COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Information

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**As of 11/18/20 Benton County is complying with Governor brown's two-week freeze order**

Benton County was removed from the Governor's COVID-19 watch list on 10/23/20 and remains in Phase 2. More information on the watch list and two-week freeze can be found on the Governor's COVID-19 website.

 

Current Case Counts

 

Benton County only reports COVID-19 cases of Benton county residents. People who are hospitalized but don’t reside in Benton County are not reported in daily or historical case counts.

Current Case Counts
UPDATED: 11/27/2020, 11:21 a.m.
Benton County announces new COVID-19 cases and fatalities Monday - Friday by 1:00 p.m.
New Cases 23
Total Cases

The Oregon Health Authority reports presumptive cases; Benton County, Oregon reports confirmed COVID-19 cases. Presumptive means an individual is symptomatic and has been tested for COVID-19, but test results have not been reported. Confirmed means the individual's test result is positive for COVID-19. At times, there are discrepancies between the County and OHA numbers due to the time delay in administering test(s), i.e., presumptive cases, and receiving test result(s), i.e. confirmed cases.

 709
Hospitalized at the Time of Diagnosis

Please note: Our phrasing around hospitalizations has shifted. We currently report hospitalizations as they apply to new COVID-19 cases. Individuals may be hospitalized after the time of diagnosis, and they are not currently reflected in our daily hospitalization numbers.

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Fatalities 7 

 

Live Dashboards

 
Benton county covid-19 data

The Benton County Joint Information Center received several requests from the community to provide additional COVID-19 data for Benton County. In response, the Joint Information Center created the data dashboard below to provide information in a way that is easy to read and understand. By providing this data, we hope those in our community will be able to see data trends and more detailed data around COVID-19 in Benton County.

**This data is updated weekly**

MOBILE USERS CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE DATA DASHBOARD

Notes on Using the Dashboard: 
  • Disclaimer: This data should be used for informational purposes. Please contact your healthcare provider to discuss decisions regarding your personal health and safety.
  • Full Screen: Users can use expand the dashboard to full screen mode by clicking the arrows in the bottom right corner of the dashboard.
  • Dashboard Views: Users can navigate between dashboard views by clicking on the left and right arrows at the bottom of the dashboard.
  • Additional Context: Many data points and indicators have additional information that can help users better understand what they are seeing. Hovering over a data point or indicator will bring up the additional information if available.

 

Dashboard context
  • Testing: The percentage of positive tests is simply a statistical fact, not under the control of medical providers, public health, or the general public. The percentage of positive tests is not a direct measure of disease spread in a community.
    • Number of Positive Tests: Out of the many COVID-19 tests conducted each day, most are negative. Some tests are positive for COVID-19, others are inconclusive. The number of positive and negative tests may not add to the total number of tests because of inconclusive results. Furthermore, the number of positive tests is larger than the number of cases, since most individuals who have COVID-19 are tested more than once during the course of their illness.
  • Public Health Indicators: The public health indicators are used by Oregon Governor Kate Brown to measure the health burden of COVID-19. At this time, there are no penalties imposed for not meeting these metrics. However, Benton County uses these metrics to identify areas that need improvement.
  • County Watch List Metrics:  Counties are placed on the Watch List when COVID-19 is spreading quickly and public health officials cannot trace that spread to specific sources—creating a potentially dangerous dynamic.  The watch list is not a punitive measure. It is an opportunity for the state to provide additional support to the county to improve the public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
    • Sporadic Cases: Sporadic cases are those cases that cannot be traced to a source, which indicates community spread.
    • Watch List Criteria: Counties are placed on the watch list when there is a sporadic case rate of 50 or more per 100,000 people in the last two weeks and the county has more that 5 sporadic cases in the last two weeks. 
    • Being Removed from Watch List: Counties remain on the watch list for a minimum of three weeks and until their sporadic case count drops below 50 per 100,000 or 5 or fewer sporadic cases in the previous two weeks
    • Public Health Indicators vs. Watch List Metrics: Since Oregon’s reopening in May, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has been monitoring and reporting on six indicators to measure the health burden of COVID-19 in Oregon and the public health capacity to respond. These public health indicators help OHA understand the health impact of COVID-19 in communities across the state and make recommendations as appropriate. These indicators are different from the watch list metrics.
      • The public health indicator that most closely ties to the sporadic case rate is the ability for a county to contact trace at least 70% of cases to a known source.

 

Guidance for General Population

 

2 Week Freeze Guidance for General Population  - revised 11/23/2020, 1:29 p.m.
Vulnerable Populations

People who are at risk for severe complications (over age 65 or have underlying medical conditions) should continue to maintain 6 ft of physical distance, avoid social settings, and minimize non-essential travel.

Additional information for vulnerable populations can be found on the Oregon Health Authority's COVID-19 Community Resources Page
State of Oregon Face Covering Requirements

Effective November 18, 2020

Statewide, masks, face coverings or face shields are required to be worn by all individuals at all times unless the individual:

  • Is at their own residence.
  • Is in their own personal vehicle.
  • Is under five (5) years of age.
  • Is eating or drinking.
  • Is engaged in an activity that makes wearing a mask, face covering or face shield not feasible, such as when taking a shower.
  • Is sleeping.
  • Is in a private, individual workspace.
  • Must remove the mask, face coverings or face shield briefly because the individual’s identity needs to be confirmed by visual comparison, such as at a bank or if interacting with law enforcement. If possible, individuals should limit speaking while the mask, face covering or face shield is off as speaking generates aerosols and droplets that can contain viruses

Additional face covering requirements and recommendations can be found on the Oregon Health Authority's guidance document.
Physical Distancing Guidance
  • 6 feet of distancing should be maintained

At Home and Social Gatherings

At-home gathering: means individuals getting together at a residence, whether indoors or outdoors, for any purpose.

Social gathering: means individuals getting together for a social purpose anywhere.

Effective November 18, 2020

 

Faith Institutions, Funeral Homes and Mortuaries

Effective November 18, 2020

**All businesses should refer to the Governor’s COVID-19 Webpage and/or OHA’s COVID-19 Webpage for complete guidance.
Travel Advisory

Effective November 13, 2020

  • Visitors entering Oregon or returning home from travel have been asked to self-quarantine for 14 days, and limit interactions to immediate household.  
  • Oregonians are advised against non-essential out-of-state travel and encouraged to stay local.
  • Essential travel is defined as travel for work and study, critical infrastructure support, economic services and supply chains, health, immediate medical care, and safety and security.

 

Guidance For Businesses

 

2 Week Freeze Guidance for Businesses  - revised 11/23/2020, 4:30 p.m.
Business Guidance

Business owners, managers, and employees can access all 2 Week Freeze guidance by visiting the Governor’s COVID-19 Webpage and/or OHA’s COVID-19 Webpage. 

Guidance in additional languages can also be found on these pages

 

Daily Video Updates (Click button on top right to access past videos)

 

 

Oregon Health Authority Testing Site Locator

 

The Oregon Health Authority has put together a website to help Oregonians locate local testing information. 

Please note that if you have flu-like symptoms or believe that you have been exposed to the COVID-19, you should call your primary care provider before you visit a testing site.

Oregon Health Authority's Testing Information Locator

 

County Phone Bank

 

Please call 541-766-6120 for general questions on COVID-19 from 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Callers can also leave a message and phone number for a return phone call.