Oregon Gov. Kate Brown extended the state of emergency until Nov. 3, 2020, on Tuesday to continue addressing COVID-19 concerns. The state of emergency is the legal basis for Brown’s executive orders and the Oregon Health Authority’s health and safety guidelines. Extending the state of emergency allows orders like statewide restrictions on businesses to remain in effect.
“When I last extended the COVID-19 state of emergency in June,” Brown said in a statement, “I told Oregonians that we were at a crossroads: we could work together to stop the spread of COVID-19 in Oregon, or we could watch infections and hospitalizations spike.”
Brown said Oregonians have slowed the virus’ spread and Oregon has one of the lowest mortality rates in the country. However, Oregon residents must continue taking the pandemic seriously to avoid infecting others.
“Until there is an effective vaccine for COVID-19, this disease can spread like wildfire if we let our guard down,” Brown said.
In a press conference on Aug. 21, Brown said the state would need to see less than 60 cases a day for schools to reopen. Oregon is at an average of 300 cases a day. On the current trajectory, Oregon would not see in-person instruction until as late as April, unless new restrictions are put in place, she said.