FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 9, 2020

Columbia County Public Health announces tenth case of novel coronavirus; adds local data dashboard to website

Saint Helens, OR—Columbia County Public Health reported two new lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 today, bringing the local total to ten cases. When a positive test result occurs, local public health officials conduct contact tracing, which is a way to identify and notify others who have been in close contact with the person who has tested positive. Columbia County Public Health is currently identifying close contacts of the new cases and will notify those individuals, as well as provide education and next steps for those contacts.

Columbia County is committed to providing accurate, reliable reports to the public. In order to keep the public informed about new cases in the county, the Public Health Department added a local data dashboard on its COVID-2019 webpage. https://www.columbiacountyor.gov/CoronavirusDisease2019COVID19. The county will update the dashboard daily by 1 P.M. The data may be slightly different from data located on the Oregon Health Authority website because the pages are updated at different times of the day.

The data dashboard lists the number of lab-confirmed cases, deaths, negative tests, and the number of individuals in the county who have recovered. Columbia County Public Health will not release the names of any individuals who have tested positive or further identifying information, unless more details are necessary to protect the public. Statewide demographic and hospital information about tested positive cases is available on the Oregon Health Authority webpage at: https://govstatus.egov.com/OR-OHA-COVID-19.

The Public Health Department cautions that the data only includes the number of cases who reside within the borders of Columbia County. Nearby counties where residents frequently travel for services and healthcare have reported a much higher number of lab-confirmed cases. Many cases in the state are "individual community cases," meaning they are not connected to another known ill individual. Please remember that this virus does not discriminate or recognize county borders. Anyone can get sick.

The County urges residents to continue to follow Gov. Kate Brown’s "Stay Home, Save Lives" physical distancing order, and consider the following steps to slow the spread of the virus in our community and protect our at risk residents:

• Wash your hands often with warm running water and soap for at least 20 seconds.
• If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer product.
• Cover your coughs and sneezes using your sleeve or a tissue, not your bare hand.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Stay home and away from the rest of your household if you’re feeling sick.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Clean and disinfect objects and surfaces that are frequently touched surfaces at home and at work, including your mobile devices.
• Pregnant women should visit the CDC’s website for the most current guidance.
• Breastfeeding women should visit Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine for the most current guidance.

Columbia County Public Health encourages all residents to stay informed about COVID-19:

• Local response: Columbia County Public Health is the lead agency.