A sign advertises drive-thru COVID-19 testing at Hermiston’s Good Shepherd Health Care System campus on Monday, July 13. More than 150 people, both with and without symptoms of the virus, were tested at the event.

UMATILLA COUNTY — Following a week of reporting 255 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and the ninth death of a county resident who had tested positive for the virus, Umatilla County now sits atop the state with 151.2 cases per 10,000 residents, according to the Oregon Health Authority.

The county has reported 1,261 confirmed and presumptive cases of the virus as of Friday, July 17, and the Oregon Health Authority identified 629 of those cases within the Hermiston ZIP code, the most cases within a single ZIP code in the entire state.

As local and state officials try to figure out how to best stem the ongoing spread of the virus, Umatilla County has asked the state to help develop a free testing event targeted at residents who have struggled to get access to testing.

“We need to explore the idea of doing what we can to make testing more readily available, particularly to those people who may have some difficulty affording it,” Umatilla County Commissioner George Murdock said at a county meeting Wednesday, July 15.

According to the Oregon Health Authority, Umatilla County residents have been tested at a rate of 911 people per 10,000, which is above the statewide average of 764.

But as Hermiston’s cases have spiked the county to the top of the state, Umatilla County Public Health Director Joe Fiumara highlighted that many of the county’s Hispanic and Latino residents live in that area and have been disproportionately affected by the virus. And some have been unable to get tested when they’ve needed it.

“We’ve had reports from Hispanic individuals that it’s taken them multiple attempts to get tested when they met all the criteria initially,” Fiumara said. “It’s just kind of exacerbating the inequities that we already knew were here.”

Umatilla County Chair John Shafer said July 16 the county reached out to the Oregon Health Authority about acquiring state assistance to plan a testing event in the area.

A spokesperson with the Oregon Health Authority stated in a July 17 email the state was unaware of any testing events planned at this time.

Fiumara said he’s less keen on the need for a large-scale testing event of those without symptoms. However, he is in favor of targeted solutions.

“It’s about providing a mechanism for some of these workplaces and employers who traditionally haven’t maybe provided a lot of sick leave or have the money to make the changes to get by if their staff are to stay home,” Fiumara said.

Good Shepherd Hospital in Hermiston held its first drive-thru testing event on July 13, where more than 150 people, both with and without symptoms, were tested. Caitlin Cozad, the hospital’s marketing and communications director, stated in a July 14 email the hospital was hoping to host more testing events in the future as “resources and capacity allow.”

But as testing ramps up in Umatilla County and all across the nation, both those things are starting to come in shorter and shorter supply.

“Many labs across the country are having difficulty keeping up with the specimens submitted,” Cozad stated. “(Good Shepherd) has been contracted with Lab Corp, which is taking anywhere between two and 10 days for COVID-19 test results.”

On the other hand, Harry Geller, chief executive officer of St. Anthony Hospital in Pendleton, said sample collection and testing turnaround time has yet to be significantly impacted by any shortages.

“Turnaround time is excellent, typically between under 24 hours up to 48 hours. Occasionally it exceeds 48 hours,” he stated in a July 17 email.

St. Anthony Clinic has collected nearly 500 samples for COVID-19 tests as of July 17, according to Geller, and can collect up to 30 samples per day. However, the clinic is taking samples only for individuals who have symptoms or have been exposed to a known case of the virus.

Fiumara said he’s started to hear reports of labs struggling to continue quick turnaround times, which complicates the health department’s attempt to adequately evaluate and respond to case data.