Coronavirus updates: Five Eugene Mission guests test positive, and it restricts campus access

Five Eugene Mission guests have tested positive for COVID-19 and the Mission is restricting campus access to staff and current guests only.

Three of the positive cases were identified on Wednesday, when the Mission implemented its COVID-19 Emergency Response Plan, the Mission announced in a Saturday news release. Two additional guests were then diagnosed Friday.

The Mission’s contact tracing also identified an additional seven at-risk guests who are now in isolation. Staff in contact with affected guests also are isolating at home and will be tested and cleared before returning to work. Current guests must stay on campus until certain health benchmarks are met.

138 new positive cases Saturday in Lane

Lane County Public Health announced Saturday there were new 138 confirmed and presumptive positive cases of COVID-19, a record for a single day recorded count. LCPH counted 152 cases over the two days of Thanksgiving and the following Friday. Saturday’s count brings the county total to 4,863 cases.

Fifty-four cases were hospitalized, with 12 in the ICU, and 449 people are considered infectious, meaning they are within 10 days of their symptom onset and are considered by officials as capable of passing on the virus. Infectious people are asked by county public health staff to quarantine.

No new deaths were reported Saturday, leaving the county death toll at 54.

State has second highest new cases

Oregon had its second highest number of new cases of COVID-19 Saturday, one day after setting a record with 2,176 new cases of COVID-19.

The Oregon Health Authority reported there were 1,847 new cases of COVID-19 Saturday to bring the state total of 83,243 cases since March.

The OHA reported 24 more deaths Saturday, giving the state 1,027 total deaths from the coronavirus.

Dallas doctor’s license suspended after saying he, staff do not wear masks

A Dallas family physician has been suspended by the Oregon Medical Board after publicly stating he and his staff are not wearing masks in his clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Steven LaTulippe, owner of South View Medical Arts, also compared the SARS-CoV-2 virus to a “common cold virus,” and challenged Gov. Kate Brown’s authority in her efforts to slow the spread of the disease.

“I want to expose what I call ‘corona-mania,’ ” LaTulippe said while addressing a crowd at the Oregon State Capitol during the Nov. 7 “Stop the Steal” rally.

“I hate to tell you this — it might scare you, but I and my staff, none of us — once — wore a mask in my clinic,” he told the crowd.

Lawmakers, advocates call for special session as Oregon reaches new case record

As Oregon reached a new record number for reported daily COVID-19 cases and deaths Friday, lawmakers, advocates and others called on Gov. Kate Brown to declare a special legislative session.

The Oregon Health Authority reported 2,176 new COVID-19 cases and 30 deaths. The previous daily records has been 1,699 cases and 24 deaths.

“I know it is hard to imagine, but the hardest days are still ahead,” Brown said Friday.

Lane County Public Health reported three deaths and 111 confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 on Friday, bringing the totals to 54 deaths and 4,725 cases.

Forty-five cases were hospitalized. 386 people are considered infectious, an increase of 18 percent over Thursday.

While health officials delivered the grim message that Oregon has surpassed 80,000 cases since the start of the pandemic, Oregon tenants are asking for the Legislature to act on a proposed eviction moratorium and setup a Landlord Compensation Fund.