Gov. Brown steps up mask, COVID-19 enforcement; 8 counties put on ‘watch list’
(Update: video added; additional Jefferson County health official comments)
Salem, OR (KTVZ) — In light of rising COVID-19 case counts over the month of June, including a record-high 375 cases Thursday, Gov. Kate Brown announced stepped-up enforcement statewide Friday on face covering, physical distancing and occupancy standards in place for businesses.
The effort, led by Oregon Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) and the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, will ensure restaurants, bars, and other businesses comply with COVID-related rules over the Fourth of July holiday weekend and thereafter.
Brown also placed eight Oregon counties on a "watch list" for COVID-19: Jefferson, Lake, Lincoln, Malheur, Morrow, Umatilla, Union, and Wasco.
"The spread of COVID-19 in these counties has risen to alarming levels in recent weeks," Brown's announcement stated.
"Analysis by the Oregon Health Authority showed alarmingly high per capita rates of case increases and community spread –– cases where the infections are not attributable to a specific location or event. This community spread is a serious warning sign for health experts."
Counties on the watch list will be monitored in the coming days while the Oregon Health Authority and local officials deploy additional capacity to control the spread of the disease. (An aide to the governor said that capacity involves deploying more contact tracers in an attempt to better determine how the virus is spreading.)
"If the counties do not see a downturn quickly, restrictive measures such as business closures or tighter gathering size limits will ensue," the governor's announcement warned.
Michael Baker, Jefferson County's health services director, told NewsChannel 21 Friday that being on the state's new watch list means the county "may be prioritized for additional resources, like PPE and testing supplies."
"We have responded to a couple complaints from local businesses, and within just a matter of minutes, we have public staff out there educating them, providing them with guidelines, and in some cases providing them even with PPE, the personal protective equipment that they need, the masks, the cloth coverings," Baker said.
"We’ll provide that to them on sight, to make sure that that isn’t a concern, both from the business perspective, as well as from a public health perspective.”
Gov. Brown said, “I am asking Oregonians this holiday weekend to take urgent steps to stop the spread of COVID-19 by wearing face coverings, avoiding large gatherings, and physically distancing. And state enforcement agencies will be out in force, to ensure businesses are in compliance.
"Those businesses not complying with gathering size limits, face covering requirements, physical distancing rules, and other standards face stiff penalties.”
Staff from the OLCC, supported by OSHA field offices across the state, will be conducting spot checks and inspections all over Oregon during the holiday weekend to ensure restaurants, bars, other businesses, and their patrons are complying with state alcohol laws, OLCC rules, and the requirement to wear a face covering in indoor public spaces.
The compliance effort comes after the state reached a new record of 375 new cases of COVID-19 across the state on Thursday (and 344 cases Friday).
For businesses that refuse to comply, OSHA and OLCC staff are empowered to take administrative action, including issuing citations, fines, and Red Warning Notices if necessary.
Red Warning Notices apply to businesses that appear to be in willful violation of the Governor’s executive orders or who refuse to take corrective measures. Such businesses are closed until the hazardous condition is remedied. Violation of a Red Warning Notice results in stiff penalties.
The governor added, “We stand at a crossroads this weekend –– we can either stop the spread of COVID-19, or infections and hospitalizations will rise across Oregon and I will reinstate restrictive measures in impacted counties and business sectors."
