I hope you and yours are safe and healthy during this holiday season and that you are able to find joy as we close out the last two weeks of 2020.
The Governor and Oregon Health Authority have announced the most recent assessments regarding county risk levels, effective December 18 through December 31.The county map below reflects the current status for each county across Oregon.
In Senate District 30, Grant & Harney Counties have moved to the 'Lower Risk' level and Lake County has moved into the 'Moderate Risk' level. Wheeler County remains in the 'Lower Risk' level and the rest of the counties in Senate District 30 remain in the 'Extreme Risk' level.
It is critical to re-opening our counties and lowering the risk level that we continue to follow public health guidelines put in place to stop the spread of COVID-19. No matter your feelings on wearing masks or following these guidelines, the only way for us to move forward is to stop the spread and lower our positive test numbers.
OHA will review per-county data each week and make the necessary adjustments every two weeks according to the information below. Counties that continue to show improvements will incrementally move into lower risk categories until they are in the lowest category. The risk categories and activities permitted and prohibited within each category are listed below.
Oregon COVID-19 Counties & Risk Levels Map:
County Risk Level & Activity Table:
Special Session - Monday, December 21
Earlier this week, Governor Brown called for the Oregon Legislature to meet in Salem for the third Special Session of 2020 to consider a new funding package totaling upwards of $800 million in relief and programs.
The issues to be considered are:
- Extending the statewide eviction moratorium as well as limited assistance for certain residential landlords;
- Consideration to changing the law temporarily to allow bars and restaurants to sell mixed drinks and cocktails to-go, including allowing third-party services to deliver the sealed containers to those who are legally allowed to purchase alcohol;
- Limited-liability protections for schools that has been needed for months. This is a very important step for getting more children safely back in the classroom and protecting our schools from frivolous lawsuits, even while following all public health guidelines;
- Relief and support for victims of the devastating wildfires in early September;
- Ongoing support for tackling COVID-19 and the impact it has had on our public health systems
In addition, the legislature will also be providing the Joint Emergency Board with money to allocate emergency funds to those in need. I sit on this Committee and the work we do and the purpose of the committee is important because without the Emergency Board, the full legislature would need to convene to allocate funds to state agencies and community partners.
We will continue to keep you updated regularly as we get closer to the next legislative long session and as COVID-19 guidelines continue to change. If there is anything we can do or any questions we can try to answer, please reach out to our office at (503) 986-1730.
Sincerely,
