State COVID case counts down slightly after weeks of increases
Oregon saw mixed results in its tracking of COVID-19 last week. The Oregon Health Authority reported that the percentage of people testing positive increased from 6% to 6.8%, but there was a slight drop in the number of new cases reported, of 3% from the previous week.
That followed five weeks of steady increases. The number of deaths has also declined, from 26 to 16, and the number of hospitalizations decreased from 333 to 272. Based on the decrease in hospitalizations, Governor Kate Brown announced Tuesday that the 15 counties in the extreme risk category will be returned to high risk, effective Friday.
John Frank Pearson V 1987 - 2021
John Pearson, deeply loved son of Becky and Jay Pearson of McMinnville, Oregon, and beloved brother of Zak Pearson of Chicago, was born March 27, 1987, in McMinnville, and passed away unexpectedly April 19, 2021, at home in McMinnville.
Growing up in McMinnville, John enjoyed family camping trips to national and state parks, skiing, river rafting and fishing lakes and streams. Marion Lake above the North Santiam River Gorge and the lakes and streams along the Cascade Lakes Highway near Bend were particular favorites of his. John was always in search of the unexplored and spent much of his time seeking out new adventures along the less traveled trails in Washington, Oregon and the wilderness throughout the Southwest.
Marcus Larson/News-RegisterMother Sauce food truck owner Andrew Jensen prepares fresh fusilli pasta shortly after opening for the day. The food truck is located on Davis Street between First and Second. The Mac High grad said he and his partner, Allie Bisset, are happy to be serving people in his hometown.
Rusty Rae/News-Register ## Construction is progressing on a new urgent care clinic at 1755 S.W. Baker St. It is one of several commercial projects underway in McMinnville.
Rusty Rae/News-Register ## Danny Roberts and Jennifer Fisher will sell their Alchemist’s Jam and other products in their retail shop on Ford Street downtown.
UK variant spreading in Oregon
The “principle variant of concern” in the COVID-19 pandemic in Oregon is the so-called UK strain B.1.1.7, Brett Tyler, Director of Oregon State University’s Center for Genome Research told a group of journalists this week.
Tyler, who has been overseeing genome testing of sewage samples from around the state, said incidence of the B.1.1.7 variant is “rising rapidly in Oregon.
“That’s of concern because there’s evidence it can spread up to 50% faster than the original strain. The South African variant is also making an appearance both in the wastewater samples, and in the sequencing of individual samples. That also appears to be able to spread up to 50% faster; and there’s also some concern about that variant’s ability to resist some protection provided by the vaccines,” Tyler said.
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