Oregon reports 2,187 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 19 new deaths, Aug. 23

PORTLAND, Ore. — There are 19 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 3,012, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. Friday. “Today, we mark another sad milestone in the pandemic: Our 3,000th COVID-19 related death,” said OHA Director Patrick Allen. “We grieve for every person lost to the virus. I offer my deepest sympathies to every family who has mourned a parent, sibling or child who has died from the disease. Every death serves as a sobering reminder of the devastating personal impact COVID-19 has on all of us. Our sadness is deepened by the realization that these deaths are increasingly preventable. We know that the available vaccines provide a reliable protective shield against serious illness and death from COVID-19. These vaccines are saving lives every day and I urge every Oregonian who has not yet received the vaccine to please make a plan vaccinated.” Oregon Health Authority reported 2,187 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. Friday bringing the state total to 252,977.