MEDFORD, Ore. — Jackson County Public Health on Wednesday reported the first death of a county resident due to coronavirus.
According to the agency, the patient was a 65-year-old man who tested positive on June 29. He died on July 25 at Providence Portland Medical Center.
Jackson County confirmed that the man had underlying health conditions.
“It is with very heavy hearts that we announce this fatality,” said Dr. Jim Shames, Jackson County Health Officer. “We offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of this individual.”
Southern Oregon has had relatively few fatalities attributed to the virus, with the only previous cases in Josephine and Klamath counties. Josephine County officials marked the first COVID-19 death in the region, an 81-year-old man, on April 10. On June 30, Klamath County officials said that a woman in her 70s passed away from the virus.
Jackson County also reported 13 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing the county total to 325. At least 85 of those cases are considered "active infectious."
Hospitalizations in Jackson County have also risen precipitously over the past several weeks, with at least 28 now recorded since the beginning of the pandemic. As of July 1, there were only 10 recorded hospitalizations. Nearly all of these cases are among adults age 50 or older.
The Oregon Health Authority reported a record 14 deaths on Tuesday, the highest single-day count since the pandemic began. Those latest fatalities brought the state total to 303.
Jackson County said that the local man's death is considered Oregon's 309th death attributed to coronavirus.
This is a developing story and will be updated with more details as they emerge.
