Counties with highest COVID-19 infection rates in Oregon – KOIN.com

(STACKER) The vaccine deployment in December 2020 signaled a turning point in the COVID-19 pandemic. By the end of May 2021, 40% of the U.S. population was fully vaccinated. But as vaccination rates lagged over the summer, new surges of COVID-19 came, including Delta in the summer of 2021, and now the Omicron variant, which comprises the majority of cases in the U.S.

Researchers around the world have reported that Omicron is more transmissible than Delta, making breakthrough and repeat infections more likely. Early research suggests this strain may cause less severe illness than Delta and the original virus, however, health officials have warned an Omicron-driven surge could still increase hospitalization and death rates, especially in areas with less vaccinated populations.

The United States as of March 16 reached 964,448 COVID-19-related deaths and 79.4 million COVID-19 cases, according to Johns Hopkins University. Currently, 65.3% of the population is fully vaccinated, and 44.4% have received booster doses.

Stacker compiled a list of the counties with the highest COVID-19 infection rates in Oregon using data from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and vaccination data from Covid Act Now. Counties are ranked by the highest infection rate per 100,000 residents within the week leading up to March 15, 2022. Cumulative cases per 100,000 served as a tiebreaker.

Keep reading to see whether your county ranks among the highest COVID-19 infection rates in your state.

Editors note: A previous version of this story misstated the date of the data we used for the rankings. We have updated the copy to reflect that the data comes from infection rates per 100,000 residents within the week leading up to March 15, 2022.

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Counties with highest COVID-19 infection rates in Oregon - KOIN.com