Masks to Be Required; More Details on Boating Tragedy; COVID-19 Numbers; Museum Delays Opening

Masks to Be Required

Governor Kate Brown says that beginning tomorrow all Oregonians will be required to wear masks when indoors in public spaces.  Brown outlined the specific spaces that are included in the extension of her original order that covered 7 counties experiencing severe outbreaks of the coronavirus.  Basically if it is an indoor business residents will be required wear a mask.  No specific guidelines were issued as to how the order will be enforced, only that it falls under the responsibility of OSHA.  It also does not give specific instruction to businesses as to how to handle visitors from outside the state.  Florence has an influx of out of state visitors during the summer season as it is a tourist destination and unless a business has a supply of masks to hand out to customers, the question is how to peaceably enforce the order.  Coast Radio has reached out to Lane County Public Health and local authorities for more information with the hopes of receiving more guidance today on how businesses are to proceed.

More Details on Boating Tragedy

More information was released yesterday afternoon regarding the fatal boating accident that took the lives of two prominent business people in Florence.  The U.S. Coast guard received a mayday distress call at approximately 1:50 yesterday morning from the fishing vessel Aquarius stating that all crew members were abandoning ship.  The vessel had struck the south jetty of the Siuslaw River Bar and was beginning to take on water.  An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from the coast guard air facility in Newport was dispatched and arrived on scene at 2:50 am.  One responsive individual was located near the shoreline by members of the Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue and Western Lane Ambulance.  The helicopter located a second individual that was unresponsive and hoisted them into the aircraft.  The third person was not located until approximately 7 am.  the U.S. Coast Guard reported 6 to 8 foot seas with occasional 10 foot waves.  Kyle and Amber Novelli were the victims of this tragic accident.  Senior Chief Petty Officer Jay Nilles said  it was a highly unfortunate loss and the member of the coast guard family join the community in mourning.  The incident continues to be under investigation.

COVID-19 Numbers

There are 12 new COVID-19 cases to report for Lane County, 10 are located in the Eugene/Springfield area and two according to Lane County Public health is travel related and one of those two is a rural Lane County report.  Statewide another 146 cases have been reported and two new deaths, both from Marion County: An 84 year old woman and a 72 year old man both with underlying health conditions.  The death toll for the state is now at 204 and the total number of cases is 8,485.  The state is also updating how cases are reported.  The new method will assign a specific date as to when the case is first known to health officials which will help give a better representation of numbers reported on any given day.

Museum Delays Opening

The Siuslaw Pioneer Museum has cancelled its planned reopening for the 4th and 5th of July as well as their 11th and 12th of July dates.  The decision was made in light of rising rates of COVID-19 numbers throughout the state and out of concern for the safety of volunteers and visitors.