Fourteen Oregonians Have Coronavirus, Prompting Gov. Brown to Declare a State of Emergency

All seven of the new cases were transmitted locally.

Some travelers at Portland International Airport sported medical masks March 1. By then, most Portland-area stores had sold out of masks. (justin katigbak)
By Tess Riski

Gov. Kate Brown this morning announced seven new cases of coronavirus in Oregon, bringing the total statewide up to 14.

Brown declared a state of emergency, which grants the state access to federal funds to combat the spread of the virus. The state of emergency lasts for 60 days, but it can be extended if need be, Brown said.

Of the seven new positive cases announced today, one is in Douglas County, one is in Marion County, and five are in Washington County—bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases in Washington County to eight, said Pat Allen, the director of the Oregon Health Authority.

Allen declined to comment on whether the patient at OHSU in Portland who tested positive for COVID-19 is included in the tally of new cases the state announced today.

The new cases were all transmitted locally, Allen said. None were related to international travel. Three of the people who tested positive were hospitalized at the time of illness.

Allen said the state is seeking $5 million in federal funding to combat the virus. He said the state is expanding its testing capacity and activating volunteers who can help augment services, particularly in rural regions of the state.

"Today's cases are both troubling and expected. COVID-19 is a communicable disease. We know it will spread. We know there will be more cases," Allen said during Sunday's press conference. "We cannot combat COVID-19 if we turn on each other. We cannot shun or stigmatize people who test positive or become ill."

Health officials said they are working on tracking down recent contacts of the seven new cases. Officials still plan to test only the patients with the most severe symptoms, or those who had direct contact with a confirmed case. Many Oregon residents will likely contract the virus, officials said, but their symptoms probably will not be severe.

"It's in the community and many people are going to have respiratory symptoms that are mild," said Dr. Dana Hargunani, the OHA's chief medical officer.

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