UMATILLA COUNTY — The latest COVID-19 case numbers and data for Umatilla County show new confirmed cases are continuing to taper off while its positive test rate has increased, as both remain well above the numbers needed to reopen schools.

As of Friday, Aug. 29, the Umatilla County Public Health Department reported 101 confirmed cases in the past seven days and dropped the seven-day average of new cases to 14.4, its lowest since June 21. According to the Oregon Health Authority’s latest calculations, the county recorded 117 cases per 100,000 and a positive test rate of 16.7% the week of Aug. 16-22.

Umatilla County recorded a positive test rate of 14.1% the week prior, according to the Oregon Health Authority.

After the county was lifted back to Phase 1 of reopening last week, local officials are continuing efforts to lower case numbers even more.

“Perhaps my greatest concern, which I share with other government leaders in the county, is that there will be a sense we have reached the finish line when in fact, we are still warming up for the real race, which is fully opening our businesses, opening our schools, and eliminating further cases,” Umatilla County Commissioner George Murdock wrote in a weekly update distributed Tuesday, Aug. 25, to public officials in the area.

If the numbers follow the pattern they have for the last four weeks and continue to decline in the county, Murdock also indicated in his Aug. 25 update that the board of commissioners will petition Gov. Kate Brown and the state to move the county into Phase 2.

In Phase 2, Umatilla County could restart recreational sports and open venues like movie theaters, bowling alleys and arcades.

But in order for Umatilla County schools to reopen for in-person instruction, the county must record less than 10 new cases per 100,000 people and a test positivity rate of less than 5% for three consecutive weeks, in addition to the state meeting the same test positivity rate standard for three weeks.

For Umatilla County, that means reporting eight or less new cases per week for three straight weeks. However, schools would be permitted to offer in-person options for kindergarten through third-grade students and school districts of less than 100 students could reopen if the county met the test positivity metric and reported 24 cases or less for three straight weeks.

“The metrics and targets change and are somewhat arbitrary but there is no getting around the simple fact we absolutely must severely reduce the number of confirmed cases,” Murdock stated in his public officials update.

The Umatilla County COVID-19 Response and Recovery Team is setting out to make these “somewhat arbitrary” metrics and targets clearer for the public. The team consists of Umatilla County, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Pendleton, Hermiston, Milton-Freewater, and the county’s school districts in partnership with Pac/West Communications, and plans to launch a website and newsletter as early as next week that will share updates on progress toward the goals of reopening all schools and businesses.

“We need to present a clear scoreboard for people to understand,” said Daniel Wattenburger, an account manager with Pac/West Communications. “We’re trying to remove some of the nuance to just say, ‘Here’s where we are and here’s where we’re going.’”

Along with the local communications strategy, the Oregon Health Authority hosted two testing events for local agricultural workers last weekend. According to Murdock, results are expected soon for the 80 people who were tested at an event in Hermiston and 133 who were tested at an event in Milton-Freewater.

But as restrictions loosen in Umatilla County and people prepare for the Labor Day holiday weekend that’s coming up, the county’s efforts need to be accompanied by the public continuing to wear face coverings, keeping their distance from others, staying home when sick and washing their hands.

“Our greatest concern is that Umatilla County citizens keep aggressively following the guidelines,” Murdock stated in his update.