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Oregon COVID-19 updates July 3: Total case count more than doubled in June

As COVID-19 continues to impact Oregon and Southwest Washington, get the latest updates here.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Cases of COVID-19 began popping up in the United States in January. The first case in Oregon was reported on Feb. 28.

We've been posting a daily blog to track the changes in Oregon and Southwest Washington as we get them. CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LATEST UPDATES

BY THE NUMBERS

As of Friday evening:

As Oregon COVID-19 cases go up, hospitalizations are still down significantly since the early weeks of the pandemic. 

Credit: KGW

REAL-TIME UPDATES

10:45 p.m.

  • Throughout the pandemic state officials have boasted having one of the lowest infection rates in the country, which remains true. At the end of May, Oregon only had about 4,200 cases. Over the past month, the case confirmed count more than doubled – surpassing 9,600. Learn more

9:20 p.m.

  • A coronavirus outbreak connected to a Vancouver bar has left at least 18 people sick. Clark County Public Health officials are concerned people who visited Orchards Tap Bar and Grill from June 19-25 may have been exposed to COVID-19. Learn more
  • KGW has received several viewer questions asking if a face shield is a good alternative to a face mask. The CDC does not recommend the use of face shields as a substitute for cloth face coverings. Learn more
  • The Oregon Employment Department plans to process 70,000 backlogged claims between late June and early August. So far, the department has only processed about 6% of those. Learn more
  • An economist with Columbia University is warning job losses and other financial hardships created by the COVID-19 pandemic could result in a 40-45% rise in homelessness nationwide by the end of the year. Service providers in Multnomah County say they haven’t seen the spike in need yet, but they believe it’s coming. Learn more
  • Two days after Oregon State Police troopers were caught on video openly defying Gov. Kate Brown’s statewide mask mandate at a coffee shop, Brown met with three of the troopers at the Oregon governor’s residence in Salem. Learn more
  • What can people do to have a safe and fun holiday weekend? NBC News Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. John Torres offers some advice. Learn more

12:05 p.m.

  • Oregon reported 344 new and presumed COVID-19 cases, along with zero new deaths.
  • As COVID-19 cases continue to surge around the state, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown on Friday announced she is increasing enforcement statewide on face coverings, physical distancing and business crowd limits. She also announced eight counties outside the Portland metro area are now on a COVID-19 watch list. Learn more

9 a.m.

  • Despite claims to the contrary, wearing a face mask will not lower your oxygen levels. Learn more
  • An Oregon State Police trooper is on paid leave and three others are under investigation for refusing to wear masks inside a Corvallis coffee shop. Learn more
  • The COVID-19 pandemic has canceled the professional fireworks shows. State leaders have encouraged people to stay home. This means people will be putting on their own shows in their respective neighborhoods. And that has local fire officials worried. Learn more
  • Oregon set a record for new coronavirus cases for the second day in a row Thursday. The Oregon Health Authority reported 375 new and presumed cases of COVID-19, and one new death. Learn more

INTERACTIVE: Oregon COVID-19 cases

INTERACTIVE: Oregon COVID-19 data by age group

WATCH: Coronavirus latest updates | YouTube playlist

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