Government Kate Brown on Tuesday dramatically revised the long-standing measures of COVID-19 in an apparent attempt to make restaurants and other businesses operate largely as they are, banning the ban or severe restrictions on indoor activities.
Brown has introduced a new requirement that indoor dining will only be banned if Oregon sees active hospitalizations from COVID-19 nationwide swell to 300, about double the current number, and if there is a 15% increase in the daily hospitalizations per week.
Brown did the review as cases and hospitalizations climbed over the past few weeks, and the state reported 544 new cases and 33 deaths on Tuesday – though many of the deaths likely occurred weeks ago.
Brown effectively created a buffer for businesses, which in some ways undermined her public messages from last week and called for renewed efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus as part of a race to vaccinate more Oregonians before coronavirus variants were introduced. high tide four.
The change means that the provinces of Josephine, Klamath and Tillamook will avoid moving into the state’s extreme risk ‘category, which will place the biggest restrictions on businesses, such as banning indoor dining and seriously reducing the number of people in gyms and theaters. restrict.
These restrictions were originally created last fall to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Other provinces may also escape restrictions in the coming weeks despite increasing cases, as long as hospitalizations do not climb too steeply.
Charles Boyle, a spokesman for Brown, said the governor felt comfortable changing her criteria because Oregonians were being vaccinated against COVID-19 – something that was not true when she introduced the criteria for business restrictions last year.
“Hospitalizations are an indication of serious diseases in our communities,” Boyle said in a statement. “By linking Extreme Risk to hospitalizations across the country, we will ensure that we do not impose the highest level of constraints if hospital capacity is not threatened.”
Oregon reported 163 active hospitalizations Tuesday. Oregon could climb to about 300 hospitalizations in May if the dreaded spring boom materializes, according to the modeling released last week by Oregon Health & Science University, which means restaurants can get at least a month’s stay from banning indoor eating .
Large provinces qualify for ‘extreme risk’ and the strongest restrictions if they have at least 200 cases per 100,000 inhabitants over a period of two weeks. This categorization leads to a ban on dining and indoor visits to long-term care facilities, and gyms and theaters can usually have no more than six customers.
Large provinces in the next level, “high risk”, can provide indoor access for up to 25% to 50 people, and indoor visits to care facilities are allowed.
Fourteen provinces will now be in the ‘high risk’ level, including Multnomah and Clackamas provinces, which are in force on Friday. These jurisdictions in the metro area have been downgraded due to the increasing spread of coronavirus, and as a result, some businesses will reduce their indoor capacity from 50% to 25%.
Boyle noted that backward-looking provinces, such as Multnomah and Clackamas, still have to comply with what he describes as ‘significant constraints’ in the ‘high-risk’ level.
“Now we need Oregonians to strictly follow the health and safety measures being followed and to be vaccinated as soon as possible if a vaccine is available to them so that we can stop the spread of COVID-19,” Boyle said. said.
Vaccines: Oregon reported 32,955 newly administered doses, including 21,170 Monday and the rest of previous days.
Where the new cases are by country: Baker (4), Benton (11), Clackamas (86), Clatsop (1), Columbia (5), Coos (10), Crook (2), Curry (2), Deschutes (35), Douglas (7), Grant (9), Harney (3), Hood River (2), Jackson (33), Jefferson (2), Josephine (12), Klamath (21), Lane (41), Lincoln (3), Linn (17) , Malheur (4), Marion (36), Multnomah (68), Polk (10), Sherman (1), Tillamook (7), Umatilla (8), Union (4), Wasco (1), Washington (97) and Yamhill (2).
Who is dead: The state did not immediately provide details of the 33 deaths.
Hospitalizations: 163 people with confirmed cases of COVID-19 are admitted to hospital, which is lower than Monday. This includes 42 people in intensive care, the same as Monday.
Since it started: Oregon reported 167,658 confirmed or suspected infections and 2,427 deaths, one of the lowest per capita numbers in the country. To date, the state has administered 2,031,252 doses of vaccines.
– Brad Schmidt; [email protected]; 503-294-7628; @_brad_schmidt