6A | JULY 16, 2020
LCPH
from A1
COVID. All of this is
dependent on individu-
al actions.”
Davis believed the sit-
uation in smaller com-
munities like Cottage
Grove can be aggravat-
ed by the number of
tourists coming to the
region, filling up park-
ing lots and crowding
downtown streets.
“We are certainly try-
ing to do our very best
to discourage people
from unnecessary trav-
el, to encourage them
to stay home if they can
or reevaluate their trav-
el plans. But it’s a hard
thing to message,” Davis
said.
Still, the crowds are
coming, which creates
an issue for the unique
population of the area.
“In public health, we
take a harm-reduction
approach. Basically, the
assertion is that when it
comes to anything from
seatbelts to speeding,
people don’t fully grasp
or behave in a preven-
tative fashion until they
have experienced the
negative results of an ac-
tion,” Davis said. “Since
it’s not our business to
go out and spread dis-
eases so we can be more
effective in our messag-
ing, all we can do is say,
‘Hey, we understand
that you want to get
outside. We understand
that this is tough. If you
go outside and you see
a gathering of people,
walk around them, cross
the street, don’t go near
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COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
them.”
It’s also vital for res-
idents to follow safe
practices when they are
at home as well.
“If you’re going to
have a gathering in your
house, and it’s three peo-
ple, examine whether or
not you have to do it,”
Davis said. “If you feel
like you absolutely have
to do it, make sure you
have six feet between ev-
erybody in your house
and make sure you have
a mask on if you can.
And if the options are
available, meet in the
backyard instead of in-
side the house. It’s just
little things like that. If
you have to do these ac-
tivities, try and do it as
safely as possible.”
It’s particularly im-
portant to adhere to safe
practices during per-
sonal interactions.
“The workplace is a
perfect example,” said
Davis. “So, we have
these businesses where
there’s no transmission
happening on the floor.
Not a single customer
is getting sick. The only
people who are getting
sick are those who are
wearing masks all day
long. That’s because,
as soon as they get off
work, they go on back
and share a cigarette
with someone. You just
completely defeated the
purpose of this whole
thing.”
Davis stated that the
regulations imposed by
the state aren’t simply to
check a box on a preven-
tion list, but to encour-
age behavior that leads
to actual results.
“There’s a changeable
outcome to this behav-
ior. If you don’t practice
it all the time, you miss
the point,” Davis said. “If
you wear a mask when
you go to the grocery
store, wear a mask when
you invite friends over
— because it’s the same
type of interaction.”
The warnings come
as Oregon Gov. Kate
Brown extended mask
requirements to out-
doors and restricted
private gatherings to 10
people or less on Mon-
day.
“The COVID-19 dis-
ease is spreading rapid-
ly across the entire state
of Oregon,” Brown said
in a news conference.
“Each and every one of
us needs to take action
— immediate action —
to slow the spread of the
disease.”
Oregon has seen more
cases reported in the
past week than it has
for the entire month of
May. July also saw 100
cases reported in a sin-
gle day, which hasn’t oc-
curred in over a month.
Half of all current cas-
es are people under the
age of 40, and the state
recorded its second
death from someone in
their 30s.
“We have done so
much, we have come so
far, we have sacrificed
so deeply — we cannot
let this virus get the best
of us,” Brown said. “To-
day, we are sounding the
alarm because we are at
risk of allowing the vi-
rus to spiral out of con-
trol. This is what we saw
in New York this spring,
and it’s what we’re see-
ing today in Texas, Flor-
ida and Arizona. The
question now is whether
Oregon will be the next
New York or next Tex-
as.”
Starting
yesterday
(July 15), face coverings
are also required out-
doors if people aren’t
able to maintain a phys-
ical distance of at least
six feet.
“Any time you are out-
doors and can’t man-
age a physical distance
of six feet, and you are
with people you don’t
live with, please, please,
please put on a face cov-
ering,” said Brown.
As for enforcement of
the mandate, the gover-
nor stated that it would
still be up to businesses
to enforce the rule.
“If a restaurant has
outdoor seating, if a
grocery store has a line
out front or if a ven-
ue is hosting an event,
businesses will have to
include face coverings
outdoors as part of their
operation plan, just as
they have for indoor
spaces,” she said.
Brown stated that
there has been a state-
wide enforcement team
that has been tasked
with ensuring business-
es are enforcing face
covering requirements.
Over the Fourth of July
weekend, the task force
visited over 800 busi-
nesses across the state.
“For those businesses
that are not following
the rules, there will be
serious consequences,
including citations, fines
and ultimately closing
down businesses that
refuse to protect their
employees and their
customers,” Brown said.
Additionally, the gov-
ernor mandated that
private gatherings, such
as potlucks, dinner par-
ties and book clubs, can-
not exceed 10 people.
The rule does not apply
to businesses or church-
es, which have been im-
plementing state man-
dates and have not been
a major cause of spread
in Oregon.
“Indoor group social
gatherings are fueling
much of the spread,”
said OHA Director Pat
Allen. “Since Oregon
began reopening, we’ve
seen new clusters and
outbreaks of COVID-19
when people get togeth-
er inside, especially in
small social gatherings
with family and friends.
It’s understandable why
this occurs. You’re with
family and friends and
that feels inherently
safe. People think less
about taking the pre-
cautions they need to
protect themselves and
their friends and family
from COVID-19.”
Brown was aware that
the state would not be
able to enforce the pri-
vate gathering mandate.
“I’m not going to set
up the ‘party police,’”
she said. “The proof will
be in the numbers. Ei-
ther people will adhere
to this requirement and
become a positive force
for stopping COVID-19,
or I will be forced to
take more restrictive
measures. No one wants
that.”
Other states in the
nation, including Tex-
as and California, have
taken steps to close bars
and restaurants entirely
as their infection rate
spreads. Brown has not
gone that far yet, hop-
ing that people will take
personal responsibility
to help slow the spread.
However, if the numbers
in Oregon do not be-
gin to decrease, “noth-
ing is off the table,” she
said. The state may see
a return to some of the
shutdown
mandates
seen at the beginning of
the pandemic.
“I want the press and
the public to note that
so many Oregonians
are already wearing face
coverings and limiting
their in-person social
gatherings — Thank
you, thank you,” Brown
said. “I know this is
hard. It’s really hard. It’s
lasting much longer, and
the virus is much tough-
er to beat than any of us
would ever wish.”
But despite the major-
ity of Oregonians’ best
efforts, the virus has still
spread.
“It may still be possi-
ble for us to keep bars,
restaurants and shops
open, to gather again in
larger groups, to contin-
ue to hike, camp and go
to parks,” Brown said.
“But it all depends on
us.
“Our choices will de-
termine our future.”
Reduce Distractions Behind the Wheel
Despite the fact that automobiles are now de-
signed with more safety features than ever be-
fore, the rate of traffi c accidents and fatalities
continue to rise. Th e National Safety Council
says safety improvement like crash-avoidance
technology hasn’t reduced accidents, and
driver error is still to blame for many crashes
— with distractions behind the wheel and
impaired driving leading the way.
Th e National Highway Traffi c Safety Ad-
ministration says distracted driving claimed
3,450 lives in 2016 alone. Distracted driving
is defi ned as any activity that diverts driv-
ers’ attention from the road. Th is can include
everything from talking to passengers to eat-
ing to fi ddling with the car radio. However,
distractions from technology have become
especially alarming, particularly texting or
reading phones while driving. During daylight
hours, approximately 481,000 drivers typically
use cell phones while driving. Th e NHTSA
says that removing one’s eyes from the road for
a mere 5 seconds when traveling at 55 miles
per hour is like driving the length of a football
fi eld with your eyes closed.
Reducing distractions should be a priority for
all drivers. Here are some suggestions, cour-
tesy of Geico insurance and AAA Exchange.
• Store loose gear and
other items that can
roll around away from
the driver’s seat so you
are not tempted to
reach for them.
• Adjust mirrors, GPS
maps, climate con-
trols, music, and more
before you put the car
in drive.
• Use a mobile phone
only for emergency
purposes and only
aft er pulling over to the side of the road. Avoid
social conversations on the phone while driv-
ing.
• Limit the number of passengers you allow
inside your car. Th e more passengers, the more
distractions. Th is is especially true for young
drivers.
• Eat food before getting in the car. Snacking
while driving makes you less attentive to the
road around you.
• Secure children and pets accordingly. Both
should wear harnesses and not be given free
reign to roam around the car.
• Try to focus only on driving while in the
car. Leave the multitasking to when you’re not
behind the wheel.
Geico indicates that studies have shown people
are limited in the amount of information they
can process at any one time. Driving requires
focus and an ability to react to a host of poten-
tial circumstances. Distractions compromise
drivers’ ability to focus. Reducing distractions
can considerably cut down on the number of
motor vehicle accidents each year.
Th is message brought to you by the
following sponsors:
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116 N. 6th Street, Cottage Grove
541-942-3325 • www.cgsentinel.com