In today’s press conference with Governor Kate Brown, a statewide “freeze” was ordered on the majority of indoor gatherings including but not limited to, restaurants and bars, gyms and faith based gatherings which are restricted to 25 members indoors and 50 outdoors. Retail is allowed to remain open within 75% of their normal capacity for two weeks. It was announced that Multnomah County will be in a four week freeze with the potential for other counties to join them if their cases continue to surge.

Kate Brown had announced a two week pause only one week ago and since then they have seen an “alarming spike in cases and Covid-19 hospitalizations.” It is unclear whether or not that nine county pause made much difference however, Dr. Dean Sidelinger indicated with record number of daily cases they decided to take action now. He updated the case count for today which is 1,056. A majority of cases stems from “community spread, which is lurking visible and not,” according to Kate Brown.

Hospitals are expecting an influx and several are voluntarily reducing or limiting elective procedures that would require a hospital stay of one to four days. OHSU has four ICU’s that care for critically ill patients not just Covid patients and are reportedly at 90% capacity.

Oregon Health Sciences University has been planning for large surge, but that is meant to be last resort measures. Hospitals are looking grim, with a 50% increase in metro, and are facing constraint. There are 15 staffed ICU beds, per Dr. Sidelinger. Other regions are facing urgency even though capacity is not high. Hospitals have a lagging indicator where we won’t see hospitalizations for one to two weeks.

Dire predictions spoken of by Dr. Renee Edwards, Chief Medical Officer of OHSU, echoing phrases like, “the dreaded winter surge is here, and we may be facing the roughest days of the pandemic, we must take further action.”

What is included in the two week freeze? Beginning on Wednesday November 18, through December 2, Expect the following:

• Restaurants and bars Limited to take out only
• Retail and Grocery restricted to 75% capacity
• Closing gyms, fitness centers
• Limiting churches to 25 indoors or 50 outdoors
• requiring remote work if at all possible for ALL businesses across the state
• Wear a mask at all time except when eating or drinking
• Social get togethers are limited to two households or six people.
• Strongly encourage outdoor recreation and camping; parks and playgrounds remain open for health
• Personal services such as chiropractic remain open as we haven’t seen extensive cases from this sector
• Childcare can remain open
• Schools currently eligible using metrics can remain open

The Governor followed the new guidance with, “The evidence is clear, masks save lives.”

These lockdown measures are in addition to earlier travel advisory she announced along with Govenor’s Newsom and Inslee of travelers avoiding interstate travel outside the three states, Washington, California and Oregon as well as self-quarantining for 14 days upon return. While this is not mandatory she said “We may be forced to,” make it so.

Individuals should begin compliance now, businesses should start to be in compliance by this coming Wednesday. According to data and modeling, Kate Brown’s public health experts predict we need longer to flatten the curve and slow the transmission.

If this all sounds “familiar” that’s because it is. Two weeks to flatten the curve first began on March 22nd when Governor Brown ordered all businesses except those deemed essential to close. It is hard to imagine the same experts will be satisfied with another two weeks.

Dr. Dean Sidelinger likened the freeze to a firebreak and blamed social gatherings for the rise in case such as Halloween parties and not keeping distance or wearing masks. Examples given were two Halloween parties where one had 50 attendees and 10 positive tests resulted.

Another smaller one involved six testing positive with following up occurring with an additional 25 individuals. “Skyrocketing cases” is preventing local public health departments from being able to quickly contact trace and investigate. Individuals can help the effort, when, someone tells you you’ve been exposed while waiting on test results to stay home and don’t wait for public health call, which is just one tool. The freeze was called another tool.

With previous Executive orders Kate Brown has used discretion to allow law enforcement to enforce as a class c misdemeanor, through citation, fine or arrest. When questioned by reporters about stronger legal action, she said, “She is not asking, but telling people to stop with informal social gatherings,” and she did not want to have to close businesses again but, “We have no other choice.”

In closing, the Governor reiterated, “I know Oregonians can do this as they’ve made incredible sacrifices to protect themselves and we’ve had one of the lowest infections rates.” The infection rate given today is 1.5%.

And if hearing, “Stay Home, Save lives” wasn’t losing its impact, Brown followed that with “get your flu shot,” and it had a certain cheap grocery store ring to it.

It's beginning to feel as if we're Clark Griswold after receiving a jelly of the month club certificate instead of a bonus check. After all the hard work and sacrifice of the last, almost nine months, the phrase Governor Brown uttered last year, has clearer meaning. Revenge isn’t just a dish best served cold, but freezing.


--Nicole DeGraff

Post Date: 2020-11-13 19:05:32

Last Update: 2020-11-13 20:55:19