Oregon Gov. Kate Brown Tuesday announced the extension of her coronavirus-related state of emergency declaration for 60 days, now lasting until Nov. 3.
“When I last extended the COVID-19 state of emergency in June, I told Oregonians that we were at a crossroads: we could work together to stop the spread of COVID-19 in Oregon, or we could watch infections and hospitalizations spike,” Brown said in a statement.
Brown said that the state has made progress in slowing the spread of the virus, but both the start of the school year and the upcoming Labor Day weekend mark critical moments in the ongoing pandemic.
“We can work together to stay safe and put Oregon on the path to return more students to classrooms. Or, we could see Labor Day celebrations unknowingly sow the seeds of COVID-19 outbreaks that could set us back for months. Until there is an effective vaccine for COVID-19, this disease can spread like wildfire if we let our guard down,” Brown said.
The emergency declaration allows Brown to continue enforcing executive orders related to public health and safety amid the pandemic.
Copyright 2020 Oregon Public Broadcasting
