Lane County coronavirus update, March 16: 30 new cases; Oregon surpasses 700K cases

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Lane County Public Health reported 30 confirmed or presumptive new cases of COVID-19 and two new deaths Wednesday, raising the countywide case count to 56,855 and the death count to 488.

The number of county residents reported hospitalized Wednesday was 29, with two in intensive care and zero on a ventilator, unchanged from Tuesday. Of the 29 people hospitalized, 65.5%, or 19, are not fully vaccinated.

As of Wednesday, 275,588 people in Lane County, 72.26% of the total population, had received first or second vaccine doses with 660,599 first and second doses administered in Lane County, according to the Oregon Health Authority.

The Oregon Health Authority reported 421 additional cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, pushing Oregon above 700,000 cases of the coronavirus since the pandemic began two years ago. Oregon's per capita case rate ranks second-lowest among states, according to the OHA. Hawaii has the lowest rate.

On Wednesday, the state's total number of cases is 700,660.

— The Register-Guard

The Statesman-Journal contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Oregon COVID-19: 30 new cases in Lane County as state surpasses 700K