If you've been keeping up with the news (and since Good Morning, News and our daily COVID news updates exist, you simply have no excuse), you'll know that the majority of the counties in Oregon have either applied for or have been given the go-ahead to start a "Phase One" reopening. Today we learned that both neighboring Clackamas and Washington counties are applying to reopen this week, even if they haven't yet met the health criteria that's been insisted on by the state. ("Insisted" is probably a strong word, since the state government has been a bit liberal in accepting what passes as "meeting the criteria.")

In any case, everyone here in Multnomah County are beginning to wonder, "Well, what about us?" To shed a bit more light on the situation, members of the states' public health offices are presenting a press conference today at 1 pm to update the media and the public on where Multnomah County currently stands in our reopening efforts and what else we need to accomplish (such as contact tracing, testing, PPE, and more). As our Blair Stenvick reported last week, we most likely still have a ways to go.

On hand to speak and answer questions will be the director of Multnomah County Public Health, Rachael Banks, Communicable Disease Services director Kim Toevs, and Multnomah County Health Officer, Dr. Jennifer Vines.

WATCH THE PRESS CONFERENCE HERE, SCHEDULED TO BEGIN AT 1 PM TODAY.