Lane County has 64 positive COVID-19 test results, one presumptive case, and two suspected COVID-19 deaths as of May 17, according to Lane County Public Health. At least 6,640 tests have been conducted for Lane County residents.
After submitting an application on May 8 Lane County has been approved for Phase One of reopening. It will loosen restrictions or restaurants, personal service providers, malls and gyms.
During this time Lane County will expand its testing and contact tracing, according to Lane County Commissioner Heather Buch.
May 15
The traditions of Ramadan have changed during the COVID pandemic, but people have still found a way to come together.
The Eugene Islamic Center is holding live lectures every Tuesday and Thursday on its Facebook page, and some college students who have been quarantined with family have found that they are able to celebrate with them for the first time since starting college.
May 14
Gov. Kate Brown announced that Lane County was eligible to begin Phase One of reopening, along with 27 other counties.
Restrictions on restaurants, bars, barbershops and salons, gyms and in-person gatherings would be eased, though businesses must follow certain requirements to keep the spread of COVID to a minimum.
Groups of 25 can gather for any reason. Counties must spend three weeks in Phase One before applying to enter phase two.
Due to financial uncertainty that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused, the university will not be giving stipends, overloads, retention increases, expansion of duties, work-out-of-class and special merit increases pay actions.
The exceptions are employees who are taking on substantially more work due to a vacancy, Individuals that have historically been paid a stipend, “critical retention issues,” “Significant, permanent department restructuring,” contractually obligated payments or other extenuating circumstances.
May 13
The study abroad programs at UO will be taught virtually through the No Passport Needed program. The program was created because of UO’s decision to cancel all travel-based programs through August 14 due to the coronavirus, affecting about 1000 students.
While professors recognize that this will not be the same as an in-person experience, they say the 27 different programs offer a meaningful alternative experience.
May 12
A group of Oregon business owners and a non-profit named Open Our Oregon filed a lawsuit last Tuesday, asking a judge to nullify Gov. Kate Brown’s stay at home orders, and the order that prohibited eating at restaurants, saying that they violate the plaintiffs’ constitutional rights.
The plaintiffs claim that Brown’s executive orders violate their 14th Amendment rights to conduct business, and her decision to extend restrictions until July was made to “advance [the Democratic] party’s ideology of larger government programs, spending and control over Americans.”
Without rooms to rent or events to hold, UO clubs have to adapt to a closed campus.
University of Oregon’s Hui O Hawaii club’s 45th annual Lu’au was scheduled for May 16, now it has been canceled.
But they aren’t alone, the UO Accessible Clothing initiative and the International Student Association have also had to cancel big events.
However many of these clubs have stayed in contact virtually, through weekly meetings substituting their event for something online.
Hans Boyle, Michael Tobin, Makenzie Elliott, Ardeshir Tabrizian, C. Francis O’Leary and Jack Forrest contributed to the reporting in this article.
