STATE
MyEagleNews.com
Wednesday, May 13, 2020
A9
Oregon coronavirus council points out ambiguity, uncertainty in state reopening plan
By Dick Hughes
For the Oregon Capital Bureau
State officials initially did not
want to include bars in the first
phase of reopening Oregon coun-
ties. That is why bars and restaurants
that open for dine-in service must
close by 10 p.m. under the guidelines
announced by Gov. Kate Brown.
“It was an imperfect way to get
at kind of what the intent was. Our
intention was never to open bars,”
said Leah Horner, who is Brown’s
adviser on jobs and the economy. “But
we didn’t want to close down people’s
ability to get a drink from a bar in a
restaurant.”
There was not a clear licensure
that would allow restaurants to serve
liquor but keep other bars closed.
“The only way to get at that was
by putting a 10 p.m. closure time,”
Horner said Friday during a videocon-
ference of the Governor’s Coronavi-
rus Economic Advisory Council.
Council members pointed to ambi-
guity and uncertainty in the state’s
three-phase criteria for when cer-
tain businesses operations and public
activities should resume.
Horner acknowledged that offi-
cials were still figuring out how to
share adequate information about the
reopening from closures due to the
COVID-19 pandemic.
The Bulletin/Ryan Brennecke
Lights from downtown businesses glisten off the pavement Saturday after a passing rain shower covered a nearly emp-
ty Wall Street in downtown Bend.
As of May 15, furniture stores,
art galleries, jewelry shops and bou-
tiques may reopen if they follow the
state’s physical distancing and health
guidelines. Many other businesses
can’t open until their county govern-
ment files a reopening plan and then
receives state approval.
Horner, who also is the gover-
nor’s Regional Solutions director,
said many details remain in flux, such
as when face coverings would be
required at certain types of businesses.
“It may take a little bit to ramp up
to that. We’re still looking at what that
timeline looks like but acknowledging
there needs to be a little more clarity
on that,” she said.
Guidelines on child care, sum-
mer school, camps, gyms and transit
will be announced next week. After
talking with gym owners, Horner said,
officials realized that some gym oper-
ations could reopen safely.
Members of the economic advi-
sory council asked for clarity on lia-
bility protections, travel and other
issues.
“As counties open up, if Deschutes
County is open but Marion County is
closed, could the residents of Salem
travel to Deschutes County?” asked
Todd Davidson of Travel Oregon.
Jason Brandt of the Oregon
Restaurant and Lodging Association
pointed out that Brown did not shut
down lodging but restricted travel,
leaving the lodging industry in a
bind.
“For a lot of our lodging opera-
tors, they’re kind of just waiting on
pins and needles to understand where
they fit in on the phases,” Brandt
said. “And then how they can prove,
which a lot of them can already right
now, that their operations are entirely
safe for their guests and also for their
employees?”
He and others also asked about
the prospects for weddings, group
meetings and other events in hotels
and elsewhere, as well as operations
of zoos, museums and gardens.
“State Fair folks said they’re
not going to operate, but does that
mean some of these maybe smaller
meetings can still occur? I think the
answer is probably yes,” Horner
said. “So we’re going to be working
through some of those pieces.”
Union officials asked that better
information be provided for workers,
including what they should do if they
are called back to their jobs but lack
child care or are at high risk of con-
tracting COVID-19.
The governor’s staff said they are
starting on developing worker guide-
lines. They also confirmed that the
annual state minimum wage increase
would occur in July as scheduled.
Officials also announced that
Business Oregon will be taking appli-
cations for matching grants for local
governments that create COVID-19
grant or loan programs to assist very
small businesses. The state initially
will dispense $2.5 million.
Governor: Oregon could reopen under 3-phase plan, but distancing likely for months
A plan to reopen Oregon’s
businesses and allow social
gatherings will rely on a three-
phase approach, with major
decisions being made at the
county level, depending on
local health conditions.
On Thursday, Gov. Kate
Brown and state health offi-
cials cautioned that current
measures regarding physi-
cal distancing and hygiene
likely will remain in place
for months to come, as some
retailers in rural counties pre-
pare to enter the first phase of
reopening for in-person activi-
ties by Friday, May 15.
Brown’s office said the
goal with the phased reopen-
ing is to “minimize hospi-
talizations and deaths” and
reduce risk to health care and
frontline workers.
So far, Oregon has seen far
fewer cases and fatalities from
COVID-19 compared to other
states and countries. The gov-
ernor credited the stay-home
orders and Oregonians’ adher-
ence to safety precautions
with the state’s infection rate.
“These sacrifices have pre-
vented as many as 70,000
COVID-19
infections,”
Brown said. “We still don’t
have everything we need,
but things are definitely
improving.”
Brown likened the state’s
plans to testing out the ice on
a frozen pond before going ice
skating.
She and other health offi-
cials warned that “reopening
still comes with risk.”
“As we reopen parts of our
economy, we know and expect
that there may be an uptick
in new coronavirus cases,”
Brown said Thursday.
Oregon’s three-phase plan
allows businesses, personal
service providers and retail-
ers to reopen on a conditional
basis, with specific guide-
lines for each business sec-
tor. Returning to in-person
activities will be dependent
largely on the risk factor of
each activity, as well as health
conditions and the number
of COVID-19 cases in each
county and region across the
state.
In all cases, state officials
want residents to wear face
masks when working in or
entering any business, with
exceptions for eating and
drinking.
Phase 1: As soon as
Friday, May 15 in some
areas
In counties approved to
open during Phase 1, restau-
rants and bars could allow
patrons to dine on-site, so
long as tables are 6 feet apart.
Employees would need to
wear face masks and cover-
ings supplied by the business,
and all activity must end by
10 p.m.
Fitness centers could open,
with limits on the number of
occupants, and salons also
could reopen by appointment
only, but they’d need to keep
a log of every customer who
visits, to allow for contract
tracing by health departments
if needed.
Standalone retail shops and
boutiques also could resume
activity under the Phase 1
plans, as long as they can fol-
low specific guidelines laid
out by the Oregon Health
Authority.
State leaders said they
aren’t recommending group
gatherings of more than 10
people yet.
A county could move on
to Phase 2 after three weeks,
only if they continue to meet
the parameters of Phase 1.
Before entering Phase 1, a
county would need to demon-
strate a declining prevalence
of COVID-19: that is, a steady
drop in hospitalizations for 14
days, with emergency room
visits for COVID-like illness
being below what they typi-
cally are for influenza.
Specific guidelines for test-
ing regimens and contact trac-
ing systems, along with sup-
plies of personal protective
equipment and other health
care capacity also are iden-
tified as prerequisites in the
state plan.
Phase 2: Similar to
Phase 1, with expanded
gathering sizes
Brown’s office said the
goal of Phase 2 is to further
expand allowable gathering
sizes, allow more people to
work together in offices and
allow visitation at congregate
care facilities.
Phase 3: Concerts,
festivals will be last to
return
Large gatherings at
places like festivals, con-
certs and sporting events,
won’t see a comeback any-
time soon. Initial guidance
from the state indicates they
will be postponed until at
least September, but large
events could be delayed
beyond that, until a vaccine
or prevention is developed,
draft guidelines indicate.
Thursday’s
announce-
OUTPATIENT EAR
AND FOOT CLINIC
Open
Mon. - Thurs.
8AM - 4PM
Grant
SWCD Weed
Weed Control
Control Dept.
Dept.
Grant SWCD
Working
for You
You in in 2020
2019
Working for
Regular and High
Risk Foot Care done
by specially trained
RN or CNA.
422 West Main
John Day OR, 97845
Thanks to the Grant County Court and Northeast Oregon Forests Resource
Advisory Committee, Grant Weed Control is able to offer a 50% Cost
Share Program for Noxious Weed Control on Private Grazing Lands,
through a Title II funded Grant Project. This program will provide a
maximum $5,000 of noxious weed control services with a $2,500 maximum
landowner contribution to qualifying participants. To be eligible for
participation, the treatment property must not be actively irrigated and must
be primarily managed for livestock grazing, minimum of 20 acres in size,
located within Grant County, and must contain weed species listed on the
Grant County Noxious Weed List. Applications for this limited weed control
assistance opportunity will be funded on a first come first serve basis.
Applications due by June 5th.
Contact the Grant Soil and Water Conservation District Office at
(541) 575-1554 or visit 721 S. Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845 for
applications and additional information.
S184611-1
117734
ment followed draft plans the
governor’s office released
earlier this week, and a
reopening of some of the
state’s parks and recreational
sites, where physical distanc-
ing could be practiced.
“It worked. Oregon
flattened the curve,” Pat
Allen, director of the Ore-
gon Health Authority, said
Thursday. “So far, we have
avoided the tragic worst
case scenarios we have seen
play out around the world
and in other places in the
United States.”
Allen said Oregon’s
COVID-19 death rate was the
“eighth lowest in the coun-
try,” but Allen and Brown
cautioned that reopening cer-
tain aspects of public life
doesn’t mean the virus has
diminished, and increased
public activity could lead to
a spike in infection.
Ears are examined
and cleaned by
Registered Nurses.
S164450-1
By Courtney Vaughn
Oregon Capital Bureau
Call to make an
appointment today!
541-575-1648
Dear Community,
John Day Volunteer Fire Department Association would like
to thank the following community members and businesses.
With Great Regret, Due to covid-19, we had to cancel this year’s
event. However, all the donations will be used towards next
year’s Easter Egg Hunt Event.
Blue Mountain Lodge, Eastern Oregon Reality, Frontier Equipment, John
Day True Value, OTEC, Stylish 10, Doug’s Motor Repair, Mobile Glass, Bank
Of Eastern Oregon, Rocky Mountain Dispensary, Katrina’s Barber Shop,
OTEC Board Position 2
Credentialed Cooperative Director,
Board Leadership Certificate
Dave’s RV, Squeeze Inn, Ed Staub & Sons Petroleum, Les Schwab, Snaffle
Bit, Leathers’ Gas, Lens Drugs, Radio Shack, Melanie Cochran, Old West
Federal Credit Union, John Day Eye Care, Russell’s Custom Meats, Dark Horse,
Mountain View Mini Mart, Farmers Insurance, OTC Connections, Dreamers
lodge, A Cut Above, Hutch’s Printing, DG Driscoll’s Books, Stephen Harwood,
etc., El Cocinero, Chuck’s Little Diner, Prairie, City Motor and Cycles, Beverly
Board Member 2014-2015, 2017-2020
Roe, A&Z electronics, Cloud 9 Hair Salon, John Day River Vet, Norco Medical
Supply, Triangle Oil, Bar WB, Timbers Bistro, Napa
Paid for by Aletha Bronebrake 2347 Cambell St., Baker City
Auto Parts, Tax Solutions, John Day Video,
Budget 8 Motel, Mills building Supply,
Nydam’s Ace Hardware, Ken Kindig Tax,
Jesse Saloon, Karin Barntish
S188083-1
Service to Members
Focus on safe, reliable and affordable power while meeting challenges
of changing energy marketplace
Experienced Leadership - Local, Regional and State
Informed advocacy for OTEC interests in rule-making and regulatory
actions
Commitment to Community - 35 years in Eastern Oregon
Equitable service to every member and every community for the good
of the whole
I ask for your vote to continue serving you as a member of your OTEC Board