OHA working with county, state and Tribal public officials on outbreak linked to recent music festival, Aug. 2

OHA is investigating a COVID-19 outbreak associated with the Pendleton Whisky Music Fest held in Pendleton on July 10. Cases have been identified among residents of Umatilla, Morrow, Union and Wallowa counties, and Washington state. OHA is working with local, state and Tribal public health partners to identify other cases in people who may have attended the music festival. As of today, OHA is aware of 58 COVID-19 cases in people who attended the event. This outbreak is the first one of its size and scope to be traced to an outdoor entertainment event since the lifting of statewide COVID-19 prevention measures at the end of June. The outbreak highlights the importance of protective actions Oregonians can take to limit the spread of and their potential exposure to COVID-19, including wearing masks and getting vaccinated with any of the authorized vaccines that are widely available in every Oregon county. In Oregon this month, OHA has recorded a large increase in COVID-19 cases. That rise is linked to the spread of the Delta variant, which now accounts for 80% of Oregon’s of new cases. In response to the resurgence of COVID-19 in Oregon, OHA recommended this week that all persons, regardless of their vaccination status, wear a mask indoors in public spaces. OHA also encourages all Oregonians to consider masking if they plan to attend crowded outdoor events like fairs, sporting events, outdoor theater performances, rodeos or concerts, especially if they are at higher risk for complications from COVID-19 or live with individuals who are unvaccinated or at higher risk for complications from COVID-19. To learn more about the rise of cases throughout Oregon, driven by the prevalence of the Delta variant identified among new infections, see a rebroadcast of OHA’s Facebook Live conversation yesterday with two of our senior health advisors, Drs. Paul Cieslak and Tom Jeanne.