PENDLETON — Morrow County on Monday, July 25, reported three new deaths from COVID-19, bringing its total to 37 and its case rate to a high 301 per 100,000 people in its population, according to the Oregon Health Authority. The state rate was 190 and Multnomah County’s 158 on July 20.

Umatilla County’s last recorded death attributed to COVID-19 occurred June 16, Marlee Goodnight, health department communications coordinator, said.

“Death reports continue to trickle in from the massive January surge,” she said. “Most fatalities are among the old.”

Despite no deaths this month to date, total recorded COVID-19 mortality in Umatilla County grew from 229 in early July to 235 by July 25.

Umatilla County had the second highest COVID-19 case rate among Oregon counties as of July 20, with 29,606 per 100,000 population.

At 31,773, Jefferson County was first and its neighbor Crook third, at 27,160, in Oregon Health Authority data. Malheur and Deschutes counties rounded out the top five, followed by Grant, Morrow and Harney. The only western Oregon county in the top 10 was Linn in ninth place, ahead of Klamath.

With 294 fatalities per 100,000, Umatilla County also reported a higher than statewide average rate of deaths attributed to COVID-19.

During the week of June 26 to July 2, 209 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Umatilla County. That number fell to 190 for July 3-9, and to 189 for July 10-16. Data were not yet available for July 17-23 at press time.

OHA wastewater monitoring for SARS-CoV-2 viral concentration showed no change at Pendleton and sustained decrease at Hermiston this month. Pendleton was last sampled on July 11 and Hermiston on July 14.

Umatilla County’s COVID-19 vaccination rate of 60.4% of population aged 18 or older with at least one dose remains below the state median for 36 counties of about 69.5% and state mean average of 84.6%.

Umatilla County had a population of 80,075, according to the 2020 census. Of that number, 40,853 individuals have been vaccinated, equating to 60.4% of those 18 or older being vaccinated, as of July 18, according to the OHA.

The number of Umatilla County residents who have been vaccinated varies greatly by age group:

5 months to 4 years: 41

5-11 years: 1,149

12-17 years: 2,966

18-19 years: 1,240

20-49 years: 16,615

50-64 years: 8,859

65+ years: 9,983

In Umatilla County, of people age 18 and older 14,567 have received a booster dose. Those eligible to receive a booster dose but haven’t yet numbered 18,260. Of those eligible 44.4% have received a booster. For comparison, statewide 84.6% of those over 18 have been vaccinated, and of those eligible 47.4% have been boosted, Goodnight reported.

The OHA on July 20, urged Oregonians in the 21 counties with high COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations to mask up, warning the state’s hospital system is again under extreme strain.

“You still need to wear a mask in health care settings to keep everyone safe,” the OHA’s website read.

The OHA emphasized that data from Opera, Oregon’s COVID-19 disease surveillance system, are provisional and subject to change.

Both presumptive and confirmed cases make up the total. Presumptive cases are people without a positive diagnostic test but with symptoms like COVID-19 and close contact with a laboratory-confirmed case.