Gov. Brown welcomes President Trump’s guidelines for reopening U.S.

Says they are similar to Oregon's framework in cautious approach

PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Gov. Kate Brown issued generally positive comments Thursday regarding President Trump’s plan to reopen America, saying it's similar to the cautious approach she'd laid out earlier this week.

“We are all eager to begin the process of lifting restrictions, get back to work and return to a more normal life as quickly as possible,” Brown said. “Earlier this week, I introduced my framework for restarting public life and business in Oregon — and the plan to reopen America, put forth today by the White House, is similar in its criteria and prerequisites.

“I am pleased to see the federal government’s guidance follows a data-driven, science-based approach, similar to Oregon’s framework. I have asked the Oregon Health Authority and my Medical Advisory Panel to analyze the federal guidance and supplement Oregon’s framework as appropriate to make sure we are moving forward in the safest and quickest way possible.

“In Oregon, we flattened the curve of our outbreak because we issued aggressive social distancing measures early. And because of the sacrifices Oregonians have made, we are now in a position where we can begin planning to reopen again, following science and data.

“The White House guidance makes it clear: As we begin to see areas of Oregon that have declining cases of COVID-19, the best path to reopening is still a cautious one that proceeds carefully and incrementally.

"We are still in dire need of critical resources from the federal government, including sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE) and increased testing capacity. We have current, large unfulfilled order requests with the federal government for both PPE and testing materials; these are vital components to reopening Oregon and remain necessary to prevent a resurgence of the disease.”