A COVID-19 testing on Northeast Oregon Street saw a steady trickle of customers Thursday, Jan. 6, as testing numbers, and positivity rates, spiked amid a surge of infections.
On Dec. 17, after public health officials began to fully grasp the enormity of the potential health care crisis the state faced due to the highly contagious omicron variant, Gov. Kate Brown and the Oregon Health Authority rolled out a five-point plan to flatten the curve, protect vulnerable Oregonians and blunt the coming surge’s impact on the already beleaguered health care system.
That predicted wave has now landed full force. The surge in cases and hospitalizations has already swamped hospitals, long-term care facilities, testing clinics and other health providers, which are experiencing critical staffing shortages.
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