A resident of southern Oregon who knowingly went to work with coronavirus symptoms is connected to two separate outbreaks in the area, county officials said.
The unidentified person later turned out to be positive for the virus, with officials saying they were responsible for “spreading actions”.
“One of these outbreaks resulted in seven deaths and the other outbreak recently quarantined more than 300 people / families,” Public Health Officer Bob Dannenhoffer said in a statement Thursday, according to The Washington. Post. “We can’t even imagine the extraordinary remorse these people are feeling right now and we sympathize with.”
“In addition to super-spreader events, we also have super-spreader actions. This is one of the most worrying issues we are facing at the moment, “he added. “At the top of the list for super-widespread actions are people who inadvertently and unconsciously choose to go to work when they are sick.”
Thirty-seven people have died in the county since the pandemic began, while the state recorded 1,347 deaths. Douglas County is one of 29 jurisdictions of state officials considered “extremely at risk” due to the virus, and the death toll of seven people for one of the outbreaks is nearly 20 percent of all coronavirus deaths reported in the county.
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Although many white-collar workers worked from home during the pandemic, other jobs where this is not an option, including grocery stores and meat packing plants, have seen numerous outbreaks. Douglas County officials did not disclose where the person at the center of the outbreak worked or the nature of the job.