The Oregon Health Authority reported 82 more COVID-19-related deaths Tuesday, the most logged in a single day for the state.
The previous daily record for deaths was 59 reported last Thursday.
OHA said both record totals were high in part because of death data reconciliation.
Daily COVID-19 cases are no longer spiking, but deaths remain high because death is a lagging indicator. There is a time lag between when people test positive for COVID-19 and when they die. Additionally, there is a lag in reporting as epidemiologists review death certificates, OHA said.
On Tuesday, Jackson County Public Health reported the death of a 96-year-old man who died at his residence and the death of an 86-year-old woman who died at Providence Medford Medical Center. Both had underlying health conditions.
Information about others who died in Oregon, including their ages and counties of residence, wasn’t available Tuesday from OHA.
OHA reported 1,413 new COVID-19 cases across the state, including 63 in Jackson County.
For the week of Oct. 3-9, Jackson County Public Health reported 470 new COVID-19 cases, a 2% increase from the previous week.
On Tuesday morning, 52 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Jackson and Josephine county hospitals. Of those, 17 were in intensive care, Jackson County Public Health said.
The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients has dropped from a pandemic peak of 223 Sept. 1 in the two counties. The peak during last winter’s surge was 85 people hospitalized with COVID-19, according to hospitalization data.
The intensive care unit bed shortage is easing somewhat across Oregon except in a six-county region that includes Salem. That area had only four open ICU beds Tuesday, hospital data show.
Jackson and Josephine counties had five open ICU beds among their four hospitals Tuesday.
With flu season approaching, Jackson County Public Health urged people to get vaccinated against the flu, and if they haven’t done so already, against COVID-19. Flu and COVID-19 shots can be given at the same time.
Last fall and winter, flu cases were low in the United States because of safety precautions in place to control the spread of COVID-19, including restrictions on in-person school and restaurant dining, plus an emphasis on mask wearing, hand washing and social distancing.
For the flu season this fall and winter, public health experts expect high rates of the flu, the common cold and other respiratory infections.
Jackson County Public Health said it remains essential that people continue safety measures such as wearing masks and washing their hands.
