Oregon lowers venue size and operation times
Businesses and community gathering places across Oregon will face tighter restrictions starting Friday as state leaders and public health officials attempt to regain control over the spread of coronavirus. Indoor venues such as gyms, movie theaters and churches must limit occupancy to 100 people. Oregon Governor Kate Brown announced Wednesday that restaurants and bars will have to close by 10 p.m. instead of midnight in counties that are in Phase 2 of reopening. Carl Engel, owner of Jerry’s Place says he doesn’t expect the changes to effect his establishment.
202 “The challenge that we are having is masking has made huge changes. And the fact that the tourist community and the tourist being in town has driven our local customer base back into their homes.”
To combat the results of Covid 19 and tourism on Jerry’s Place, Engel has instituted phone ahead curbside service for his customers.
Brown said she is considering limiting tourism from other states into Oregon, particularly for people coming from coronavirus hotspots elsewhere in the nation. Officials in her administration are talking with leaders in neighboring states about options including “mandatory quarantine for people coming here from hot spots.” And children ages 5 and up must now where mask indoors and out of doors when social distancing is not possible. The new restrictions go into affect Friday.
The Florence Dutch Bros closed for a deep cleaning after two employees tested positive for the Coronavirus. Dutch Bros Corporation sent out a notice Wednesday to advise their clients of the situation. Both employees had worked shifts over the weekend before the return of their test results Tuesday. The shifts were Friday and Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon and Sunday evening. Both employees are self-isolating for 14 days. The Owners of the Florence Dutch Bros did not return request for comment.
Boys and Girls Club of Western Lane County executive director Chuck Trent says that they closed down their Teen Center for one day for deep cleaning and sanitizing after a staff member was exposed to a person who had tested positive.
201 “What Lane County Health Authority told me is that there is no need to test anybody else at this time. And for the one person that we are sending home to quarantine. There’s no need to have them take a test unless they start feeling symptoms. Then they are strongly encouraged for them to come in and take the test”
According to Trent no one else had direct contact with the person who tested positive. Lane County Public Health still reports only 15 Covid 19 cases in the Florence Area, while county wide the case tally has risen to 415, with 46 infectious and two hospitalized. One other business affected was Huikilau, who posted on their face book page they closed for deep cleaning and sanitizing.
The Oregon Bankers Association is encouraging consumers to empty out their piggy banks to help small businesses facing coin shortages resulting from pandemic-related shutdowns. When retail establishments closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, the rate of coin recirculation slowed significantly, according to Kelly McHee, Vice President of Communications of Banner Bank,
204 “ As those business reopen this situation will correct itself naturally. It’s not a crisis, it’s not an emergency.”
Local agencies have adapted according to Oregon Pacific Bank manager Lori Gates.
203 “ We managed to keep up with our merchant needs. The coins that people bring in, we bag it up in our coin machine and then we roll it ourselves. So it’s actually rolled coin shortage that we get from the Federal Reserve.”
If you want to bring in your coinage both banks welcome you, you will need to make an appointment with Banner Bank, while Gates said if you want to bring in your coinage for green cash at Oregon Pacific Bank, bring it in to the bank, no appointment needed.