PENDLETON — The Oregon Health Authority is investigating a COVID-19 outbreak stemming from the Pendleton Whisky Music Fest.

The state so far has reported 64 COVID-19 cases tied to the music event in Pendleton on July 10. Forty-one of those cases were Umatilla County residents, according to Umatilla County Public Health Director Joe Fiumara. Cases have so far been identified in Umatilla, Morrow, Union and Wallowa counties, as well as Washington state.

“This outbreak is the first one of its size and scope to be traced to an outdoor entertainment event since the lifting of statewide COVID-19 prevention measures at the end of June,” the state said Friday, July 30.

The reported cases almost certainly are an undercount, Fiumara said, adding that more than 25% of people with presumed cases do not cooperate with contact tracers. The total also does not include people who did not attend the concert but were infected by people coming to town.

Cases already were rising in Umatilla County before the 12,000-person event — a surge health officials attributed to the state lifting virtually all pandemic restrictions at the end of June, just as the delta variant was reaching Oregon. But county health data shows a “big jump” in cases between four to six days after the concert, Fiumara said.

“While I am by no means saying all of these cases are tied to Whisky Fest,” Fiumara said. “It does seem like that concert taking place kind of jump started some additional spread in the area.”

Cases rise after concert

The county now is experiencing one of the largest COVID-19 surges in Oregon, with 745 cases reported over the past two weeks. That’s more than 8.5% of the state’s total case count during that period, according to a weekly report from OHA. 

The county’s case rate over the past two weeks was by far the highest in Oregon, and more than seven times higher than Multnomah and Washington counties, which have more than 500,000 more people and significantly higher vaccination rates. More than 22% of tests conducted in Umatilla County during that period came back positive for COVID-19, the second highest total in Oregon, according to state data. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people wear masks in public indoor places in areas where there are more than 50 new infections per 100,000 residents over the previous seven days. Umatilla County’s case rate is more than 18 times higher than that, according to state data.

Hospitals in Pendleton and Hermiston reported an uptick in COVID-19 hospitalizations last week. On Saturday, July 31, CHI St. Anthony in Pendleton had 13 COVID-positive patients in their care, the hospital’s highest total since the pandemic began. More than one in four people who came to the hospital’s emergency department over the past week with COVID-like symptoms tested positive for the virus, according to a hospital spokesperson. 

Two Umatilla County residents who recently tested positive for COVID-19 died last week, raising the death toll to 94, according to the state.

The concert, however, did not appear to break any rules. The state lifted virtually all pandemic restrictions less than two weeks before, and although health officials voiced alarm about the delta variant and cases rising in Umatilla County, no officials publicly recommended stopping the event. It likely was the largest event Eastern Oregon has seen since the pandemic began.

“It’s a very unfortunate situation,” said event co-manager Doug Corey. “Hopefully everybody will improve and get well. It would be an interesting number to know how many were vaccinated and not vaccinated.”

Corey noted he consulted with county and city officials prior to the festival and obtained all necessary permits. He said he believes the event followed all pandemic guidelines from the state and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Event organizers also capped ticket sales at 12,000 people to downsize, he added.

Fiumara said he appreciated the reduction, adding “there could have been more than 20,000” people.

Corey said he has been in close contact with state health officials now that the investigation is underway. State, county and tribal officials are working together to identify other cases from attendees, the state said.

Concerns for upcoming events

The outbreak and the ensuing investigation does not bode well for upcoming events in Umatilla County, including the Umatilla County Fair and the Pendleton Round-Up, Fiumara said.

The fair, scheduled Aug. 11-14, typically draws thousands of people. Fiumara said he expects cases to rise because of the fair, but he would not formally recommend against the event being held because of the backlash that would ensue.

“I think if you’re trying to reduce cases, I think canceling fair would be a way to do that,” Fiumara said. “And I think it would be an effective way to prevent additional spread. That being said, I’m not sure all the fallout from cancelling it would be worthwhile. I think there would be a lot of pushback.”

State and county health officials agree the best way to ensure outbreaks don’t result from large summer events is by getting more people vaccinated against COVID-19.

“Outbreaks like these will continue to occur if vaccination rates don’t increase,” said Rudy Owens, a spokesperson for OHA.

Less than 40% of Umatilla County residents are vaccinated against the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Fiumara said Gov. Kate Brown’s office reached out to the county last week, asking how officials planned to curb the county’s skyrocketing infection rates. He noted the last time Brown’s office made that move was a week before the state shut down Umatilla County.

“The state is watching things very closely,” he said.

Umatilla County has reported 9,796 COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began, according to county health data.