March 2, 2021 2:00 p.m.

1 more person has died of COVID-19 in Douglas County, 25 more people have received new positive test results, and the first positive case of the COVID-19 P.1. variant in Oregon and on the west coast has been reported locally, as of Tuesday.

County Public Health Officer Dr. Bob Dannenhoffer said the 55th death was a 91-year old woman who was diagnosed with COVID-19 on February 19th, and passed away on Sunday.

Dannenhoffer confirmed the first COVID-19 P.1. variant case. He said the Douglas Public Health Network sent a sample of a local COVID-19 test swab to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at the end of January. The results were received back on Monday night. Dannenhoffer said Douglas County is among one of the few counties that continues to investigate, track and support all local COVID-19 cases. He said there have only been 10 other cases of this variant reported in the United States. The P.1 variant has been seen mostly in Brazil, but there have been cases in Japan and in the United Kingdom. Dannenhoffer said this variant has 17 mutations from the original virus and appears to be more contagious that the original COVID-19 strain. He said public health officials worry that the COVID-19 variants could be more infectious, perhaps more deadly and maybe less controlled by the current vaccine.

The update said the total number of cases is now at 2,519. Of those, 2,394 are people that have received positive test results and 125 are presumptive. Tuesday was a record day for the largest number on contacts to be recorded in a single day, at 206. 196 people are in isolation. 682 people are in quarantine. That means the staff with DPHN is supporting 872 people that are either in isolation or quarantine. That is an increase of 60 people since Monday.

The next drive through testing clinic with DPHN is Friday in Roseburg.

Go to www.douglaspublichealthnetwork.org for more local information on COVID-19.