Group shares message from widower of first presumed COVID-19 death in C.O.
63-year-old woman had no underlying conditions, OHA says; 16 new cases reported in Central Oregon
(Update: Adding video, public post sharing comments from husband)
PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) – The first Central Oregon resident believed to have died from COVID-19 is a 63-year-old Crook County woman who came in contact with four confirmed cases at a second home in California, was in self-isolation since returning home but was showing “minimal symptoms “just days earlier, a county public health official said Thursday.
A public Facebook group called ‘Outdoor Writers Association of America’ shared a message Thursday from Patrick Young, whose wife Linda was the first Central Oregon resident believed to have died from COVID-19.
The message reads:
“With sadness we share this post from member Patrick Young:
“It is with the greatest sorry and disbelief that I have to announce that my wife of 39 years passed away last night after being exposed to the COVID-19 virus. My son Jimmy, a Prineville police officer, went to the house to check on her since she wasn’t answering her phone and found her in a recliner in the TV room. I’m on quarantine at our ranch in Shasta County since we were both exposed to our grandson Finn a couple weeks ago. I talked to a Crook County public health nurse who talked to Linda yesterday morning while giving her a COVID test and she said that Linda didn’t appear to be showing really bad symptoms so we’re all shocked by her passing. Of course the COVID restrictions will complicate our having any kind of services for Linda, but my sons and I will have a memorial at a later date after restrictions are lifted. Say a prayer for Linda! She reveled in being a grandmother to Finn and Everest and she will be missed by everyone who
knew her.”
It’s classified as a presumptive case, for now, but the county expects results of her tests from the lab at Washington State University by Friday, according to Vicky Ryan, emergency preparedness coordinator for the Crook County Health Department.
“It was a presumptive COVID-19 case that was a contact of positive confirmed cases,” she told NewsChannel 21. “She was isolating, and we had checked in with her the day before yesterday. She seemed fine. And then yesterday, we got a report from our local law enforcement that she had passed.”
The woman was not hospitalized because “she had minimal symptoms,” Ryan said, “and we had actually thought she was into recovery with her symptoms. She never got bad with her symptoms.” Officials are aware of no underlying conditions, she added.
The woman contacted Crook County officials immediately after returning home and isolated immediately. Ryan said. She contacted her doctor and the test was taken at St. Charles Prineville.
“As being a direct contact to four confirmed cases, she classified as a presumptive case for Crook County, because she was symptomatic,” she said.
The family owns a second home in California and was visiting there.
“I think that this may be a real awakening for Crook County,” Ryan said. “Because we have had such a low case count at this point, there may have been a false sense of security.”
“People need to recognize that the virus is still out there – it’s still going strong, there’s no sign of slowing. We’re starting to see more and more cases popping up,” Ryan said. She added that many are due to “large gatherings,” noting it’s a “high tourist area” and that she saw license plates from eight states in Prineville over the Fourth.
“So our local community needs to protect ourselves and our loved ones,” she said, wearing face coverings, frequent hand-washing, using hand sanitizer and to practice social distancing.
Earlier story:
PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) — COVID-19 has claimed six more lives in Oregon, including a Crook County woman — Central Oregon’s first such death — raising the state’s death toll to 230, along with a record 389 cases, the Oregon Health Authority reported Thursday.
The agency said Oregon’s 225th COVID-19 death was a 63-year-old woman in Crook County who became symptomatic on July 1, after close contact with a confirmed case, and died on Wednesday at her residence. She had no underlying medical conditions, they added.
It was, however, not the first death in Central Oregon due to COVID-19. A Newberg woman died in April at St. Charles Bend, the day after nurses helped her celebrate her 95th birthday. The Oregon Health Authority counts COVID-19 deaths in their county of residence.
Meanwhile, the health authority reported 389 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. Thursday, bringing the state total to 11,188 cases, along with 270,887 negative test results.
Sixteen of Thursday’s new cases were in Central Oregon.
The new cases are in the following counties: Benton (1), Clackamas (20), Clatsop (1), Columbia (2), Coos (4), Crook (3), Deschutes (5), Hood River (1), Jackson (7), Jefferson (8), Josephine (2), Lake (2), Lane (18), Lincoln (15), Linn (3), Malheur (31), Marion (47), Morrow (12), Multnomah (86), Polk (2), Umatilla (55), Union (4), Wallowa (1), Wasco (5), Washington (46), Yamhill (8).
Deschutes County has now had 229 cases and 11,960 negative results. Crook County has had 17 cases, one death and 1,148 negative test results. Jefferson County has had 145 cases and 2,195 negative test results.
Thursday’s case count is the highest total daily case count since the onset of the pandemic, OHA said. The recent increase in cases is attributed to workplace outbreaks and community spread. Newly diagnosed cases are being interviewed now.
As of 8:30 a.m. Thursday, St. Charles Bend reported nine COVID-19 patients, one of whom was in the ICU and on a ventilator.
Oregon’s 226th COVID-19 death is an 83-year-old man in Umatilla County whose positive test confirmation came on July 4, the day after he died. The place of death is being confirmed. He had underlying conditions.
Oregon’s 227th COVID-19 death is a 71-year-old man in Marion County who tested positive on June 26 and died on July 7, at his residence. He had underlying medical conditions.
Oregon’s 228th COVID-19 death is a 75-year-old woman in Clackamas County who tested positive on June 10 and died on July 2 at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center. She had underlying medical conditions.
Oregon’s 229th COVID-19 death is a 78-year-old woman in Clackamas County who died on June 18 at her residence. More details are pending.
Oregon’s 230th COVID-19 death is a 90-year-old man in Marion County who tested positive on May 9 and died on June 1, at his home. He had underlying conditions.
Stay informed about COVID-19:
Oregon response: The Oregon Health Authority and Oregon Office of Emergency Management lead the state response.
United States response: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention leads the U.S. response.
Global response: The World Health Organization guides the global respon
