Across Oregon, 1,000 hospitalized with COVID-19

Several members of staff all in action heading different directions.

The staff working inside the Emergency Department of Asante Three Rivers Medical Center has seen a higher patient load than any time in the past year, attributable to the surge of patients suffering from COVID-19. Statewide, hospitalizations reached 1,000 on Tuesday, the governor said.Mike Zacchino/KDRV Newswatch 12/Pool

By

One thousand Oregonians are hospitalized with COVID-19, Gov. Kate Brown announced Tuesday. She called it a “terrifying milestone.”

The number marked a one-day increase of 63 in the number of patients hospitalized with the contagious and potentially deadly virus.

Until two weeks ago, Oregon had never had more than 600 COVID patients hospitalized at once. The number has shot up tremendously since then.

The state has not yet released the latest official case counts, deaths and other updated figures due out today. Monday’s figures stood at 937 hospitalized.

For days, Oregon’s hospital system has been stretched to the breaking point, with few to no intensive care beds available, even as some hospitals cancelled surgeries and Brown reinstituted a statewide indoor mask requirement.

southern oregon covid - rsoeburg hospital

Heartache in southern Oregon as COVID surge overwhelms hospitals, patients die

Hospitals all over Oregon are experiencing an onslaught of new COVID-19 victims. The hardest blow has landed in Southern Oregon, where a large unvaccinated population has made it an inviting target for the delta variant.

The state’s most recent forecast, released last week, predicted statewide hospitalizations would reach a high of 1,075 on Sept. 3.

-- Betsy Hammond; betsyhammond@oregonian.com; @OregonianPol

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.