As the daily count of COVID-19 patients skyrocketed on Tuesday, the effects spread deeper through Oregon.

Oregon schools followed Washington’s in trying to relaunch education but without classrooms. The public bus system serving Salem, the state’s capital, shut down until further notice. And agencies and businesses continued to come up with creative ways for serving the public.

The 84 new cases of COVID-19 announced Tuesday represented half of Oregon’s counties. Eighteen people have died, all of them age 60 or older.

No age range has been exempt from contracting the disease, but no one younger than 20 has been hospitalized.

Andrew Phelps, director of the Office of Emergency Management, reiterated that the state’s goal is to spread transmission of the disease over a longer period so as not to overwhelm the health system at any one time.

The State Emergency Coordination Center reported that 213 patients currently were hospitalized in Oregon with COVID-19, including 40 on ventilators.

Oregon hospitals were ordered to end elective and non-urgent surgeries, so more than half the state’s hospital beds are empty. They include 2,113 adult non-ICU beds, 280 adult ICU beds, 203 pediatric beds and 85 pediatric ICU beds. Hospitals also have 749 ventilators available.

In response to questions, Philip Schmidt, who is with the Oregon COVID-19 Joint Information Center, said it was too early to interpret data about the outbreak, other than it is widespread.

“Epidemiologists told us that reported case counts are subject to significant testing biases,” he wrote in an email response to questions.

Since January, more than 13,800 people have been tested in Oregon for COVID-19. About 5% of those having tested positive.

Schmidt said statistics were unavailable on the number of COVID-19 patients who have recovered, including how many have been discharged after being treated.

Here is a roundup of recent developments:

School without buildings: Colt Gill, who heads the state Department of Education, acknowledged that the original expectation was that coronavirus might cause students to miss a few days of instruction. As when snowstorm or forest fires close schools, the students likely would make up some days during the summer.

Now there is a strong possibility that school buildings will not reopen before this school year ends. Gill announced that by April 13, school districts must be providing education for every student through distance learning — online or other means.

In implementing distance learning, Gill said that Oregon is leaning on the experience of Kansas, California, Texas, and especially Washington state.

Salem-area buses: The Salem Area Mass Transit District abruptly suspended local and regional bus service as of Tuesday, after running a reduced schedule on Monday.

Known as Cherriots, the agency covers a 76-square-mile area of Salem, Keizer and the Mid-Willamette Valley. Its paratransit service, Cherriots LIFT, will provide trips only for life-sustaining services, such as medical care and dialysis treatment.

Meanwhile, the city of Salem is no longer enforcing parking meters downtown and has closed two of the main parking garages.

Making masks: The Newberg Mask Force, which includes the city library, is making hundreds of cotton masks requested by local hospices, retirement communities and others.

“Though these masks are less effective than professional surgical masks, they are filling a local need,” the city’s Lacey Dykgraaf said.

Finding a job: The Oregon Association of Nurseries has created an online listing of nursery and greenhouse businesses looking to hire seasonal and temporary help. 

Oregon Health Plan: The federal government has granted Oregon more flexibility in operating its Medicaid program.

Nearly one-fourth of the state’s residents are on the Oregon Health Plan, and they will not lose coverage during the current crisis, according to Patrick Allen, director of the Oregon Health Authority. Federal stimulus payments and increased unemployment benefits will not affect new applicants’ eligibility.

Scam warnings: State officials and the FBI warned Oregonians not to fall for coronavirus scams.

They include ones designed to acquire personal information by promising access to a top-secret vaccine, miracle cure, government assistance or economic relief. Other scams involve fraudulent offers of personal protective equipment or high-return investments in health products.

Prescription delivery: Milwaukie joined the list of police and sheriff’s departments that will pick up and deliver prescriptions for seniors most at risk of the coronavirus. Customers must pay for the prescriptions ahead of time.