Brown orders smaller crowds, more masks

Published 2:49 pm Wednesday, July 22, 2020

SALEM — Gov. Kate Brown on Wednesday ordered bars to close earlier, lowered the age for mask requirements, further limited crowd sizes and said she may impose travel restrictions.

Brown spoke at a Wednesday morning teleconference to lay out new rules she said the state needs because the spread of COVID-19 remains too rapid to contain. State officials said the number of cases of new infections was up 26% from the week before.

“Oregon, we ventured out onto the ice together and that ice has begun to crack. Before we fall through the ice, we need to take steps to protect ourselves and our community,” Brown said.

Effective this Friday, July 24:

•Anyone 5 and older must wear a mask in public indoor spaces and outdoors where social distancing is not possible. Masks are recommended but not required for those between 2 and 5.

•The maximum number of people allowed inside indoor restaurants, bars, churches, theaters and other venues is reduced from 250 to 100.

•Restaurants and bars in Phase 2 counties — which includes most of the state — must close at 10 p.m., two hour earlier than the current midnight.

•Gyms must require face masks even while customers exercise.

In one loosening of restrictions, Brown announced outdoor visits to people in long-term care facilities will be allowed as long as there are no virus cases at the facility.

Brown said the limit of 250 people at outdoor gatherings would not change at this time. The limit on 10 people at indoor private events also stays the same.

Oregon officials are in discussions with neighboring states on how to implement possible restrictions for leisure travel from places that are “hot spots.” Brown said any restrictions would not limit commerce or travel for business.

And the Oregon Department of Education on Wednesday announced K-12 students must wear face coverings if they return to classrooms this fall. All school staff in K-12 schools also will have to wear face coverings such as masks or shields.

The decision reverses the state’s previous guidelines from June, which recommended that only older students wear face coverings.

The state will distribute 5 million face coverings — donated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency — to school districts throughout Oregon to help schools meet this new requirement, according to a state press release.

The state will release another update to its fall school plan Aug. 11, the release stated.

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Reporter Jackson Hogan of the EO Media Group contributed to this report.