Alonso León. “It’s not just Woodburn. The ZIP code actually covers parts of Gervais, St. Paul, Mt. Angel and even goes up close to Clackamas County.”
In Oregon and across the nation the disease has been disproportionately affecting Latinos.
Related: COVID-19 In Oregon: By The Numbers
Alonso León said the pandemic has further exposed the state’s ethnic disparities, especially in her district, but it’s also revealed the courage of her constituents.
“My district, my community and my city is made up of working families and many of them are essential workers who are literally risking their [lives] to keep Oregon moving forward,” Alonso León said. “Many of them have no choice but to work because they don't have the privilege of staying home.”
Other community leaders say although the city of Woodburn has emerged as one of Oregon’s COVID-19 hotspots, these numbers only tell part of the story.
Woodburn Mayor Eric Swenson said he and his staff have been working with Marion County to curb the transmission of the virus from the very beginning of the crisis. And he regularly meets with local faith leaders and farmworker groups to get pandemic messaging out in several languages.
“Our ZIP code encompasses a large rural area where there are a large number of essential workers and medically and economically vulnerable populations,” Swenson said. “Some [of them] are hard to reach and the message took time to take hold.”
Related: Immigrant Communities In Oregon Struggle To Access Coronavirus Information
Swenson pointed out that the number of cases in Marion County represents only a fraction of the county’s entire population and about a quarter of the 23 reported deaths in the county are in the 97071 zip code.
“Like everywhere else, those residents [who died] have been of advanced age with underlying conditions,” Swenson said. “As is true in national trends, the vast majority of people diagnosed return home and recover.”
Marion County currently has a team of three epidemiologists and 19 contact tracers working full time on COVID-19 cases, according to county spokeswoman Jenna Wyatt.
In an emailed statement Wyatt also said about half of the county’s cases are associated with a cluster of existing cases or household transmission while the other half are considered community-acquired.
The city of Woodburn, Ore., thanked it's first responders and healthcare workers on Wednesday, May 13, 2020. From left: Woodburn Mayor Eric Swenson, Salud doctor Mania Kupershtok and Salud director Antonio Germann.
Courtesy of Woodburn Proud
Despite the high rate of confirmed coronavirus cases, there's also not a flurry of activity at the Salud Medical Center in Woodburn, part of the Yakima Valley Farmworkers Clinic. Lori Kelley, senior director of quality with the clinic, said the medical center has plenty of testing capability.
“We have seen less symptomatic people in recent weeks compared to when we started,” Kelley said. “I think what we’re seeing is just an ebb and flow.”
Kelley said those coming in for treatment are not all farmworkers. But many have jobs that have been deemed essential, like grocery store clerks or fast-food workers.
This is where owners of essential businesses can step up. Kelley said having a plan in place to protect workers will be key in the coming weeks as stay-at-home orders begin to relax.
Related: Immigrant Farmworkers Face Unique Challenges As Coronavirus Continues To Spread
“If you can't socially distance, is there a barrier you can put up? Does your staff need masks? What are the staffing changes that might be necessary to avoid any type of cluster in a particular employer's location?” Kelley said.
Oregon OSHA passed temporary social distancing and sanitation rules that will provide protection against the coronavirus for workers at some farm operations.
But enforcement of the rules, which was set to begin this week, has been delayed to allow employers more time to comply with new rules.
This issue is a personal one for Alonso León, whose parents are farmworkers.
“I know it's a process, just like everything else,” Alonso León said. But we want to make sure that the farm owners have the time and support to get it right because we're talking about life and death situations here.”
