JOHN DAY — COVID-19 has claimed another life in Grant County, public health officials announced on Wednesday, Jan. 19, the same day the virus shattered the county’s single-day record with a staggering 41 new cases.

Meanwhile, four people are currently being hospitalized for COVID-19 at Blue Mountain Hospital, a Wednesday press release from the Grant County Health Department noted.

According to the department’s press release, the Grant County resident who died with COVID-related symptoms was an 83-year-old male, and he passed away on Jan. 7 at St. Charles Medical Center in Bend.

The department asked the community to be respectful as the man’s family grieves.

Kimberly Lindsay, the county’s public health administrator, said in a Wednesday phone interview that while she could not say with 100% certainty that the Grant County man died from contracting the omicron variant, it stands to reason that he did, given that it is the most common variant at play in Oregon.

Lindsay said the number of positive cases reported on Wednesday was “staggering.” The case count nearly doubled the previous daily record, which was 24.

“I just had to pause and say, ‘OK,’” Lindsay said.

Lindsay said she wants people to have a healthy sense of balance, but the community needs to be incredibly thoughtful about the risk of contracting the highly transmissible omicron variant.

According to Lindsay, the state has forecasted the peak of the omicron wave to be around Jan. 28, and, so far, state health officials have been spot on in those projections. However, she said, Eastern Oregon’s peak is projected to come a little bit later.

Lindsay said while health officials have seen an increase in pediatric hospitalizations, kids seem to bounce back from COVID-19 infections across the board.

Still, the older population, the immunocompromised and those who are not fully vaccinated are at risk of serious illness.

Lindsay encouraged people to take advantage of an offer to receive four free COVID-19 tests from the federal government. People can sign up to receive the tests online at covidtests.gov.