March 18, 2020
Page 2
County to Open More Shelters
Coronavirus
response aimed at
community in crisis
(AP) — Authorities in Multnomah
County announced Tuesday that they will
be opening hundreds of new shelter beds
in public buildings throughout the city to
try to stem the spread of the coronavirus
in the homeless community.
The most vulnerable homeless resi-
dents have been given vouchers for hotel
and motel rooms and those businesses
will not be allowed to kick them out or
turn people away, said Deborah Kafoury,
chair of the Multnomah County Board of
Commissioners.
Local government will also open spac-
es for homeless people with the coronavi-
rus to recuperate indoors, she said.
Volunteers have made contact with
1,700 people living on the streets or in
their cars in the past week throughout the
county to provide information about the
coronavirus and to offer services, Kafoury
said.
“What if you don’t have a place where
you can self-quarantine? What happens
when the libraries close, the cafes aren’t
open and public spaces are no longer
available?” she said at a news conference
announcing the initiatives.
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Anthony Crowell sits at his barber station, downtown, after multiple customers canceled haircuts Monday because of fears
about the spread of the coronavirus. Crowell usually has a steady clientele of business people at his barber shop but customers
have stopped coming in recent days. (AP photo)
“These are people who simply don’t
have the option to close the front door and
hope that the worst won’t come.”
The city and county are also jointly
suspending evictions for those who can’t
pay the rent due to COVID-19 for as long
as the crisis lasts, said Portland Mayor
Ted Wheeler.
Renters will have six months to repay
their back rent after the city and county
lift the state of emergency.
Those who will qualify for the evic-
Housing Evictions Stopped
tion moratorium are renters who have
lost jobs or had reduced hours due to
business closures; who have been out of
work to watch children who are out of
school; or who have been sick with the
coronavirus or have a family member
who is ill.
The city and county are coordinating
with the Oregon courts and local sheriff’s
officials to make sure no one is evicted.
“Many people are in fear and we under-
stand that,” Wheeler said. “Extraordinary
The
Week
in
Review
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and Coun-
ty Chair Deborah Kafoury Tuesday an-
nounced a moratorium on renter evic-
tions to assist the community during the
coronavirus crisis. “For people who are
losing their wages due to COVID-19 and
find themselves unable to pay rent, we
want you to be able to stay in your home,”
Kafoury said. People will have 6 months to
pay back what they owe.
state tournaments. The Democrats were the
only Portland school still competing for a
state championship in the sport.
Blazers, Timbers Sidelined
Suspension of Disconnects
The Portland Trail Blazers and Timbers
have suspended operations because of the
coronavirus. The NBA suspended its sea-
son “until further notice” last week after
a Utah Jazz player tested positive for the
coronavirus. Major League Soccer an-
nounced it would stop all games for 30
days because of the virus threat.
Jefferson Season Ends
The Jefferson High School boys basketball
team ended their season last week when
the OSAA canceled all remaining winter
sports high school championships, includ-
ing the Class 6A, 5A and 4A basketball
The Portland area’s three largest utilities,
Portland General Electric, Pacific Power,
and Northwest Natural all announced a
suspension of disconnects and/or late fees
to support residents during the coronavi-
rus outbreak. “We are ready around the
clock to answer any questions about your
electrical service and help any customers
who are having difficulty paying their
electrical bills,” a Pacific Power represen-
tative said.
Price Gouging Targeted
Gov. Kate Brown Monday declared an “ab-
normal disruption of the market,” trigger-
times require extraordinary actions.”
Gov. Kate Brown on Monday banned
on-site consumption at bars and restau-
rants around the state for at least four
weeks in a bid to slow the spread of the
new coronavirus and said gatherings will
be limited to 25 people or fewer.
Restaurants can still offer takeout or
delivery but the ban on in-restaurant din-
ing is intended to give teeth to guidance
on social distancing to slow transmission
of COVID-19.
ing new consumer protections to prevent
price gouging. As consumers hoard toilet
paper, hand sanitizer and other emergen-
cy supplies, there have been reports from
around the country that people are selling
such items at tremendous markups online,
in stores or on the street.
Stigmas Hurt Businesses
Asian-American-owned businesses in
Portland have seen a downturn in business
since the coronavirus outbreak because of
xenophobic and racist stigmas about the
virus’ spread, Multnomah County report-
ed last week. “Some members of our im-
migrant communities and communities of
color have experienced acts of racism and
xenophobia,” the county announcement
said.
Biden Wants Woman VP
Joe Biden on Sunday committed to picking
a woman running mate if he is the Demo-
cratic presidential nominee. “I commit that
I will in fact pick a woman to be vice pres-
ident,” Biden said during a longer answer
about what he would do to support women
if he becomes president.