A office outbreak of COVID-19 has hit the Marion County division tasked with monitoring and combatting the pandemic.
Marion County Well being and Human Companies, which incorporates the general public well being division, was recognized by the Oregon Well being Authority as having a office outbreak between July 21 and Aug. 14. 5 instances have been reported.
The county declined to supply further particulars, together with whether or not the 5 people had been vaccinated.
“As a result of small variety of instances, we aren’t releasing further info that would danger the privateness of the impacted staff. All shut contacts of every case have been notified and are following the quarantine suggestions outlined in OHA’s investigative tips,” Marion County Well being and Human Companies spokesperson Jenna Wyatt mentioned in an e mail.
Marion County’s division is the one of its sort within the state presently recognized as the positioning of a office outbreak.
Different employers with outbreaks embody Salem Hospital, which has had 299 instances in an outbreak that dates again to Might 27, 2020, and Amazon’s facility in Salem has had 185 instances since Might 21, 2020.
County officers have been crucial of Gov. Kate Brown’s current masks mandates, together with requiring Ok-12 college students and employees to put on masks indoors.
At a current fee assembly held the day after the county had a report 464 day by day new instances reported, Marion County public well being director Katrina Rothenberger mentioned the division doesn’t have the employees to contact hint all instances of the coronavirus because it did for a lot of the pandemic.
She urged the county as an alternative wanted “to have the ability to take into consideration these different severe well being points” comparable to an increase in sexually transmitted ailments.
In keeping with Marion County statistics, the county is at its highest charge for brand spanking new COVID-19 infections – a rolling common of 205 per day. About 66% of individuals ages 18 and older within the county are vaccinated.
Invoice Poehler covers Marion County for the Statesman Journal. Contact him at bpoehler@statesmanjournal.com or Twitter.com/bpoehler.
