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UPDATE AT 1 p.m.

Another death attributed to COVID-19 reported in Oregon

Another Oregonian has died from COVID-19, according to data released Saturday by the Oregon Health Authority.

The state's total is now 87.

Oregon now up to 2,253 cases statewide, an increase of 76 over Friday's total.

Here's the most recent data from the Oregon Health Authority, as of Saturday:

87: Deaths from COVID-19

261: People hospitalized with confirmed or suspected COVID-19

29: Patients placed on ventilators

2,253: Tests that were positive

45,124: Tests that were negative

47,377: Total number of tests given, since Jan. 24

Oregon COVID-19 cases by county

Here are the number of cases and deaths as of Saturday, April 25:

Benton: 28 cases, 5 deaths.

Clackamas: 201 cases, 6 deaths.

Clatsop: 6 cases.

Columbia: 14 cases.

Coos: 8 cases.

Crook: 1 case.

Curry: 4 cases.

​Deschutes: 71 cases.

​Douglas: 23 cases.

Grant: 1 case.

Hood River: 5 cases.

Jackson: 49 cases.

Jefferson: 5 cases.

Josephine: 19 cases, 1 death.

Klamath: 36 cases.

Lane: 50 cases. 2 death.

Lincoln: 5 cases.

​Linn: 71 cases, 7 deaths.

Malheur: 6 cases.

Marion: 432 cases, 14 deaths.

Morrow: 5 cases.

​Multnomah: 623 cases, 35 deaths.

​Polk: 37 cases, 1 death.

Sherman: 1 case.

Tillamook: 6 cases.

​Umatilla: 35 cases.

Union: 4 cases.

Wallowa: 1 case.

Wasco: 12 cases.

​Washington: 459 cases, 10 deaths.

Yamhill: 35 cases, 6 deaths.

Source: Oregon Health Authority

UPDATE AT 12:50 p.m.

OHSU team designs ventilating machine with 3D printers

Amid a global shortage of ventilators, a team from Oregon Health & Science University has come up with a low-cost version produced with 3D-printing technology, the university announced Friday.

“The goal is to provide it for free to whoever needs it,” said Albert Chi, an OHSU trauma surgeon who previously pioneered 3D-printed prosthetics for children and is leading the effort.

Depending on the printer, a single ventilator can be manufactured in three to eight hours and made operational with the addition of low-cost springs available at any hardware store.

The low-tech ventilators require no electricity, only a working oxygen tank, and can be replicated for less than $10 of material, the university said.

Chi and his team filed on Friday for emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration to deploy the design across the country.If approved, any hospital with access to a commercial-grade 3D printer would have the ability to produce a new ventilator within a matter of hours.

- Associated Press

UPDATE AT 12:30 p.m.

N95 mask disinfecting machine coming to Oregon

A Battelle Decontamination System will be located in Eugene so that it can service several areas, said Tim Wollerman, a spokesman for Oregon's pandemic response team.

The system uses hydrogen peroxide to disinfect masks and can disinfect as many as 85,000 per day.

“It’s a real force multiplier when it comes to masks,” said Chris Ingersoll, spokesman for the Oregon Office of Emergency Management.

Battelle has deployed its mask decontamination systems to Ohio, New York, Washington state, Massachusetts, Illinois, Connecticut and Georgia.

- Associated Press

UPDATE AT 11:45 a.m.

Many states fall short of mandate

to track virus exposure

ATLANTA – As more states push to reopen their economies, many are falling short on one of the federal government’s essential criteria for doing so – having an efficient system to track people who have been physically near a person infected with the coronavius.

An Associated Press review found a patchwork of systems around the country for so-called contact tracing, with many states unable to keep up with caseloads and scrambling to hire and train enough people to handle the task for the months ahead. The effort is far less than what public health experts say is needed to guard against a resurgence of the virus.

The result is a wide array of strategies and little national coordination. With few exceptions, most states reviewed by AP are going it alone. Many other countries dealing with the pandemic are taking a national approach to testing.

As late as Friday, the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said detailed guidance on contact tracing for states was “forthcoming.”

“We’ll not ever control the whole country unless we have the same strategy,” said Dr. Cyrus Shahpar, a former CDC official. “Right now, that’s not what we’re doing.”

Contact tracing is a pillar of infection control and typically requires in-depth interviews with those who may have been exposed. The number of public health employees needed for the work throughout the U.S. remains up for debate, but some estimates are as high as 300,000 people.

Health experts worry that a scattershot approach will only prolong the crisis, and they urge a more coordinated strategy. In South Korea, for example, the national health agency oversees the effort, gathering and sharing data on the movement of confirmed cases with local health departments. The country has seen its case count plummet and remain low.

There is little consensus in the states on basic questions such as how extensive the tracing should be and whether cellular data should be used to assist in identifying people who may have been exposed at a public location.

California, with nearly 40 million people and more than 37,000 confirmed cases, has limited tracing ability. It recently announced plans to establish a “contact-tracing workforce” and train 10,000 people. In Los Angeles, the nation’s second most populous city, those found to be positive at drive-thru testing centers are being asked to sign up for a contact-tracing website.

Washington state, which experienced the first major outbreak in the U.S., was also overwhelmed. It now has about 700 people focused on tracing contacts, with plans to expand the workforce to 1,500 by the second week of May.

The CDC said Friday that it is working with state and local jurisdictions to identify needs for “surge support staff” to assist with contact tracing and other infection-control measures. Currently, states seeking help must rely on CDC staff members who are embedded with state health departments and other agencies.

After a $1 billion congressional appropriation this week, the CDC plans to prepare teams of experts to help states coordinate contract-tracing efforts. The CDC Foundation has launched a “COVID-19 Corps” hiring campaign to bring in dozens of workers.

– Associated Press

UPDATE at 10:15 a.m.

"No evidence" of immunity

Some states are beginning to ramp up antibody testing in an effort to determine how many Americans have really had the COVID-19 virus and whether some can go back to work.

But the World Health Organization says the tests "need further validation to determine their accuracy and reliability."

With little public data about the tests' accuracy, experts question whether they will give people false reassurances by indicating they have immunity to the disease.

"There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection," the World Health Organization said in a statement Friday. The tests also "need further validation to determine their accuracy and reliability," the statement said.

– USA TODAY

UPDATE at 10 a.m.

Grocery suppliers and farmers offering delivery or pick-ups

Grocery stores have seen a massive uptick in demand in the past month as the public shifts, mostly, to cooking at home.

For some customers, this has meant long waits for grocery delivery or curbside pick-up.

But now, businesses that don't normally offer delivery or online shopping, including local farms and restaurant suppliers, are stepping out with options for home delivery, low-contact pick-ups, or bulk buying.

Read the story: Local farms delivery or low-contact COVID-19 pick-up

COVID-19 cases in Oregon

Here's the most recent data from the Oregon Health Authority, as of Friday:

86: Deaths from COVID-19

258: People hospitalized with confirmed or suspected COVID-19

29: Patients placed on ventilators

2,177: Tests that were positive

43,315: Tests that were negative

45,492: Total number of tests given, since Jan. 24

Oregon COVID-19 cases by county

Here are the number of cases and deaths as of Friday, April 24:

Benton: 27 cases, 5 deaths.

Clackamas: 196 cases, 6 deaths.

Clatsop: 6 cases.

Columbia: 14 cases.

Coos: 4 cases.

Crook: 1 case.

Curry: 4 cases.

​Deschutes: 70 cases.

​Douglas: 23 cases.

Grant: 1 case.

Hood River: 5 cases.

Jackson: 48 cases.

Jefferson: 2 cases.

Josephine: 19 cases, 1 death.

Klamath: 36 cases.

Lane: 50 cases. 1 death.

Lincoln: 5 cases.

​Linn: 67 cases, 7 deaths.

Malheur: 6 cases.

Marion: 417 cases, 14 deaths.

Morrow: 5 cases.

​Multnomah: 596 cases, 35 deaths.

​Polk: 33 cases, 1 death.

Sherman: 1 case.

Tillamook: 6 cases.

​Umatilla: 32 cases.

Union: 4 cases.

Wallowa: 1 case.

Wasco: 12 cases.

​Washington: 451 cases, 10 deaths.

Yamhill: 35 cases, 6 deaths.

Source: Oregon Health Authority