Coronavirus Update: Emergency Extended, More on Face Coverings

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House Speaker Tina Kotek

Coronavirus Update: Emergency Extended, More on Face Coverings

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Today, Governor Brown extended her declaration of a state of emergency regarding COVID-19 for an additional 60 days, until September 4. This declaration is the legal basis for the executive orders the Governor has issued to keep Oregonians healthy and safe throughout this crisis. Extending the state of emergency declaration allows those orders to stay in effect. You can read her full statement here.

The Governor will hold a press availability tomorrow, July 1, at 11 a.m. A live stream will be available for the public here.

How are you feeling about all of this?

I’m feeling a combination of concern, dread, and confidence. Concern because more people are getting sick. Dread because we’ve sacrificed so much to keep infection rates low. Confidence that Oregonians will continue to step up and take care of each other.

As we head into a holiday weekend, it’s important that we all think about how we can keep each other safe. Our July 4th plans will have to be smaller and more local than last year. We have to wear masks. We have to keep safe distances from each other. If we don’t do this, we might have to go backwards on reopening our economy. I know no one wants that.

Stay home, safe lives.


Face Coverings Required Tomorrow

Starting tomorrow, face coverings will be required statewide for all indoor public spaces.

Customers and visitors of businesses and indoor spaces open to the public are
required to:

  • Wear a mask, face shield, or face covering, unless the individual is under 12 years of age, except as follows:
    • Masks, face shields or face coverings are not required while eating or drinking.
    • Masks, face shields or face coverings are not required when at a business or in an indoor space open to the public and engaged in an activity that makes wearing a mask, face shield or face covering not feasible, such as strenuous physical exercise, or performers singing or playing an instrument if at least six (6) feet of distance is maintained from others.
    • Individuals who have a medical condition that makes it hard to breathe or a disability that prevents the individual from wearing a mask, face shield or face covering can request an accommodation to enable full and equal access to services, transportation, and facilities open to the public.

A business and a person responsible for indoor spaces open to the public are required to:

  • Require employees, contractors, volunteers, customers and visitors to wear a mask, face shield, or face covering (with some exceptions, see the guidelines).
  • Provide masks, face shields, or face coverings for employees.
  • Provide for accommodations for employees, contractors, customers and visitors if such accommodations are required by certain laws (see the guidelines).
  • Post clear signs about the mask, face shield, or face covering requirements.

A business and a person responsible for indoor spaces open to the public should, but
are not required to:

  • Provide, at no cost, at least disposable face coverings for customers and visitors who do not have one.
  • Post signs about the mask, face shield, or face coverings requirement in languages that are commonly spoken by customers and visitors.
  • Educate employees on: how to safely work and communicate with people who cannot wear masks, face shield, or face coverings; and that they may need to remove a mask or face covering while communicating with an individual who needs to read lips or see facial expressions to communicate.
    You can find the guidelines here.

Who Should Get a Test?

With cases of coronavirus on the rise, it seems helpful to revisit who should get tested. The full guidelines can be found here.

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) recommends that any person with symptoms consistent with COVID-19 be tested. The most common symptoms are cough, headache, muscle aches, chills, and a fever over 100 degrees.

The OHA recommends that people with symptoms from certain groups should be prioritized, such as health care workers, people who live in group settings, essential frontline workers, people over 65, people with underlying health conditions, people with disabilities, and people of color.

The OHA also recommends that testing of people without symptoms be limited to the following groups:

  • Close contacts of confirmed or presumptive COVID-19 cases.
  • People exposed to COVID-19 in a congregate setting (e.g., residential care facilities, group homes, schools, agricultural workplaces, food processing plants, jails or prisons, shelters).
  • Migrant/seasonal agricultural workers upon arrival in Oregon.
  • People who identify as Black, African-American, Latino, Latina, Latinx, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Asian-American or Pacific Islander.
  • People who identify as having a disability.
  • People whose first language is not English.

The recommendation for asymptomatic individuals is really important given the uptick in workplace outbreaks, the prevalence of problems in residential facilities, and the disproportionate impact of the pandemic in communities of color.

Two other things to highlight from the guidelines:

  • Patients and providers should be aware that COVID-19 testing for asymptomatic individuals may not be covered by insurance (e.g., when there is no known contact or high risk exposure to COVID-19).
  • Viral tests are falsely negative in about 30% of patients with symptoms. Assume that you have COVID-19 and protect your community by isolating until you feel better.

Click here for a helpful Q&A on testing.


Need a COVID-19 Test in Multnomah County?

Anyone with symptoms of COVID-19 can get tested for free at Multnomah County’s East County Health Center (600 NE 8th St., Gresham). BIPOC communities, those without health insurance, and those without a regular health care provider can receive testing at this location. Call 503-988-8939 to make an appointment.

OHSU is operating mobile, drive-through testing sites in Portland and Hillsboro. Anyone over two months of age with clinical signs or symptoms of upper or lower respiratory tract illness can be referred for testing:

  • Portland Expo Center, 2060 N Marine Dr., Portland. Mondays-Saturdays, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm.
  • Hillsboro Stadium, 4450 NE Century Blvd., Hillsboro. Mondays-Saturdays, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm.

Changes at the DMV

The DMV has temporarily stopped scheduling appointments until next week because it is changing over to a new system. The department expects the new system to go live on Monday July 6.

The new system will offer expanded online services, including online appointment scheduling. Customers will be able go online and schedule their appointment in real time, rather than submitting a request form and waiting for a call-back from DMV.
As of last week, the DMV now has drive-up VIN inspections at select DMV field offices. You do not need an appointment for these VIN inspections.

The DMV continues to add additional 3rd party drive test locations across the state.


The Latest News

  • The Oregon Health Authority reported 181 new confirmed and presumptive cases of today, bringing the state total to 8,656. Tragically, three new deaths were reported today, meaning 207 Oregonians have now died of the coronavirus.
  • OHA created a new interactive COVID-19 Update. You can find it here. Click on each image below for more information.

June 30 OHA Update

June 30 Hospital Capacity

June 30 Emergency Department Visits

To read past newsletters, you can go to this link. For up to date information, please check this link to the Oregon Health Authority where regular updates are posted: https://www.oregon.gov/oha/ERD/Pages/News-Releases.aspx

Please email me at Rep.TinaKotek@oregonlegislature.gov if you have specific concerns that have not been addressed by the OHA. Our office will do all we can to help and protect all Oregonians.

Thank you for reading! We will get through this together.

Best,

Tina

Tina Kotek

State Representative
House District 44
Speaker of the House

email: Rep.TinaKotek@oregonlegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1200
address: 900 Court St NE, H-269, Salem, OR 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/kotek