SALEM, Ore. – Oregon Governor Kate Brown announced a one-week pause for counties applying to reopen.
Most Oregon counties have moved on to Phase 2 of the governor’s reopening plan. However, some northwest Oregon counties remained in Phase 1 with applications pending for Phase 2. Multnomah County still remains in “baseline,” meaning it has more restrictions than any other county and has not yet entered Phase 1.
“As we began reopening nearly a month ago, I was clear that reopening Oregon comes with risks, and that COVID-19 case counts would rise,” Governor Brown said on the night of June 11. “We now see a significant increase in COVID-19 infections in counties across Oregon and it is cause for concern.”
Out of an abundance of caution, Governor Brown said the state is pausing application processing for phase changes for the next week. She said it was effectively a “yellow light.”
“This one-week pause will give public health experts time to assess what factors are driving the spread of the virus,” Brown said. “I will use the data we see in the next week to determine whether to lift this pause or extend it.”
Governor Brown is set to make remarks on the pause during a live stream set for 10:00 a.m. on June 12. The video will be made available above this article.
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