Oregon, Tallying 999 COVID-19 Cases, Prepares to Mobilize the National Guard to Distribute PPE

The report says the National Guard will provide “tent and cot support” to Baker and Lake counties.

Portland International Airport on April 3, 2020. (Rocky Burnside)

The Oregon Health Authority on Saturday announced 100 new COVID-19 cases and four additional deaths, bringing the total statewide to 999 cases and 26 deaths.

At least 239 Oregonians have been hospitalized for the virus. For another 128 cases, hospital information has not been provided.

Today's daily COVID-19 report, issued by the OHA, indicates Gov. Kate Brown is preparing to mobilize the Oregon National Guard to help distribute personal protective equipment like N95 masks. The OHA's report says the Guard will "assist with PPE distribution" at a center in Wilsonville. It will also provide "tent and cot support" to Baker and Lake counties, which both still have zero COVID-19 cases and deaths.

The Oregonian reported April 1 that Brown had asked for the federal go-ahead to mobilize up to 1,250 members of the Oregon National Guard to distribute medical supplies. National Guardsmen had previously assisted with hospital setup in Seaside and Salem.

The report says 45 police officers, 10 corrections officers and nine other law enforcement agents are being quarantined statewide. It is unclear if those 64 law enforcement workers have tested positive for the coronavirus, or if they've simply been in contact with other confirmed cases.

People ages 50-59 still make up the largest portion of COVID-19 cases in the state, with 191 cases, but younger people don't lag far behind: Oregonians ages 20-29 account for 101, or about 10 percent, of the state's cases. Thirty-somethings account for another 145 cases. To date, 23 people ages 0-19 have tested positive for COVID-19 in the state.

The deaths announced today include a 59-year-old Multnomah County man, who appears to be the first Oregonian under the age of 60 killed by the virus.

The state has yet to update its numbers for intensive care beds available, acute beds available, and number of patients on ventilators; since April 1, those categories have been marked as "pending" in the OHA's daily report. It is unclear when the agency will update that information.

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