Oregon Health Authority Reports Highest Daily COVID-19 Death Toll Since the Pandemic Began

To date, more than 87,000 Oregonians have tested positive for the virus.

Drive-thru COVID-19 testing clinic at Portland Community College Cascade campus on Dec. 2. (Wesley Lapointe)
By Tess Riski

The Oregon Health Authority on Tuesday afternoon reported a new, grim record in the pandemic: 36 deaths, the highest number of COVID-19-related fatalities reported in a single day.

The previous daily record was 30 reported deaths on Dec. 4, the OHA says. To date, 1,080 Oregonians have died due to COVID-19, the state says.

"The news of three dozen lives lost weighs heavily on all Oregonians," Patrick Allen, director of the OHA, said Tuesday. "At this unfortunate moment, as we work together to confront the challenge presented by COVID-19, we extend our deepest sympathies to those who have lost a loved one and to every Oregonian who has been impacted by the pandemic."

On Tuesday, the OHA also reported 1,341 new cases, bringing the statewide total to 87,082.

The three counties with the highest rates of cases are Malheur (7,961 cases per 100,000 people), Umatilla (5,808 per 100,000) and Morrow (5,598 per 100,000).

Multnomah County ranks seventh in COVID cases per capita statewide, with 2,433 cases per 100,000 people, according to state data. In total, there have been 19,995 COVID-19 cases in Multnomah County, and 286 deaths related to the virus.

This is the second COVID record Oregon set in the past two weeks: Between Nov. 23 and 29, WW previously reported, the state tallied a record number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

"Today we share an unfortunate milestone since the first case was reported in February," Allen said. "All of us are affected, and the families and friends of those lost most of all. These lost lives touch our families, our workplaces, our neighborhoods, and our communities."

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