ONTARIO
A local businessman says data in the Oregon Health Authorityâs most recent weekly outbreak report released Jan. 27 is misleading.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic has been in full swing, OHA has been releasing weekly a list of active and resolved outbreaks in schools, child care facilities, senior and congregate living settings and workplaces for every county in Oregon. The Jan. 27 report was 77 pages long and had data from the following week up to Jan. 24. When Malheur County Health Department regurgitated numbers from the list in a news release on Thursday, the agency indicated three active outbreaks in Vale and three in Ontario, with the latter including two food processing facilities and the prison. At the same time, the news release stated that numbers and dates in the report were âno longer accurate in some cases.â
MALHEUR COUNTY
According to a news release Thursday afternoon from Malheur County Health Department, COVID-19 outbreaks are on the rise locally, with the most significant spikes in Vale and Ontario.
âWeâre very concerned with this trend of outbreaks, especially in the 97918 ZIP code, including Vale and Willowcreek areas,â said Sarah Poe, director of the health department, in a news release.
âWith a number of new infections linked in the last three weeks, there is the potential for a significant increase in cases when people donât follow precautions. This hurts schools and businesses and risks the health and safety of the elderly and most vulnerable. We need to act swiftly as a community to stop the spread.â