Gov. Brown extends face coverings requirement statewide
'I do not want to have to close down businesses again,' she says
(Update: Adding OHA's daily case report; Oregon hospitals' statement in support of face mask requirement; Kansas governor makes similar move)
SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Gov. Kate Brown announced Monday that Oregonians statewide will be required to wear face coverings in indoor public spaces, beginning this Wednesday. The guidance applies to businesses and members of the public visiting indoor public spaces.
Face covering requirements are already mandated in eight Oregon counties, and Washington state began a similar statewide requirement last Friday.
“From the beginning of the reopening process, I have said that reopening comes with the risk of seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases beyond our health systems’ capacity to test, trace, and isolate them,” Brown said.
“Over the last month, we have seen the disease spread at an alarming rate in both urban and rural counties. The upcoming July 4th holiday weekend is a critical point for Oregon in this pandemic, and we can all make a difference.
“Modeling from the Oregon Health Authority shows that if we don’t take further action to reduce the spread of the disease, our hospitals could be overwhelmed by new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations within weeks.
“The choices every single one of us make in the coming days matter.
“Face coverings that cover your nose and mouth play a critical role in reducing the spread of this disease because droplets from our breath can carry the virus to others without us realizing it. If we all wear face coverings, practice six feet of physical distancing in public, wash our hands regularly, and stay home when we are sick, then we can avoid the worst-case scenarios that are now playing out in other states.
“I do not want to have to close down businesses again, like other states are now doing. If you want your local shops and restaurants to stay open, then wear a face covering when out in public.
“Please keep your Fourth of July celebrations small and local. We saw a lot of new COVD-19 cases following the Memorial Day holiday. Another spike in cases after the upcoming holiday weekend could put Oregon in a dangerous position.
“Oregonians have all made incredible sacrifices over the last several months that have saved thousands of lives. The actions we take now can protect our friends, neighbors, loved ones, and fellow Oregonians from this disease, and prevent the need for another statewide shutdown. We are truly all in this together.”
Oregon Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) will take the lead, along with other state and local agencies, in enforcing face covering requirements for all covered Oregon businesses, the governor said.
Monday's daily Oregon Health Authority news release:
PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- COVID-19 has claimed two more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 204, the Oregon Health Authority reported Monday.
OHA reported 146 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. Monday, bringing the state total to 8,485 cases, with 226,648 negative test results.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported Monday are in the following counties: Clackamas (18), Deschutes (2), Douglas (2), Jackson (3), Jefferson (3), Josephine (1), Klamath (5), Lake (2), Lane (6), Malheur (5), Marion (14), Multnomah (29), Tillamook (2), Umatilla (15), Union (5), Wasco (6), Washington (27), and Yamhill (1).
Deschutes County is now at 172 cases, with 10,392 negative test results. Crook County has had 10 cases and 1,024 negative test results. Jefferson County (including Warm Springs) has had 100 cases and 1,894 negative test results.
Oregon’s 203rd COVID-19 death is an 84-year-old woman in Marion County who tested positive on June 18 and died on June 27. Her place of death is being confirmed. She had underlying medical conditions.
Oregon’s 204th COVID-19 death is a 72-year-old man in Marion County who tested positive on June 17 and died on June 27. His place of death is being confirmed. He had underlying medical conditions.
Note: Starting today and moving forward, epidemiologists are using a new method for reporting daily cases. The new method assigns a date to each case when the case is first known to the state or to local health department as confirmed or presumptive. This is a better representation of the number of cases reported on any given day.
Previously, the method was to subtract today’s case counts from the previous day’s count.
Today only, the daily numbers from the weekend press releases will not add-up. Weekend numbers were calculated using the previous method. Moving forward, every day will use the date each case is first known to the state or to local health departments.
OHA releases weekly testing summary
Today, OHA is releasing its Weekly Testing Summary, showing that 33,624 tests were reported through June 27. Oregon’s cumulative positive testing rate is 4.3 percent of tests conducted, which is considerably lower than the national average of 9 percent.
The number of tests performed has been steadily increasing, but the number of positive cases and the test positivity rate have increased significantly over the past two weeks.
This suggests increasing numbers of individuals with COVID-19, which is expected now that all counties are in Phase 1 or Phase 2 of reopening. Recent large outbreaks around the state also have contributed to these increases.
OHA will continue to monitor these trends. Additionally, as of early June, Oregon has reached the threshold of testing 2 percent of the Oregon population each month, a national benchmark set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Weekly Testing Summary was delayed Friday due to a technical glitch. As a result, today’s Weekly Testing Summary covers an 8-day period. OHA will continue to publish the report weekly.
Stay informed about COVID-19:
Oregon response: The Oregon Health Authority and Oregon Office of Emergency Management lead the state response.
United States response: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention leads the U.S. response.
Global response: The World Health Organization guides the global response.
Oregon Hospitals Support Governor’s Statewide Face Covering Requirement
With a rapid rise in COVID-19 cases, OAHHS urges Oregonians to wear face coverings to fight the spread
Lake Oswego, Ore. -- June 29, 2020 -- Becky Hultberg, President and CEO of the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems, released the following statement in support of Governor Kate Brown’s statewide public face covering requirement.
“The Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems stands in support of Governor Kate Brown’s statewide public face covering requirement. We know that when we all make the choice to wear a face covering in public, we are doing our part to prevent the spread of COVID-19. With cases on the rise rapidly across the state, it is now more important than ever to take this step to protect our loved ones, our neighbors, and our communities. Further, if we are to coexist alongside the disease, wide adoption of public face coverings is an essential factor in keeping our businesses and public spaces open. OAHHS urges all Oregonians to wear a face covering in public, and to help reinforce this critical message by talking to your friends and family about the importance of wearing a face covering in public.”
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About OAHHS: Founded in 1934, OAHHS is a statewide, nonprofit trade association that works closely with local and national government leaders, business and citizen coalitions, and other professional health care organizations to enhance and promote community health and to continue improving Oregon’s innovative health care delivery system.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly says she will issue an executive order mandating the use of masks in public starting Friday to stop the spread of COVID-19.
“The evidence could not be clearer — wearing a mask is not only safe, but it is necessary to avoid another shutdown,” the Democratic governor told reporters Monday.
Kelly’s executive order would require every Kansan to wear a mask if they are around other people. She said her administration will issue specific guidance later this week and will work with the attorney general’s office to implement the policy.
Local officials would enforce the policy.
“”This is all we have to fight this virus and it is up to each of us to do our part,” Kelly said.
Kansas health officials reported on Monday at least 14,443 confirmed coronavirus cases, an increase of 905 since Friday. The state also had six more deaths from COVID-19, bring the total number of deaths in the state to 270. Kansas reported that 1,152 people had been hospitalized.
