We have heard your concerns about the high number of COVID-19 cases in our community, and questions about why our case count is currently higher than other counties with similar population sizes. There are several factors contributing to the number of cases in the county.
Marion County was among the first counties in Oregon to receive a positive COVID-19 test result. The case was considered community acquired, meaning that the virus had been spreading in our community before the first case was detected. Additionally, we've had relatively large outbreak clusters occur near our county, which has driven the case count up as well. For instance, Marion County has cases related to the veterans' home outbreak in Linn County.
Our epidemiologists have been quick to conduct contact tracing for each positive case and notify these individuals of their exposure along with the symptoms to look out for (fever, cough, and shortness of breath).
COVID-19 is spreading throughout the community and there is evidence to suggest that about 25% of people can pass the virus on to others without showing any symptoms. Therefore, we continue to ask that all Marion County residents practice social distancing measures and other preventive measures such as washing hands frequently, using hand sanitizer, and avoiding touching your face with unclean hands. Doing so will help protect your family and the community as a whole.
We know that this is an unusual and difficult situation for individuals and families in our communities. We all have a part to play in slowing the spread of COVID-19 in Marion County.
