March 16, 2020 5:00 p.m.
On Monday, Oregon Governor Kate Brown issued new measures to “flatten the curve on coronavirus transmission in Oregon”, including orders and guidance on social distancing which will impact restaurants and bars, and places tougher restrictions on the size of gatherings.
A release from the Governor said the measures go into effect Tuesday and will be in place for at least four weeks. They include:
*A statewide cancellation of all events and gatherings larger than 25 people – exempting essential locations like workplaces, grocery stores, pharmacies, and retail stores. It is also recommended the Oregonians avoid gatherings of 10 people or more.
*Restaurants, bars and other establishments, that offer food or beverages for sale are restricted to carry-out and delivery only with no on-site consumption permitted. Food at health care facilities, workplaces, and other essential facilities will continue.
*All other businesses are urged to assess their practices, implement strong social distancing measures, and close their doors temporarily if they cannot put the new guidance in place.
Brown said “I know that while these actions will impact Oregon businesses and employees, they will help decrease the rate of infection while bringing state and federal resources up to the same speed as the spread of the virus”.
The Governor’s Coronavirus Task Force will convene Tuesday to examine ways to mitigate the impacts of new social distancing measures and anything else that adversely affect’s Oregon’s economy. The release said the council will examine a variety of tools available, including requests to the Oregon State Legislature and the federal government.
At the request of Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, Governor Brown declared an abnormal market disruption regarding essential items like hand sanitizer and toilet paper, to prevent price gouging during what she called “this public health crisis”.
A copy of the Governor’s remarks are posted here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13XHL830V5NUwCNufTwi1LL61L5kvEoMH/view