UPDATE: In her press conference, Gov. Kate Brown announced that, starting on Wednesday, November 18, the entire state will enter a two-week "freeze," during which all restaurants and bars will be limited for take-out only, gyms will be shuttered, grocery stores and pharmacies will be capped at 75 percent capacity, and religious spaces will be restricted to 25 people indoors. However, since Multnomah County leads the state in positive cases, the freeze is expected to last in the Portland Metro area for at least four weeks. Read all the details here.
ORIGINAL POST: Today at noon, Gov. Kate Brown will talk to the press about the alarming rise in COVID-19 cases in Oregon, and what additional measures should be taken by the public. Yesterday the state broke yet another record for single-day reports of new coronavirus infections, with a worrisome 1,122 new cases. New hospitalizations from COVID-19 also skyrocketed this week, and officials are growing increasingly concerned that our medical providers won't be able to keep up with the surge of new cases.
A week ago, Brown advised a two-week "pause" on social gatherings for nine Oregon counties, including Multnomah, to see if the state could get this surge under control. However, the latest alarming numbers indicate that Brown will put other, more strict, measures in place. This morning, all three West Coast governors (Washington's Jay Inslee, California's Gavin Newsom, and Brown) issued travel advisories for the entire region, strongly suggesting outside visitors to quarantine for 14 days, and for those who live here to stay put and avoid unnecessary travel.
In today's press conference, Brown will be joined by members of the Oregon Health Authority and Oregon Health & Science University. You can WATCH THE GOVERNOR'S PRESS CONFERENCE LIVE RIGHT HERE STARTING AT NOON TODAY, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13.
