A church in Salem, Oregon, has become the epicenter of the state’s largest coronavirus outbreak. State authorities revealed on Tuesday that 236 people from the church tested positive for the disease.
The Lighthouse Pentecostal Church in Union County held services in April and May despite COVID-19 restrictions that limited gatherings. The church also recently held a wedding and a graduation ceremony, each gathering featuring more than 100 people.
Over the weekend, health and county officials teamed up with the church to hold a clinic that tested 356 people for the virus. Officials reported that 66% tested positive for coronavirus. Currently, five people associated with the church outbreak are hospitalized, Thomas Jeanne, the deputy state health officer, and deputy state epidemiologist confirmed. Thankfully, the county has not had any confirmed fatalities from the virus. Prior to the outbreak affiliated with the church, the county had less than 25 cases of coronavirus during the pandemic.
“We have tested the majority of the congregation at the church in Union County. At this point, we hope there will not be a lot more (cases), but that is what contact tracing, quarantine, and follow up will be important for.” Jeanne said.
On Tuesday, the Oregon Health Authority reported 278 new statewide cases, which was a 51% increase from Monday’s case count. Aside from reopenings and the church outbreak, officials attributed the rise in cases to increased testing, contact tracing, workplace outbreaks “as well as potential spread in the community.” Tuesday’s case count brings the new state total number of coronavirus cases to 6,098. Oregon’s death toll has now reached 182.
“We are concerned about these trends, particularly the sporadic cases that can’t be traced to a specific outbreak or cluster, because they indicate how much community spread is occurring — the type of spread that we are less able to control through testing, case investigation, contact tracing, isolation, and quarantine,” Jeanne said.
Governor Kate Brown responded to the increases in cases by putting all county applications for further reopening from her COVID-19 restrictions on hold for seven days.
