Oregon Sees Another Rise in COVID-19 Cases Amid a Sluggish Vaccine Rollout

As of Thursday, 66,920 Oregonians had received COVID-19 shots. That’s just above a quarter of the supply.

Portland Fire & Rescue began vaccinating its firefighters against COVID-19 on Thurs., Dec. 31, 2020. Vaccinations were administered in outdoor tents and in small groups for the safety of all involved. (Dave Killen / Oregonian pool photo)

As Oregon health officials and hospitals struggle to distribute a COVID-19 vaccine, new cases of the virus are again rising significantly.

In the week following Christmas, Dec. 28 through Jan. 3, Oregon saw 7,913 COVID cases, the Oregon Health Authority reported Wednesday. That's a 17% rise from the previous week.

Hospitalizations, which are often a more reliable indicator than new cases, also rose last week, by 6%. But the overall trajectory of hospitalizations continues to trend downward in Oregon: On Jan. 7, 462 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 statewide, down from a record 584 patients Nov. 30.

Oregon continues to dodge the astonishing spikes in cases that have overwhelmed hospitals across the West, including in California and Arizona. But it is also scuffling in its distribution of the vaccine.

As of Thursday, 66,920 Oregonians had received COVID-19 shots. That's just above a quarter of the 262,100 vaccine doses the state has received from Operation Warp Speed. National tracking of vaccine distribution by Bloomberg shows Oregon is moving slower than all but two other states in its use of vaccine supply.

As hospitals and fire departments try to vaccinate doctors, nurses and first responders, as well as nursing home residents, the state is beginning to weigh who should get the vaccine next.

The Oregon Health Authority announced Thursday evening that the state's COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Committee had held its first meeting earlier in the day. The announcement mentioned some basic perimeters for who is second in line for the vaccine.

"The vaccine advisory committee is considering how to prioritize critical workers, such as transportation workers and grocery store workers, older adults, people with underlying conditions and other factors," the release said.

Related: Ending the Pandemic Means Getting Vaccinated. But Many Oregonians Will Be Hard to Convince.

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