Umatilla County Public Health announced the ninth positive case of COVID-19 in the county on Wednesday afternoon. In addition to the new case, the county said that four of the nine cases have recovered and none of the confirmed cases are hospitalized at this time.

UMATILLA COUNTY — A ninth person in Umatilla County has tested positive for COVID-19, the Umatilla County Public Health Department announced in a press release Wednesday. 

The release provided no demographic information about the individual, such as an age range, sex or residence in the county. However, the release did note that of the county’s nine cases, nobody is currently hospitalized, four have recovered and five are still active. 

Someone is considered “recovered” when they have been free of symptoms, such as fever, cough and shortness of breath, for 72 hours, the release said. 

Umatilla County Public Health Director Joe Fiumara continues to stress the importance of following the state’s stay home orders and advised residents to limit travel between communities when making essential trips. 

“As the number of cases in Umatilla County grow, it is critical that all residents abide by these measures,” Fiumara said in a statement. “To minimize the spread of COVID-19 between communities, we strongly encourage all residents to patronize essential services in the communities where they live.”

According to Umatilla County Public Health’s website, 275 of the 284 COVID-19 tests conducted on samples from Umatilla County residents have come back negative. 

Because it remains a “severe cold and flu season,” Umatilla County Public Health reiterated that not everyone experiencing symptoms needs to be tested. 

“COVID-19 testing will be ordered at the discretion of medical providers, not UCo Health, after individuals with respiratory symptoms are screened to rule out other potential causes such as pneumonia or influenza,” the release said.