Baker County’s first COVID-19 testing clinic since early January brought 18 people to a parking lot across from the Baker County Health Department on Thursday, June 3.

County officials have been focusing since winter on vaccinating residents. But a recent drop in the number of residents being tested for the virus has officials worried about a rise in the test positivity rate pushing the county into a higher risk level, with more stringent restrictions on businesses and events.

Test positivity rate is one criterion the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) uses to set risk levels. The other is the number of cases.

Jason Yencopal, the county’s emergency management director, said he appreciated the people who took the free test on Thursday.

As of Friday, he didn’t know whether any of the tests was positive.

Yencopal said the 18 tests will help to offset a recent increase in the number of COVID-19 infections in the county. After recording 13 new cases during the final 18 days of May, the county had eight cases over the first three days of June.

To remain at the lowest risk level, the county, based on statistics over a two-week measuring period, needs to have fewer than 30 new case and a test positivity rate below 5%.

The county is on pace to stay well below the total case threshold for the current measuring period, May 23-June 5, with 17 cases through June 3. But because the number of tests has been dropping — 69 tests from May 30-June 3, compared with 237 for the week May 23-29, even a modest increase in the number of cases could push the county’s positivity rate to near, or even above, the 5% threshold, Yencopal said.

Shauna and Alan Hanley of Halfway were among those who were tested on Thursday. They were in Baker City for appointments and saw the sign for the clinic.

Shauna Hanley said Alan had COVID-19 previously, “so I wanted to find out what’s up with me.”

Roger and Janet Dexter said they read about the clinic in the Baker City Herald.

Roger Dexter said that although he expects their tests will be negative, “it will help the county’s statistics, therefore maybe (the county can) continue with the relaxed conditions.”