Sean C. Morgan
The total number of COVID-19 cases rose from 191 as of the morning of March 23 to 606 statewide as of 8 a.m. Monday morning.
The death toll increased to 16 with the report of three deaths by Monday morning, including a 92-year-old male who tested positive on March 15 and died March 29 at the Oregon Veterans’ Home in Lebanon. He had underlying medical conditions. It was the second death at the facility and Linn County.
Linn County increased from 20 cases of COVID-19 to 35, with no new cases reported on Monday.
Oregon had tested 12,883 persons as of Monday morning, with 12,277 testing negative, according to the Oregon Health Authority.
Worldwide, the total number of cases increased to 779,575 by Monday afternoon, with 37,537 dead and 164,631 recovered, according to the ongoing updates by worldmeters.info. The United States had 159,689, with 2,951 deaths, a total of 16,198 new cases and 368 new deaths.
As of March 26, the City of Sweet Home reported that there were no reported cases of COVID-19 within Sweet Home. The statewide count was 316 and Linn County was reporting 25 cases at that point.
Sweet Home City Manager Ray Towry said OHA is not releasing ZIP codes for positive tests, but he believes the city might receive that information if a local resident does test positive.
While officials initially planned to shut more city operations down if a positive case were identified in Sweet Home, Towry doesn’t believe that would be necessary based on the changing level of information available through the state and federal governments.
The City of Sweet Home has partnered with recovers.org to link community needs with available resources and donations.
Local organizations post their services and needed resources to the site, sweethome.recovers.org, where residents can find where to request help or offer to donate or volunteer.
“Don’t let physical distance from others keep you from getting the help you need or providing help to others,” said Associate Planner Angela Clegg, who is overseeing Sweet Home’s page. “Sign up or give us a call. There are people in the community both waiting to help you and waiting for your help.”
She may be reached at (541) 367-8113 or at [email protected].
The lobby at City Hall remains closed. The public may access utility billing and planning and building functions remotely.
For utility billing, turning off or turning on water service may be done electronically or by picking up an application from the front of City Hall. Utility payments made be made via mail, 3250 Main St.; online; or at the City Hall drop box. Questions may be directed to (541) 367-5128.
The building program is processing applications and inspection requests online, via phone or email. Questions may be directed to (541) 367-7993.
The planning program is handling applications by email. Clegg may be reached at [email protected].
Public Works remains functional but the office is closed to the public. Crews have staggered shifts and lunch breaks. Staff members are limited to one per vehicle, and they practice social distancing while working to limit their contact with each other.
Towry said managing the response to the virus has been a learning process.
“”The big thing is the change just in the last two weeks in knowledge,” he said, adding that it was “management by groping,” feeling their way through the situation as more information is available; but there’s really no other option.