Hello friends,

I hope that this email is finding you all well and healthy. As you are all well aware, we are in the midst of a pandemic and it is of utmost importance that we treat it as such. The more serious we take this threat to public health, the sooner we can emerge from it. The Governor's guidance is clear and simple: stay home, save lives. I want to share some items with you about the virus and other pressing matters so this newsletter may be a bit lengthy, but I hope it addresses many of your questions and concerns.

Coronavirus: Resources and FAQ

Businesses

At this point, hopefully you are all aware of the Governor's stay home, save lives executive order. There is some common confusion around what this means for businesses in our state that I would like to clarify. First, Oregon does not have an "essential business" list; rather, there is a list of businesses that must close. If you are unsure if your business may remain open, the state has a simple quiz that will tell you whether or not you are mandated to close. Businesses that may remain open still must comply with social distancing measures. OSHA here is tasked with checking to see if businesses are enforcing those social distancing policies. Further, if your small business has been affected by the response to the pandemic, please email the Secretary of State's Office of Small Business Assistance at business.sos@oregon.gov. They have diligent staff standing by to answer your questions and assist you and your small business during this time.

Donating, volunteering and offering services

Our office and many other state government offices have been contacted by people with businesses that would like to work with the state as we respond to the crisis, in addition to generous offers from people who would like to donate their time or resources. The state has set up a website with links to forms you can fill out sharing this with the appropriate people who will review your submission and contact you. All of your help is sincerely appreciated and you can find that website, which also serves as a great resource for other COVID-19 information, here (the links are about halfway down the page, underneath the map).

We have also received questions and concerns about donating blood during this time. Blood donation centers are still open and are safe, sterile environments. Donations centers are taking even more precautions at this time and keeping donors safely spaced from one another. The Governor is especially encouraging people to donate during this time as people are more hesitant to give, but the need for lifesaving blood donors is as great as ever. The Red Cross has addressed some of those concerns and OHA is supportive of their statements.

Enforcement and resources

There has been some confusion around what the Governor's executive order is and isn't. Some have been critical of the issuance of a "stay at home" order instead of a "shelter in place" order. It is important to note that in Oregon, "shelter in place" is a technical term that substantively means something different from what the current order is. "Shelter in place" is designed more for use in a short term situation, for example in the case of an earthquake - meaning wherever you are right now, hunker down and absolutely do not leave; this is not the current order. The "stay at home" order is longer-term in scope and directs Oregonians to not leave their homes except for absolute necessities.

The stay-at-home order is not martial law, or anything close to it. Our roads and borders are still open; police officers won't stop you for merely leaving home; you don't need proof from your employer that you are "essential." The Oregon State Police put together a useful document explaining clearly how this order will be enforced, which you can find here. My friend Mac Prichard has also compiled an incredibly comprehensive list of resources for Portlanders who are facing struggles as we handle this issue; I strongly encourage anyone looking for guidance to check out that list here. OHA also has a page dedicated to COVID-19 updates, including an FAQ, and you can sign up for OHA updates delivered directly to your inbox here.

Important takeaways

Stay home, save lives. Do not let that message's simplicity fool you.

Now is not the time to take a vacation. Being stuck at home can be difficult so if you start feeling cooped up, take a stroll outside or go on a little hike - just be sure that you are not in busy areas and are able to keep at least 6 feet of space between you and the next nearest person. If you need to go to the grocery store or pharmacy, just take yourself. Ask your neighbors, especially if they're elderly, if they would like you to get something for them. Thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water upon your return. The fewer people who are out and about, the smaller the likelihood of this disease spreading.

Spending the weekend at the coast, going on a road trip or going to a popular hiking trail is quite literally endangering lives. If you are not in an at-risk group, you are still able to transmit the virus. And while older folks and those with underlying health issues are more vulnerable to be negatively affected by the disease, healthy young folks are certainly not immune to it - this is something to be taken seriously by everyone, regardless of age or health.

Census

Amidst all of this, we still have a national decennial census ongoing and today, April 1, is National Census Day. The importance of the census cannot be stressed enough. It is how the government decides where money and resources will go and how they will be allocated - this means money for schools, for healthcare, welfare offices, and many other important programs. Of course, it is also how legislative district maps are drawn and Congressional representation and electoral votes are allocated. You can find out more information and fill out your census online this year at 2020census.gov if you have not done so already. It only takes a few minutes of your time and makes an enormous difference to our community.

Special Session

I am extremely grateful for the Governor's leadership during this time. Her guidance and executive orders have saved lives. However, there is only so much that can be done by executive order, so the legislature will likely be called into an extremely brief special session to pass legislation to alleviate the burden this public health crisis is putting on Oregonians. Senate President Courtney and House Speaker Kotek appointed a Joint Special Committee on Coronavirus Response which worked overtime in a truly bipartisan way to consider options and make recommendations to the full legislature on our response.

The aim is for our package to complement that which is coming from the federal government and I strongly encourage you to reach out to your federal Senators and Representative for any questions you may have on that. Our special session does not yet have a date but it is coming just as soon as the final details can be ironed out. We want to get much-needed meaningful help to our constituents as soon as possible.

I wish I had more information about the special session for you at this time, but details are still getting put together. Among other things, our response package will address helping tenants and small landlords who often depend on rental money for personal monthly income, aid for those whose businesses and jobs have been impacted, increasing access to healthcare and nutritional assistance, assisting those who are facing housing insecurity or are currently houseless, aiding hospitals and hospital workers, and easing the administrative work of government and bureaucracy so that public servants and Oregonians alike are able to make it through this difficult time just that much easier.

We are getting daily updates from the Governor's office and OHA as the situation progresses and are monitoring the response carefully. Your calls and emails drive our work and we pass along what we are hearing from you up the chain.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact my office with any questions or concerns you may have. As you can imagine, we are keeping very busy during this time so please be patient as we get back to you. We read every email that comes to our inbox but must prioritize questions and individual concerns so if you do not get a response to your comment, please know that your message was seen. We are not currently in the office so email is the best way to contact us; voicemails are checked periodically but a phone call is not the best way to reach us, especially for timely matters.

You can help us focus on the important work of serving you during this busy time by contacting one of the resources mentioned above if they would be better suited to address your issue and you are able; more than likely, if you contact our office with a coronavirus-related concern we will either direct you to one of those resources or contact them on your behalf.

Your patience and understanding are greatly appreciated and I wish the very best of health to you and your family. Stay home, save lives. And please, wash your hands often and well.

Yours truly,

Senator Lew Frederick
Senate District 22

email: Sen.LewFrederick@oregonlegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1722
address: 900 Court St NE, S-419, Salem, OR 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/frederick