UMATILLA COUNTY — Umatilla County Public Health announced 27 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, June 30, pushing the county’s case count to 524.

The 19 confirmed cases are from people who have already tested positive for COVID-19 while the eight new presumptive cases are from people who have shown symptoms and have been in close contact with a previously confirmed case, but have not yet tested positive.

The gap between active and recovered cases continues to narrow, and the hospitalization count also grew from six people to eight. Five Umatilla County residents have died from COVID-19.

Umatilla County Public Health is continuing to recommend social distancing and frequent handwashing, and with Gov. Kate Brown’s order set to take effect on July 1, is now encouraging face coverings when out in public.

The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation isn’t subject to Brown’s order, but the tribes announced June 30 that it too was requiring face masks in all buildings, excluding homes.

The development comes on the same day that the tribes announced another case of COVID-19, bringing the CTUIR’s total to seven.

In a press release, the tribes state that the latest patient had been to a large event. The CTUIR had been able to identify 17 people the person had been in close contact with since contracting the virus.

With Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center increasing the number of tests its running to accommodate the close contacts, the CTUIR is advising Yellowhawk patients that it will have less time for routine or same-day appointments.

To the west, Morrow County Emergency Management announced five new cases in the county, bringing the county’s total to 64.

Northern Morrow County continues to take the brunt of the virus, with 30 in Irrigon and 28 in Boardman.

Most county residents are recovering from home in self-isolation, but one person remains in the hospital with the virus while one person has died.