PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon on Wednesday surpassed 1,700 coronavirus related deaths since the start of the pandemic
The Oregon Health Authority reported 1,346 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 41 additional deaths, bringing the total amount of cases to 129,109 and raising the death toll to 1,708.
More than one-fifth of the cases reported Wednesday were in Multnomah County — the state’s most populous county and home to Portland.
Nearly 15,000 new doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been added to the state’s immunization registry. To date, more than 320,000 doses of vaccine have been delivered to sites across Oregon, including at the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem where the National Guard is helping administer doses.
Gov. Kate Brown visited the mass vaccination site Wednesday, watching as people received their shots.
Brown said up to 3,000 people receive a dose of the vaccine a day at the site, calling it an “extraordinary effort.”
The governor has set a goal for 12,000 coronavirus vaccines to be administered across the state each day.
On Tuesday, Brown announced that following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Oregon will expand COVID-19 vaccination to include people age 65 and and older.
Vaccination of Oregon seniors, as well as child care providers and early learning and K-12 educators and staff, will start on Jan. 23, when additional vaccine shipments are expected to start arriving from the federal government.
The governor’s office said details on the distribution plans, as well as how Oregon will continue to reach populations most vulnerable to COVID-19, will be available on Friday.