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SALEM â Gov. Kate Brown on Thursday, April 29, extended Oregonâs state of emergency for COVID-19 until June 28, saying a fourth surge of the pandemic is being driven by variants of the disease and causing increased cases and hospitalizations.
The declaration allows Brown to issue executive orders restricting activity and helps the state utilize federal COVID-relief funds, the governorâs office said.
Brown put 15 counties that encompass the stateâs biggest cities into the stateâs extreme risk category starting Friday, April 30, imposing restrictions that include banning indoor restaurant dining.
The restaurant sector has objected to Brownâs action, with the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association declaring the state lost more than 1,000 food service businesses in 2020 and that 200 more closed permanently so far this year.
“I chose to save lives.”
This week, the Oregon Health Authority reported that the state recorded its fifth straight week where cases have increases by 20% more.
About 80% of the state’s staffed adult ICU beds and 90% of the state’s staffed adult non-ICU beds are occupied, based on Oregon Health Authority data provided.
Since the beginning of the month, COVID-19 hospitalizations have more than doubled. As of Thursday, 339 people were hospitalized with the virus in Oregon.
Brown said COVID-19 data over the past month has been “eye opening” and last week she announced that 15 counties Baker, Clackamas, Columbia, Crook, Deschutes, Grant, Jackson, Josephine, Klamath, Lane, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk and Wasco - would be moved to the “extreme risk” level.
New COVID-19 restrictions will save lives, Oregon governor, health officials say KATU Staff
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Oregon Governor Kate Brown and heath officials say preventative measures are crucial to ending the latest surge in COVID-19 cases, and the economy should be able to reopen soon.
On Friday, Governor Brown first addressed the counties who moved to “extreme” and high risk levels.
She said the number of young people ages 18-34 that are being hospitalized due to COVID-19 has increased by almost 50%.
I was presented with data showing two paths Oregon could take. One in which we took no action and stood by as while more people died from this disease. Or another, that required a temporary tightening of restrictions for certain counties but could save hundreds of lives and prevent as many as 450 hospitalizations over the next three weeks. As your governor, I chose to save lives, Brown said.
SALEM, Ore.
Gov. Kate Brown on Thursday extended Oregon’s state of emergency for COVID-19 until June 28, saying a fourth surge of the pandemic is being driven by variants of the disease and causing increased cases and hospitalizations.
The declaration allows Brown to issue executive orders restricting activity and helps the state utilize federal COVID-relief funds, the governor’s office said.
Brown is putting 15 counties that encompass the state’s biggest cities into the extreme risk category starting Friday, imposing restrictions that include banning indoor restaurant dining.
The restaurant sector has objected to Brown’s action, with the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Assn. declaring that the state lost more than 1,000 food service businesses in 2020 and that 200 more have closed permanently this year.