Statewide Freeze
The statewide COVID-19 freeze goes into effect today. The two week moratorium on many activities including dine in restaurants, entertainment activities, gym and fitness centers and museums and zoos are all required to follow the executive order enacted last Friday by Governor Kate Brown. Indoor and social gatherings have been limited to no more than 6 people and no more than 2 households, and yet faith based organizations and gatherings can still congregate with up to 25 people indoors and 50 people in an outdoor setting. Personal services can still occur under the current OHA guidelines which includes barber shops, hair salons and non-medical massage therapy. Most of the local restaurants in Florence will remain open for take-out services with some offering quick lunches and specials. The two week freeze comes at a time when there is no federal stimulus to help businesses that have to close or reduce their business model, but the state of Oregon has announced that it is injecting 55 million dollars in financial assistance for businesses that have been financially impacted. The monies will be allocated by county and businesses will have to contact the county for the application process. The two week freeze is expected to end on December 2nd.
New COVID-19 Report
Yesterday the state of Oregon announced that it has another 935 coronavirus cases raising the count to 58,570. There were also 13 new deaths reported bringing that total to 778. One of the deaths was a 70 year old Lane County woman who died on November 16 and had underlying health conditions. Lane County reported 45 cases yesterday for a total of 3,386 cases and no new cases for the Florence area. The total of persons considered infectious has increased to 307.
Gas Prices
Marie Dodds with AAA Oregon says despite travel warnings the demand for gasoline has increased as people prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday. A decrease in supply will also affect the price of gas over the next several weeks, though little movement has come over the past week. Florence average prices for a gallon of regular gas are still holding steady at around $2.30 a gallon.
Click It or Ticket
Through the end of the month the Florence Police Department along with state and local law enforcement agencies will be increasing their enforcement efforts for motorists that are not wearing seat belts. In 2018 there were almost 10,000 deaths nationwide from passengers and operators that were not wearing seat belts. The campaign will be in action 24/7 until November 29.
Committee Vacancies
The City of Florence is in the process of gathering application for committee positions. Vacancies regularly come up at the end of the year for many of the city’s committees. A list of the committees is available on the City of Florence website at ci.florence.or.us. you can also fill out applications there. The deadline for filing is December 31. Committees generally meet once a month as a group and often requires additional time for reviewing meeting materials.
