May 11, 2020

On May 7 the Governor held a press conference and issued new guidelines on “re-opening” Oregon. The Governor is approaching re-opening on two paths: 1) Statewide guidance that applies to all Oregonians and businesses (and some sector-specific guidance) and 2) County-by-county guidance that allows a greater degree of activity to take place once a county has been approved based on meeting certain public health criteria.

Statewide Guidance:

Included in the materials that her office posted on its COVID-19 website is new statewide guidance for employers that takes effect May 15, as well as new guidance for the public, for outdoor recreation and for the use of face coverings that applies immediately. The Governor has said she will also issue new guidance on childcare, summer school/camps/youth activities and transit that will take effect May 15 although she has not posted such guidance yet.

County-by-County Rules:

Counties have been invited to apply to the Governor to re-open more fully beginning May 15th if they meet certain public health criteria. So far, 24 of Oregon’s 36 counties have applied.  Based on the criteria, rural counties with few cases of COVID-19 will be the first to be allowed to re-open. The status of county applications can be viewed on the Governor’s COVID-19 page. This re-opening will be done in phases with 21 days between each phase to determine if COVID-19 cases have increased. Phase 1 will include a limited re-opening of restaurants and bars, personal care services, gym and fitness centers and group gatherings of up to 25 people with physical distancing and masks. Oregonians from other parts of the state are asked to refrain from unnecessary travel to re-opened counties.

For more updates, visit https://oregonrealtors.org/know/oar-covid-updates