COVID-19 surge straining Eastern Oregon hospitals

PENDLETON, Ore. (AP) — Officials say over half of all patients hospitalized as of Tuesday at CHI St. Anthony Hospital in Pendleton, Oregon, have tested positive for COVID-19.

The East Oregonian reports the hospitalizations come as Umatilla County reported about 8% of the state’s total cases over the past two weeks despite accounting for just 2% of its population.

The county’s case rate during that same time period was more than seven times higher than Oregon's highly-populated Multnomah and Washington counties.

Umatilla County has one of the lowest vaccination rates in Oregon, with fewer than 40% of residents fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.