COVID-19 Cases in Oregon Have Fallen Dramatically as Vaccination Rates Have Continued to Rise

Cases have declined as the vaccination rates have increased.

Cherry Blossoms 29 Springtime, cherry blossoms, Portland waterfront, Tom McCall (Chris Nesseth)
By Rachel Monahan

Six weeks ago, COVID-19 was resurgent in Oregon. On May 1, during a week when Portland restaurants were closed to indoor dining, the average daily case count in Oregon over the previous seven days was 807.

Six weeks later, that number has declined by two-thirds. There are now 276 daily COVID-19 cases on average for the last week.

The decline strongly corresponds to the state’s residents getting vaccinated.

As of now, 54.3% of Oregonians have received at least one dose of the vaccine. On May 1, just over a third had.

The numbers are tracking a predictable trajectory: As more people get a dose of COVID-19 vaccine, cases have fallen.

Gov. Kate Brown has announced she will reopen the state as soon as 70% of Oregonians above age 18 have had at least one dose. Currently, 67.4% of adults have gotten one dose.

The central thrust of the state’s vaccination campaign is now drawing down.

The state’s largest vaccination site, at the Oregon Convention Center, has entered its final week of operation. (It is administering second doses of the Pfizer vaccine and single doses of Johnson & Johnson.) Its last day is June 19.

Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office. Support WW's journalism today.