On March 8, 2020, Governor Kate Brown issued her first Executive Order 20-03, declaring a statewide state of emergency pursuant to ORS chapter 401, due to the COVID-19 outbreak in Oregon.
Governor Kate Brown extended her declaration of a state of emergency regarding COVID-19 Thursday, December 17th, for an additional 60 days, until March 3rd, 2021. The previous executive order was set to expire on January 2, 2021. The declaration is the legal underpinning for the Governor’s COVID-19 executive orders and the Oregon Health Authority’s health and safety guidance.
“As we near 100,000 cases of COVID-19 in Oregon, and with hospitals and health care workers stretched to their limits, there is no doubt that COVID-19 continues to pose a public health threat,” said Governor Brown. “We continue to lose too many Oregonians to this deadly disease, including over 100 reported deaths in the last two days.”
The state of emergency declaration is the legal underpinning for the executive orders the Governor has issued that have placed virtually all Oregon coastal counties from California to Washington in the ‘High Risk’ category, essentially shuttering 29 Oregon counties for the remainder of the year. After making updates to county risk levels, ALL 36 Oregon counties are currently under the state’s new public health framework at some level.
Extending the state of emergency declaration allows orders to stay in effect to keep Oregonians healthy and safe throughout this crisis, including her orders concerning the risk level framework that establishes essential health and safety protections for Oregon, as well as orders around childcare, schools, and higher education operations.
“These are the darkest days of this pandemic. And yet, hope has arrived. Beginning this week, each time another Oregonian is vaccinated against COVID-19, we are one step closer to the day when we can return to normal life. In the meantime, we must keep up our guard. Protect your friends and loved ones by continuing to follow health and safety protocols. Wear a face covering, avoid gatherings, stay home when you are sick–and, together, we can drive down COVID-19 infections and save lives.”
