May 29, 2020
Weekly report indicates steady testing, fewer positive cases
Today Oregon Health Authority released its Weekly Testing Summary, which showed that in the week ending May 29, 17,447 tests were performed in Oregon, with 304 positive results, for a positive rate of 1.7 percent.
The state’s weekly testing capacity remains at 37,702. Meanwhile, Oregon’s cumulative positive testing rate is 3.3 percent of tests performed, which is considerably lower than the national average of 12 percent.
Oregon’s decreasing weekly test positivity rate reflects fewer numbers of individuals with COVID-19 due to physical distancing and other preventive measures, as well as increasing testing statewide.
To see more case and county level data, please visit the Oregon Health Authority website, which OHA updates once a day: www.healthoregon.org/coronavirus.
OHA modeling report shows steady testing, reduced transmission
Today, OHA released an update to its modeling report produced jointly with the Institute for Disease Modeling. The new model simulations suggest that there have been approximately 20,000 cumulative infections in Oregon by May 22, of which about 4,000 have been diagnosed based on the local epidemiologic data.
The model continues to show that the “aggressive interventions in Oregon have been effective in dramatically reducing transmission rates.”
But the report also cautions that while hospitalization data suggest that infections have continued to decline in recent weeks, this trend may change as Oregon counties begin phased re-opening. The report further notes that moderate increases in transmission levels in the community could cause a much larger increase in infections.
For example, under the scenario with interventions reducing transmission by 50 percent (versus 70 percent), the model projects about 3,000 more cumulative infections, 155 additional infections per day, and four more new severe cases per day by July 3. The modeling will be updated again in two weeks.
Stay informed about COVID-19:
Oregon response: The Oregon Health Authority and Oregon Office of Emergency Management lead the state response.
United States response: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention leads the U.S. response.
Global response: The World Health Organization guides the global response.
