More Details Emerge About Douglas County Reopening

(Douglas County, Ore.) Douglas County Commissioners participated in a conference call with the Governor on Tuesday, May 5, 2020 to discuss the plan for reopening Douglas and other counties. The virtual meeting, held via Zoom, was attended by all three Douglas County Commissioners: Board Chair, Chris Boice, Tim Freeman and Tom Kress. Dozens of elected officials from other counties also participated – including Josephine, Jackson, Curry and Coos, the four other counties that co-signed a letter to the governor last month asking her to allow them to begin reopening. In the Zoom call, county leaders learned they would have to fill out an application and have the application approved by the state in order to begin Phase One reopening. The Governor’s office will begin accepting applications this Friday, May 8. If approved, some counties may be allowed to lift some restrictions as soon as May 15, 2020. The governor has stated that the prerequisites for reopening include: Sufficient hospital capacity and enough personal protective equipment (PPE) to handle a surge in COVID-19 cases; the ability to conduct widespread testing; and a strong system in place for contact tracing to determine who may have come into contact with individuals who test positive for the virus. County leaders believe Douglas County meets those requirements and is well-positioned to reopen, thanks to the extensive collaborative efforts of local partners through the Douglas County COVID-19 Response Team. “We’ve done the work over weeks and weeks to make sure that when this date came we were ready, and we believe we’re ready,” Commissioner Tim Freeman said in a radio interview today. “We are now waiting for the final application process so we can get it submitted, and we can get it approved, and get the county’s businesses back open.” Details of exactly how the reopening will occur are still in the works, but safety requirements will likely include ongoing physical distancing and other precautions. “There are lots of sector requirements. Certain businesses have to do certain things, the County has to do certain things, and the State has to do certain things,” Freeman said. “We are working through all of that. Believe me, we are using every County resource possible and working as hard as we can.” For those that have stated that the County Commissioners can just reopen the County, please know that our County Commissioners are limited by state statutes and laws, and we cannot launch a reopening against the Governor’s orders. Freeman noted that the County has reopened everything it has authority over, including County buildings and parks, with some limitations and conditions. Freeman said the County is in good shape to reopen largely because of the efforts of the collaborative Douglas County COVID-19 Response Team. Members include the Douglas County Board of Commissioners, Douglas Public Health Network, Mercy Medical Center, Umpqua Health, Aviva Health, Evergreen Family Medicine, Lower Umpqua Hospital District, Adapt, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and Search and Rescue, the Roseburg VA, Douglas Forest Protective Association, and the Red Cross. The County and the DCCRT will keep residents informed of all developments related to the reopening timeline and requirements for businesses, once those details have been determined. (Via Douglas County Release)