Curry County Public Health Administrator and Curry County Commissioners Office received notification Thursday afternoon, June 4th at approximately 1:38pm from Governor Kate Browns Office that Curry County’s request to enter Phase 2 on Friday, June 5th, has been approved.
In the letter, Governor Brown states- “Thank you for the effort you, your residents, and your public health system have put into containing the spread of COVID-19 in your county. I am pleased to inform you that your county’s application to enter Phase 2 on June 5th has been approved.”
The goals of the re-open plan remains the same,
- Minimize hospitalizations and deaths
- Allow people to return to work so they can support themselves and their families
- Minimize risk to frontline workers
- Avoid overwhelming the health care system
- Protect those at highest risk of severe illness, especially the elderly, those with underlying health conditions, and communities of color, and
- Support social/cultural/spiritual reopening for small groups that preserve community cohesion and cultural practices. wrap in text
Moving to Phase 2 comes with increased risk. With every restriction lifted we know transmission of the virus has the potential to increase. You should be proud of the work done thus far by your local public health department to test, track, and isolate new cases of COVID-19. That work has made it possible for your county to move to the next phase.
Phase 2 is the last full phase until there is a widely available treatment or a vaccine for COVID-19. The Governor’s office and the Oregon Health Authority will be evaluating current guidance on an ongoing basis.
Curry County will need to continue close monitoring of the Oregon Health Authority’s six public health indicators to manage any increase in new cases. Maintaining a culturally responsive and robust contact tracing system, as well as an effective testing and isolation strategy will be key to containing any potential spread of the virus.
Oregon Health Authority will be monitoring the spread of COVID-19 in your county, and throughout the state, and is prepared ready to work with the county if any concerns arise.