Sarah Poe, Malheur County Health Department director.
A man in his 20s from Malheur County has tested positive for COVID-19, the first time a local resident has been confirmed infected, the Malheur County Health Department announced Sunday afternoon.
“He is quarantined and recovering at home,” according to a statement from Sarah Poe, director of the county health department.
Health officials don’t identify patients because of medical privacy issues.
Last week, a woman from Payette County employed by an Ontario contractor was reported by Idaho officials to be infected.
“As the state’s ability to test for COVID-19 increases, so will the number of positive cases,” Poe said.
Health officials say that an estimated 80% of those infected will have mild symptoms and can recover at home.
The Malheur County case came after the Oregon Health Authority posted its updated report on coronavirus cases in Oregon. The data, from Sunday morning, listed 548 people infected with 13 deaths. The state data showed 49 people age 20 to 29 have been infected with only four requiring hospitalization.
In Malheur County, 36 tests for COVID-19 have come back negative. Statewide, there have been 10,878 negative tests.
Cases have now been reported in 25 counties, including Union, Grant and Morrow but to date no infections have been detected in Harney or Baker counties.
This is a developing story.