Oregon, Washington reopenings mark return to business in mainland US
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon and Washington have lifted most of their COVID-19 restrictions Wednesday, becoming two of the last states to broadly ease coronavirus orders put in place in the very first days of the pandemic.
New Mexico is scheduled to reopen Thursday, marking a return to business throughout the mainland U.S. following 16 months of disruption.
The last holdout — Hawaii — has loosened some travel rules but is slated to maintain other restrictions until 70% of its population is fully vaccinated. The moves come as concern grows about a new coronavirus variant that threatens to set the country back in the months ahead.
The reopenings come as concern grows about a new coronavirus variant that threatens to set the country back in the months ahead. In California, health officials in Los Angeles County this week strongly recommended that people wear masks indoors in public places — regardless of their vaccination status — to prevent the spread of the highly transmissible delta variant.
In Oregon, Gov. Kate Brown called the day a “truly a historic moment for our state” but said there is still work to be done.
“We will be relentless in our efforts to finish the job, closing our equity gaps and reaching every Oregonian with information and vaccine,” she said at her first in-person news conference in months.
Businesses also applauded the changes but noted challenges remain.
“We lost almost our entire workforce over the course of the year,” said Anthony Anton, president and CEO of the Washington Hospitality Association. “We’re still short 80,000 workers.”
The United States’ first confirmed case of COVID-19 was reported north of Seattle in Snohomish County in January 2020. Washington state also saw the nation’s first deadly outbreak, at a nursing home east of Seattle.
Oregon had its first reported COVID-19 case a month later. Hector Calderon, a janitor in a Portland metro-area school district spent 71 days in the hospital, 60 of them on a ventilator, and was in a coma for 50 days.
“God gave me another opportunity to live, and the doctor’s did,” Calderon said at the governor’s reopening event in Portland. He added he is ready to finally go on a vacation again as restrictions are lifted.
For more than a year, Oregon has had some of the nation’s strictest coronavirus-related safety measures — mask requirements inside and outside, limited gatherings and weekslong forced closures of indoor dining, gyms and theaters. Even major school districts didn’t reopen to in-person learning until April.
“We took unprecedented action to accomplish an unprecedented mission — to do everything we could to protect Oregonians and save lives,” Brown said.
The state also has had some of the nation’s lowest infection and mortality rates. Health officials estimate the restrictions and stay-at-home orders saved 4,000 lives.
On Wednesday, Brown ended rules including mask mandates — in most settings — capacity limits, physical distancing and the assignment of county risk levels that dictated restrictions.
The exceptions are for federal rules; masks will still be required at airports, on public transportation and in healthcare settings. In addition, businesses can still require customers to wear masks or provide proof of vaccination to forgo wearing them.
The reopening was already noticeable in Portland, where overnight, city workers removed plywood boards that have covered the windows of downtown businesses since the start of the pandemic. Signs plastered on restaurant doors telling people to wear a mask had disappeared.
Read more at: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-government-and-politics-b50ab5a63e296091de5b087de1a0561b
News release:
Governor Kate Brown Thanks Oregonians for Dedication, Service at Reopening Celebration
All remaining COVID-19 health and safety restrictions lifted in Oregon as of today
(Portland, OR) — Governor Kate Brown today thanked Oregonians for their dedication and service throughout the COVID-19 pandemic at a reopening celebration at Providence Park in Portland. The event commemorated the lifting of all remaining COVID-19 health and safety restrictions in Oregon, effective at 12:01 a.m. today. Attendees of the celebration included health care workers, frontline employees, personnel from state agencies critical to COVID-19 response, state and county leaders, Tribal leaders, Oregon National Guard members, housing advocates, farmworkers, educators, and nonprofit volunteers.
“Today, we celebrate Oregon’s strength, resilience, and collaboration,” said Governor Brown. “We celebrate brighter days ahead. And, today we celebrate that Oregon is 100% open for business.
“I look forward to seeing Oregon’s restaurants and mainstreet businesses flourish as vibrant community cornerstones. We are all excited to celebrate the July 4th holiday weekend with family and friends. And I smile at the thought of our children going back to the classroom, five days a week this fall.
“This is truly a historic moment for our state. However, while we enter a new chapter today, our work is far from over.
“We will be relentless in our efforts to finish the job, closing our equity gaps, and reaching every Oregonian with information and vaccines. That means we need to continue this education effort, person to person, neighbor to neighbor. We remain fiercely committed in our efforts to build a more just and equitable, and a safer and stronger Oregon.
“Thank you, Oregon, for everything you’ve done to look out for one another and bring us to this day.”
Joining Governor Brown on stage were Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Tribal Councilman Steve Bobb, Sr.; Director of the Oregon Health Authority Patrick Allen; OHSU Infectious Disease Specialist Doctor Judy Guzman-Cottrill; Small Business Owner of Palomar Bar Ricky Gomez; Chief Investment Officer at Meyer Memorial Trust Ruikayah Adams; Jeff Attinella of the Timbers; Meghan Klingenberg of the Thorns; and State Epidemiologist Dean Sidelinger.
