Governor outlines Phase Two, counties apply for reopening

MEDFORD, Ore.– Governor Kate Brown, supported by public health officials, announced new details during a press conference Wednesday for how Phase Two of reopening the state will be conducted.

Earlier this week, 31 counties were allowed to submit their applications for the next phase which will be announced on Thursday. Counties that pass the state’s criteria can expect to begin Phase Two by Friday.

During a press conference, Governor Brown said she was proud of the steps Oregonians have made so far in regards to the stay-at-home orders and Phase One.

“I want to say thank you to each and every Oregonian who’s made tremendous sacrifices to protect the health and safety of our communities,” said Brown.

Counties will still have to meet a variety of criteria to advance to the next phase.

New criteria have been added by the Oregon Health Authority to make sure counties are prepared to address any COVID-19 related issues. While most of the nuts and bolts are the same as Phase One, several new prerequisites include:

Demonstrating that they are able to trace new cases within 24 hours
As counties see new cases, they must be able to identify where they are coming from at least 70% of the time
Counties cannot be experiencing a significant increase in cases

With the reopenings, counties will be given new health and safety guidance for a whole new batch of recreation and public activities. The governor’s office listed the following opportunities allowed in Phase 2:

Gathering limits will be raised to 50 people indoors, and 100 people outdoors.
Indoor and outdoor venues, including theaters and churches, with 6 feet of physical distancing and other measures in place, can reach a COVID-19 occupancy limit of up to 250.
Offices can begin reopening and employees can return to workplaces with physical distancing and other measures in place, though remote work is still strongly recommended whenever possible.
Increased travel will be allowed throughout Oregon, though staying local is still recommended to prevent overloading county health systems.
Restaurants and bars will have curfews extended to midnight.
Pools and sports courts will be allowed to reopen under new guidance.
Indoor and outdoor activities such as bowling, batting cages, and mini-golf, will be allowed to reopen under new guidance.
Recreational sports can resume in a limited form, under strict physical distancing guidance.

Along with those activities, the governor announced zoos, museums and gardens can reopen even for counties still in Phase One. Professional and collegiate sports teams can begin training again at their facilities while maintaining physical distancing and health measures.

“We need to reduce the risk that comes with reopening,” said Brown. “So my fellow Oregonians you have further opportunity to show that you are looking out for your friends and family and neighbors.”

Later on during the press conference, in an acknowledgment of current events, Gov. Brown and the OHA addressed the recent protests regarding George Floyd and racial injustice at the hands of police that have spread across the country and even to Oregon. Floyd, a black man from Minneapolis, was killed by a white police officer who put a knee on Floyd’s neck, while in handcuffs, for over eight minutes while Floyd pleaded he couldn’t breathe.

The OHA said the virus has exposed the country’s weaknesses and social inequity. Director Pat Allen cited the department’s own faults and failures to address health conditions in communities of color – the most affected by this virus.

“At OHA, we’ve been too slow to recognize that threat and act on it, for that I am truly sorry,” he said.

Governor Brown also addressed the disproportionate number of deaths in communities of color and her plans to address it.

“We work to reopen the economy and build a safer and stronger Oregon,” she said. “I am committed to putting our historically underserved communities at the forefront of our recovery plan.”

Governor Brown said she will announce on Thursday which counties will be moving on to Phase Two. Health officials expect counties will remain in the next phase for several months but an exact date for Phase Three reopening wasn’t given.