COVID-19 update: Crowds

Posted by Pam Marsh, 5th district, Oregon House of Representatives, posted the following on Facebook.

Last night, Governor Kate Brown announced that organized events in the state with more than 250 individuals attending, will be suspended until April 8, due to the risk of COVID-19.

This does not include stores, public transit, shopping centers or schools. It does include private events, including weddings. Gatherings such as farmer’s markets should be evaluated based on the ability to maintain social distancing — that is, allowing participants to stay 4-6 feet from each other.

Extracurricular school events will be cancelled, but school closure will be a last resort. Schools provide multiple daily benefits for children, including meals and access to onsite health care. Closure could be particularly high risk for families without the ability to stay home and care for children.

The state’s public health goals continue to be focused on 1) slowing the rate of transmission; and 2) preserving hospital capacity for the most ill among us.

At this point, Oregon has 19 presumed cases of the disease. Public health officials estimate that there are probably 150-250 present but not identified. Based on experience elsewhere, we should be prepared for thousands of cases. Commercial testing will be available soon allowing us to better track transmission.

As the governor has stated, this is an unprecedented health crisis. However, please remember that most people who get COVID-19 will have mild cases that are treatable at home.

Our goal continues to be to protect the most vulnerable among us, including older, frail adults and those with underlying health issues. These individuals should minimize public contact and stay home as much as possible.