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(Update: Addition of the press release of the Association of restaurants and accommodation)
Commercial occupancy limits will increase, visits to long-term care facilities will be permitted
SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) – Governor Kate Brown announced Tuesday that 12 counties, including Deschutes, had improved their risk levels, with 10 of them leaving Extreme Risk for the first time since November, as of Friday, with loosening restrictions and dinner allowed again.
The county’s risk levels under the state’s public health are aimed at reducing transmission and protecting Oregonians from COVID-19. The framework uses four different risk levels for counties based on the spread of COVID-19 (extreme risk, high risk, moderate risk, and low risk) and assigns health and safety measures to each level.
From February 12 to 25, there will be 14 counties in the extreme risk level, 11 at high risk, two at moderate risk and nine at low risk. A full list of counties and their associated risk levels can be found here (a later correction was made for Harney County, keeping them in the lowest risk level).
Counties ranging from Extreme to High Risk include Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Hood River, Klamath, Linn, Multnomah and Washington.
Two counties pass at moderate risk: Lake (moved from Lower) and Morrow (moved from Extreme). Two counties improve at low risk, Baker (high) and Grant (moderate).
As the Oregon Health Authority’s Sector Risk Level Guidance Chart shows, big changes from extreme to high risk are up to eight people (instead of six) allowed in social gatherings and to outdoor home, allowing indoor dining (with take-out always highly recommended) and more outdoor seating capacity.
Indoor recreation, fitness and entertainment establishments will be permitted at a maximum of 25% of capacity or 50 total people, whichever is smaller (and a closing time of 11 p.m. for entertainment businesses) . Recreation, fitness and outdoor entertainment facilities are growing from a maximum of 50 people to a maximum of 75 people.
In the workplace, under High Risk, the OHA still recommends – but will no longer require – remote working, if possible, and offices should no longer be closed to the public, if possible. Long-term care facilities, which were limited to exterior visits only, will again be allowed to have interior visits.
“Thanks to Oregonians who stepped up and made smart choices, we’ve made incredible progress in stopping the spread of COVID-19 and saving lives in Oregon,” said Brown, “This week we’ll see 10 counties are leaving Extreme Risk, including the Portland tri-county area, for the first time since November. This is good news as we will start to see more businesses open up and Oregonians can get out a bit more.
“It is also extremely important that we continue to remain vigilant and protect our neighbors and loved ones in the face of new, virulent strains of COVID-19. This means continuing to wear masks, keeping our physical distances, and avoiding gatherings indoors. If we are to keep businesses open, reopen schools for in-person instruction, and stay safe, we have to keep our guards. Until vaccines are more widely available, the number of cases could increase if we do not continue to follow safety measures. “
The Oregon Health Authority will review and release the county’s data weekly. County risk levels will be reallocated every two weeks. The data from the first week will provide a “warning week” to prepare counties for possible changes in risk level. The next assignment of risk levels will be announced on February 23 and will take effect on February 26.
Updates to Warning Week data and county risk levels will be posted on coronavirus.oregon.gov.
Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association Press Release:
| Indoor dining for most of Oregon A total of 22 of Oregon’s 36 counties open for dining on Friday Wilsonville, Oregon – Hundreds of Oregon restaurants will open their doors for indoor dining starting Friday, February 12 as the number of cases per 100,000 population drops below the coveted 200 over the two previous weeks in some counties. As industry suppliers and restaurateurs strive to securely open for indoor dining, two issues remain: the restaurant’s business continuity and employees getting back on schedule. “Today’s announcement is an important step in the right direction,” said Jason Brandt, President and CEO of the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association. “It’s our job to make sure the governor’s office and Oregon lawmakers understand what we think is going to happen next based on today’s news. Topping the list are the challenges small businesses face trying to manage two weeks of operational certainty at a time, which includes finding workers trying to pay monthly bills. And we have to recognize the 14 counties with catering operations that are still trying to survive the winter without eating inside. The opening and closing of restaurant operations continue to be cited as the number one challenge facing the industry, the biggest issues regarding worker schedules and forecasting food supply needs in a limited time frame. once the announcements of the changes are made. “It’s our job to be there for our workers and we’ll do our best to explain the uncertainty surrounding future work schedules,” said Dan Lenzen, co-owner of Dixie Tavern in Portland. “I hope that our ability to open up within represents a turning point that allows us to be open for more than two weeks. To stay in business we need to be able to safely use some of the space inside our restaurant in a consistent manner and provide the jobs that go with it. “ February 12 appears to represent a key marker in the fight to mitigate the spread of the virus, as most Oregonians will now have the opportunity to dine indoors in their community for the first time in months. Yet restaurateurs in 14 counties continue to depend on payroll protection program funds, limited outdoor activities if available, and take out / take out. About 38% of Oregonians still live in a county where indoor meals are not currently available. “We continue to face incredible headwinds in the restaurant industry with the ban on indoor eating in Marion County,” said Conrad Venti, co-owner of Venti’s Taphouse and Basement Bar. “Every change we have managed as a business has had an equally big impact on our people. We have definitely lost several longtime employees, including management, who have chosen to move to other areas due to the total instability and continuous changes we have had to face over the past year. “With the recent numbers heading in the right direction, I was hoping we would invite our guests and our community to dine with us and bring the employees back to work,” said Kevin Boyles, co-owner of Sassy Onion Restaurant in Salem. “Being in the extreme risk category as most states reopen is even more frustrating knowing that my long-time clients can take a little trip and enjoy a dining experience elsewhere, while my business continues to suffer.” ORLA is hosting a grassroots effort by industry professionals this week to continue to push awareness among Oregon lawmakers and Governor Brown’s professional staff, given the sharp divide experienced in a state with just over half of its restaurants open while the rest are trying to hold out. “We know firsthand how difficult it is for the Oregon restaurant industry to grow its business two weeks at a time,” Brandt said. “Our goal in facilitating ongoing communication is to provide our elected leaders and their professional staff with the personal stories behind these challenges in the hope of providing more leads and a sliding path for work schedules on which Oregonians can. to count. The easiest way to adjust to this would be to switch to a system based on low, moderate and high COVID-19 risk in each county and eliminate the extreme risk category entirely. Having three levels of risk instead of four would provide an additional level of flexibility needed as restaurants continue their fight for survival. “ For more information on the efforts of the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association, please visit OregonRLA.org. ### The Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association is the leading trade association for the restaurant and accommodation industry in Oregon, which before COVID-19 provided more than 180,000 paychecks to workers in Oregon. According to December data from the Oregon Department of Employment, more than 50,000 Oregonians who once had a job in the hospitality industry have no work available to return. |
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