We ll update this story throughout the day with the latest news about coronavirus and its effects in Oregon on Tuesday, Feb. 23.
Oregon identifies five more cases of U.K. variant
Oregon health officials have identified five more cases of the more contagious, and possibly more deadly, COVID-19 variant first identified in the U.K., bringing the state’s total to nine.
Oregon Health Authority spokesman Tim Heider said the state will not release information about when or in which counties new cases of the strain were identified.
The variant, also called strain B.1.1.7, was first identified in Oregon in a Multnomah County resident in mid-January.
Coronavirus updates Friday: Oregon Gov. Brown pauses rollbacks to COVID-19 extreme risk level
The Register-Guard
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SALEM Gov. Kate Brown said Thursday that starting next week counties that have moved out of the COVID-19 extreme risk level will not be moved back into it without giving them two weeks to improve their case numbers.
The temporary freeze also will allow businesses to avoid abrupt closures and major changes in how they do business. If case numbers don t improve in those two weeks, however, the county will move backward.