New COVID-19 restrictions after 2 week freeze

SALEM, Ore. — Oregon Governor Kate Brown announced new COVID-19 restrictions to begin after the two week freeze. She said many of her two week freeze restrictions will be loosened starting December 3rd. However, many of those restrictions will only be lifted in counties with lower coronavirus spread.

Governor Brown says most of her restrictions will continue in 21 counties, where there is an”extreme risk” of COVID-19 spread. Jackson, Klamath, Douglas and Lane counties all fall into that category. Josephine, Coos and Lake counties qualify for a high risk of spread.

Here’s what’s changing at the end of the freeze:

Social and at-home gatherings with people from outside your household will be limited to a maximum of six people, with a recommended limit of two households.
Restaurants, bars, and other eating and drinking establishments will be limited to a maximum of 50 people for outdoor dining only, with only six people per table. Take-out is strongly encouraged.
Indoor recreation, fitness, and entertainment establishments, including gyms, will remain closed, however, outdoor recreation, fitness, and entertainment activities, including outdoor gym activities, will be allowed, with a maximum limit of 50 people outdoors.
Retail stores, grocery stores, pharmacies, and indoor and outdoor shopping centers and malls will be limited to a maximum of 50% of capacity, with curbside pick-up encouraged.
Faith institutions, funeral homes, mortuaries, and cemeteries will be limited to a maximum of 25% of capacity or 100 people indoors (whichever is smaller), or 150 people outdoors.
Office workplaces will be required to utilize remote work to the maximum extent possible, with public-facing offices closed to the public.
Personal services businesses will be allowed to continue to operate with health and safety measures in place.
Long-term care facilities can allow limited outdoor visitation, following established health and safety protocols.

“A one size fits all approach did not make sense moving forward. It’s not a sustainable place for oregon to be in,” said Governor Brown. The freeze will continue through December 2nd. Afterwards, these new restrictions will take over. Governor Brown’s announcement comes after Oregon saw three days of record breaking cases over the weekend. The state is now averaging more than one thousand cases a day.