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July 13, 2020 7:20 PM
Published 11:45 AM

Gov. Brown orders new indoor limits, outdoor masks in bid to end COVID-19 surge

(Update: Adding 2nd video, poll, local reaction, Deschutes County health official comments)

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- In a bid to halt a surge in COVID-19 cases across Oregon, Gov. Kate Brown took two major steps Monday, banning most indoor gatherings of more than 10 people and extending the current face covering requirement to outdoor spaces where physical distance cannot be kept.

She said starting Wednesday, she will extend the statewide face covering requirement to apply in all outdoor spaces where people can not stay at least six feet apart from others who are not from their own household. 

Brown said she is also implementing a statewide ban on all indoor social gatherings of more than 10 people. This includes birthday parties, book clubs, and potlucks that take place indoors.

She said the ban would not include churches or businesses.

Brown said she still hopes Oregon will not have to close down bars and restaurants, like Texas and California have done, but added that “nothing is off the table.”

“Each one of us has to take immediate action to slow the spread of the disease,” Brown said, noting that there were more cases recorded in the past week than in all of May.

She noted that half of all recent cases are among people under 40 and one-third are under the age of 30.

“Right now, people in their 20s and 30s are far and away the most likely to get sick with COVID-19,” she said, noting the state recently recorded its second COVID-19 death of an Oregonian in their 30s.

“We have done so much, we have come so far, we have sacrificed so deeply,” she said. “We cannot let this virus get the best of us. We are sounding the alarm because we are at risk of letting this virus spiral out of control. The question is whether Oregon will be the next New York or the next Texas.”

She stressed, as many times before, the “three W’s” – wearing a face covering, watching your distance and “wash, wash, wash your hands.”

“The virus is extremely contagious, and many people don’t show symptoms for days,” the governor said. “In that time, you can come into contact with dozens or, if you’re not careful, hundreds of other people in your social circles and your community.”

“It’s all up to you,” she told Oregonians. “If we don’t slow the spread of the virus, we will have no choice but to implement widespread and difficult closures again.”

Brown said the state will continue to reply on businesses for enforcement and helping implement the rules. She said there is a statewide enforcement task force that focused on education first.

“Unfortunately, not everybody is willing to work with us, and sometimes our team needs to intervene to ensure all Oregonians are safe,” Brown said, noting recent inspections and steps by OLCC and Oregon OSHA.

For those who won’t follow the rules, she said, “there will be consequences, including citations, fines and, if need be, closing down businesses that fail to protect employees and customers.”

“The proof will be in the numbers,” she said. “Either people will follow the requirements, or I will be forced to take more restrictive measures. No one wants that.”

Dr. Dean Sidelinger, state epidemiologist, said much of the recent rise is due largely to workplace outbreaks, and Brown noted that despite the rise in cases, Oregon still has one of the lowest infection rates in the country.

Oregon Health Authority Director Patrick Allen said modeling shows the number of cases each day could triple over the next six weeks, unless the new actions have an impact.

Asked their views of the new requirements, one senior Central Oregonian said at his age, it would do not any good, but a woman said, "I wish the more people could exercise common-sense, so that we wouldn't have to have laws and rules like this."

A man told us, "I can appreciate that they feel like they need to do something, and if that's the best idea they have, then it seems like that's the one they should go with."

Morgan Emerson of Deschutes County Health Services said many of the recent local cases are people under age 40. Some are tied to social gatherings with people outside of their household, "and not taking proper precautions, like wearing a mask and physical distancing."

Gov. Kate Brown news release:

Governor Kate Brown Announces New Requirements for Face Coverings, Limits on Social Get-Togethers to Slow the Spread of COVID-19

Effective July 15, face coverings to be required outdoors, social get-togethers indoors over 10 prohibited
 (Portland, OR) — In response to the alarming rise in COVID-19 case counts across Oregon over the last several weeks, Governor Kate Brown today announced new requirements for face coverings and limits on social get-togethers. Effective Wednesday, July 15, Oregon’s face covering requirement will be expanded to apply to outdoor public spaces when six feet of distance cannot be maintained. In addition, indoor social get-togethers of more than 10 people will be prohibited.

The gathering limit applies only to indoor social get-togethers. This new rule does not change the operation of businesses or churches at this time.

Governor Brown noted that failure to comply with the new requirements would lead to more outbreaks of COVID-19 and more restrictive closures with greater impact on Oregon’s economies, communities, health care systems, and families.

“We need to do absolutely everything we can to reduce transmission in ways that do not require us to close down businesses again," said Governor Brown. “The proof here will be in the numbers. Either people will adhere to this requirement and be a positive force for stopping COVID-19, or I will be forced to take more restrictive measures.”

“It all depends on you. Your choices determine our future."

Governor Brown shared the following facts about COVID-19 in Oregon:

  • Oregon reported more cases in the past week than in the entire month of May.
  • The last time Oregon had less than 100 cases in a single day was more than a month ago.
  • Half of all cases in Oregon are from people under the age of 40 and one third of all cases are from people under the age of 30.
  • Currently, people in their 20s and 30s are the most likely group to get sick with COVID-19.
  • Two Oregonians in their 30s have died from COVID-19.

A recording of the Governor’s press conference from Monday, July 13, is available here.

A full transcript of the Governor’s remarks from Monday, July 13, is available here.

Updated face covering and indoor social get-together guidance will be posted to coronavirus.oregon.gov.

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Rhea Panela

Rhea Panela is a multimedia journalist for NewsChannel 21. Learn more about Rhea here.

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Barney Lerten

Barney is the digital content director for NewsChannel 21. Learn more about Barney here.

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141 Comments

  2. I am all fir the face masks outside. Germs are floating in the air literally so being outside would make you more susceptible because you have more airflow from all directions flying in your face so wouldn’t you assume that it be smart to wear masks outside I already have been it’s obviously scientific.

    1. No way in hell will I wear a mask outdoors. I don’t care what brown or anyone says. Indoors at businesses is one thing, but not outdoors. Also, no way in hell can brown prevent families of more than 10 from gathering. There is no way that can be legal.

      5. Not about legal, it’s about prevention and common sense. I’ve personally heard of several instances where there was a gathering and people came there knowing they were exposed to COVID.

        1. Astounding how for masks and following every government order but are proud of the rioting and killing by your Antifa and BLM goons.

    3. Stay stupid, stay scared, comply
      _________________
      For those who would like facts about viral load, viral shedding, aerosolized virus and virus in micro water droplets and transmittability, there is a link to some studies.
      __________
      Outside is far safer than inside, Covid can live for several hours on surfaces and suspended in air inside, it lives about 240 seconds when exposed to UV light on a bright sunny day.
      https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7293495/

      1. Black people in the cities better comply with the police or they will be kneed to death, but for white people in rural oregon compliance is only for the weak- its a good thing you have a link to some study youve never read otherwise you would look stupid comrade

        2. you’re a clown, 9 blacks were killed by cops last year, yet 19 whites killed by cops. you are pushing a false narrative. there’s hardly any cops in rural areas because theirs hardly any crime. oh but the fbi did hunt down the Bundy’s and murdered Leroy finnicum in cold blood. so the irony of your last sentence is hilarious

        3. to say cops are hunting down black people and killing them is simply a ignorant thing to say. the only people hunting down black people is other black people. just simple facts you racist white Democrats refuse to accept. you people are willfully ignorant on nearly every aspect with your “education ” .

        4. God you are such a dipsquat. You can’t be real for once can you? You are so indoctrinated. There is absolutely no hope for you. You say you aren’t a liberal but you words prove otherwise. If you don’t like it here in America. Get the * out! Leave. Do us all a favor.

      2. I read the article- your information or interpretation of misinformation or misunderstood. The virus can lives up to 96 hrs in the open. Barney this needs to come down. Read the article folks. All of it!

        1. I read the article. And it reads like Kate Brown is setting us up for another shut down. The state epidemiologist works for Kate Brown. I trust none of them. Recall Kate Brown petitions are out there. Sign them. Get her out of office along with the rest of the radical leftists!

        2. Impressive that you read that far. It does not survive, (viable), but it is delectable as a fomite (there was one more link to click on to explain the study referenced in the 96 hour comment.)
          https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmc2004973 New England Journal of Medicine.
          Viable means it can reproduce
          Fomite means the virus sample is residing on a surface
          Detectable means it can be viewed. Detectable and viable are two different things
          A virus unattached to a cell is like a plant seed. A seed that cannot germinate is not viable. To claim the virus can live up to 96 hours in the open is to spread fear and false information.
          If you put out bad information, soon no one will believe you, and some asymptomatic skeptical clown will refuse to wear his mask in a grocery store, and kill grandma.
          When you read these kinds of articles, and there is a link immediately after the information offered, click on the link. It may spoil your “Aha! Got em! moment, bur accurate information is power.

      3. The virus dies in sunlight. UV rays kill viruses! They use UV light to sterilize operating rooms and ambulances. They a weaponizing this pandemic to suit there agenda. I keep telling you all that. But you are too stupid to listen!

      1. We don’t have to lie media and too doctors under gov board will not say it but we know not everyone was wearing masks durning protest put the two together Barney.

      2. Also Barney I can quote 3 top medical experts linking increase of cases to protesters it’s not all the cases we see but it had some help some states opened up too soon but what do we expect? Are we just stupid as ***?

          1. Like I said it created a small uptick in numbers you can do your own research bud. If you want me to quote stuff I can go on a deep dive but that’s up to you buddy. I just don’t want to embarrass someone on a challenge. The numbers were seeing now is states reopened we were dumb to not know it was gonna happen. I think we can all agree on that?

            1. If you want people to understand what you’re trying to say, you really need to use some sentence structure and punctuation. Otherwise it’s just not worth the effort.

                1. With some of the bad bot translations you see now that might not be always negative for the rest of us

          2. Trudat!!!! Lying, denying and dying, it’s the patriotic regressive way.
            _
            Golf and a whore Anyone!!Trump/Putin 2020!!!MAKE WHORES MINIMUM WAGE AGAIN!!!!

          2. Apparently you have not investigated any background for Dr Fauci either – could be an interesting idea before you hang on his every word.

  4. Go away you communist power hungry politician! We are tired of all of your rules, lockdowns. Our death toll is 234 out of 4 million people. These people are stupid!

    1. LOL always so funny to see these paranoid posters thinking a mask is a step towards communism when their comment is likely typed from an electronic device that is constantly being bombarded with spyware and tracking web history. No one is worried about your credit info or social security number, but THE MASKS!!!
      Poor sheep keep eating up the propaganda. Useful idiots.

        2. I really hope our country adopts a universal healthcare system so you can finally get the help you deserve. Take care, and don’t forget your mask!

          1. this has nothing to do with the virus or masks. the internet has turned you people into compliant dopes.i have no doubt you will eagerly wait in line to get the mark.

            2. “The mark” I you mean the vaccine that Bill Gates is supposedly going to use to kill most of the population with? Yeeeeeaaaaaaahhhhhh riiiiiggghhht!

          2. WordPress is all about censorship Barney. Disqus wasn’t perfect but it was superior to this garbage. How hard would it be to go back to Disqus?

              2. One thing disqus gave us, that we no longer have, is a dashboard to see if anyone had responded to our comments. That let us quickly go back to the article and reply, etc. Now, either I don’t know how to do it, or this doesn’t exist. I don’t comment much now because there isn’t an overview, like we used to have.

                1. And yet, I have 100s and 100s of comments to moderate every day. Yes, I hope we have a more full-featured system again at some point, but I sure don’t blame our cos. for not making that a higher priority.

      3. It’s funny you say that because your ******d Govenor was just on TV with about 75 kid’s yapping about police reform and nobody had a mask on. That’s your Govenor putting all those kids lives at risk!

  7. There are many doctor’s offices who said they did a sample by dipping 100 testing kits in saline. 68 came back positive. Somebody is lying!

    1. Joe Rogan had someone one recently that talked about another person doing that or something don’t know if it’s true but a lot of the test are not accurate and test system in us sucks

    2. So don’t go swimming in the ocean before you get tested, stupid. If you stuck the sample in the microwave for 30 minus it would probably come back negative. Or if you flushed it down the toilet it probably wouldn’t return either. Duh. .

  8. This might be the dumbest thing ever. Go talk to medical experts or the Scientific Community and they will tell you that a mask outdoors is not needed… study’s have shown that UV light kills COVID-19 instantly. I could see at night required but durning the day makes no sense. I really fear this is going to far and bad things will be coming to America.

    1. Care to post those studies? I’m genuinely curious. Particulate dispersion is much faster outdoors, but also very random and unpredictable. I can definitely see situations where infections happen because people cannot maintain proper distance.

    3. Not sure where you get your info, but the “dumbest thing ever” appears to be quite accurate. According to the CDC and WHO, the atmosphere absorbs 95% of the UV rays from the Sun. Temperatures over 140 degrees are needed to kill Covid-19. Thus, they have stated that sunlight is not strong enough to kill the virus unless. Pretty sure the CDC and WHO are considered experts, so you might want to recheck your information.

  9. Also on a note this Barney guy is a joke. Lived in the Midwest for 12 years and the news on the west coast is a joke. Never get your news from Fox News, CNN, NBC and etc. Best for anyone currently to self educate and look at study’s being done overseas from them universities especially not from US as were falling behind so fast In the last 20 years. So super sad how far we’re dropping as a nation.

  11. nope your not smoke i have seen her in a mask once, hell a mask improves my looks. So if you have to run outside at 2 am to use the bathroom and your neighbor is less than 6 feet away from you guess you have to mask up.

  13. They need to roll back to Phase 1 and close it all down again. Cut the flow of all the tourists coming in from states that are exploding with Covid now. This is so dumb. Why are they waiting and dragging out what we know will come if they continue to leave bars and resturants open? Why wait till it is widespread here and too late? Hey Brown, there is a covid smoke rising in Oregon! Ignoring it until half the sate is on fire, dead or in the hospital is dumb. Stop it BEFORE it starts. Why wait until my mom dies in order to get your attention? Europe is so much smarter than us…. the government paid their citizens to stay home and slow the spread. Here, our government pays the multi billion $ companies money to shore them up and leaves its citizens to fend for themselves…. wth?

        1. im definitely not being paid to stay home. brown forced my girlfriend to shut down what she does for a living and and shes still waiting for the unemployment. shes been waiting 4 month s. if it wasn’t for me she would be homeless. you Democrats are destroying the country. you people are despicable.

            1. she has gone back to work. she still hasn’t gotten the money the government owes her. i appreciate the offer, however we take care of ourselves pretty good. we have savings and i haven’t missed a mortgage payment. and dont plan on it either however as you know the liberal Democrats want us all to be on the plantation this time. not just black people

          2. You’ll finally get to be completely dependent on government.. That is what you people want right? No matter what your nanny government tells you, life is never going to be safe…

  14. Hahahahahah , Brown is rich…. No way in hell will I wear a mask outdoors and I doubt most people will either. Also, no way in hell you can stop people from gathering indoors to family gatherings like birthdays.

  15. You know what…heck it. Shut everything down until next summer. See how the government likes that. No tax revenue for a year. They were already crying about fiscal shortage, and that was 3 months

  19. I told you this was coming. Big Brother cracking the whip and introducing an Orwellian Police State over a Fake Virus Pandemic, and Financial Armageddon knocking on the door.

    And as always…….have a nice day!

  20. Remember, masks don’t work. Whats next? Forcing everyone to wear glasses? Remember when they said you could get the virus through your eyes? And from other people’s farts? And from your pets? And from people half way around the world?

    It’s a HOAX!

  21. From OSHA on the subject of whether or not masks work. It states that masks,

    “will not protect the wearer against airborne transmissible infectious agents due to loose fit and lack of seal or inadequate filtration.“

    1. The OSHA statement you quoted doesn’t even address the effect of transmission by an infected person. Other countries have been able to significantly reduce the rate at which the virus spreads. Italy, for example, which had so much trouble with the virus starting in March, had only 169 new cases yesterday. Florida, with about a third of the population, had roughly 75 times as many new cases yesterday. So maybe there’s a meaningful benefit to be had in adopting similar protocols and complying with them, rather than grandstanding and focusing on the imperfections of any one tool. I know that you’re concerned with a permanent erosion of rights, but public health is already a recognized area of state interest and these are not structural changes to government (like trying to suspend elections to keep existing politicians in power).

  24. Here’s a thought: Stop the out-of-state morons at the border and turn them back, and do the same at all Oregon state airports: Let them fly here and land, that way airlines will still make money off of the nitwits, but then force them to fly back on the very next flight.

    Last time I checked, there was a pandemic going on, but you wouldn’t be able to guess that by the legions of idiot out-of-state tourists that flocked here for vacations and are clogging streets and highways in Central Oregon, in addition to the nitwits that have moved here after having destroyed their home states (look at the trade-ins that accumulate at local new car dealerships, you’ll see loads of out-of-state plates)…yet the existing residents are supposed to shut down their lives because of the mental troglodytes that come here and bring their disease with them?

    1. Barney was on here crying how to stop them from coming when somebody else mentioned cutting them off. The tax-loving democrat kate supporters aren’t smart enough to figure out there’s a toll booth and choke point in Biggs, and more can be implemented. California border has fruit checkpoints that stop all cars leaving california heading up here. #taxesandtourism win the day for democrats

      Turn them back

      1. To compare checkpoints set up for fruit infestations or the like to actually telling people they can’t come into the state without “proper papers” proving they live here? You wouldn’t be demanding entry under a constitutional right to live where you wish and go where you wish? This is about hating outsiders, etc.

  25. Moose, that is a tough one. We spent the better part of the last two decades screaming from every media outlet that everyone should come to here to experience all the wonders that Central Oregon has to offer. Thank your Visit Bend group and all the hotel fees that go to them for their success. Now we want it all to stop? It seems we are just like Disney World which can’t survive without the tourist money that provides for its very existence. This is so very predictable and unfortunately it repeats a pattern that has played out many times over history. I have no idea what the answer is but I for one am going to keep my distance from everyone until I can figure out where this is all headed.

  26. 2 issues
    1) Why wasn’t the governor and all the people around her wearing masks during the news conference. Violated her own order while imposing more on us.

    2) When will they quit counting people who haven’t tested positive. An article the other day said the counts include anyone who has symptoms and was around a positive case but haven’t tested positive yet. These symptoms could be allergies, a cold, the flu, etc. But they count it as covid so the number look bad

  28. Fellow Patriots– Do not comply. Cite the medical exemption. If questioned further, cite HIPAA. If asked to leave, do so without a scene. These sheeple WANT a reaction.

    Don’t cower, but also, don’t be a “Karen”. Smile, be kind (too much blind hate, don’t fall for it!) and head to the next store that values your patronage. Please do not stay inside the home clutching pearls and waiting for the UPS truck. So harmful to all our mental states. Wake up folks!!!

    Let’s not forget all those empty hospitals and tents during the first round. Those tents were simply repurposed as firework stands while we were busy wringing our hands over the riots. Next tragedy to be pushed by the mainstream in 3..2..1. Wait for it.

    All planned. Look up Biderman’s chart of coercion https://www.pinterest.com/pin/166422148702688245/

  30. Businesses and churches, etc. should have to monitor and insure that they are social distancing and masking. It needs to be someone’s job to do that. If they don’t, close ’em down until they can. This isn’t about politics, it’s about science. Too many get that confused.

    1. If you want to talk about science, maybe you should look up the science that shows the virus isn’t that bad, for those under 65 it has the same , if not less, mortality rate than the flu. I’ve linked the data here before, so use your brain and use Google, are you smart enough to do that?

  31. “The virus isn’t that bad.” OK, I suggest you send letters to the families of the 139,000 people who have died from the virus. That will make them feel so much better. But do it soon, because the number of deaths caused by this virus that “isn’t that bad” will exceed 140,000 by tomorrow.

  32. How about the protest s in Portland is she going to do anything about that or it’s ok for those people to spread the coronavirus and destroy a city. We need to vote her out of office she’s a joke!

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