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Twenty-six counties can begin the next phase of reopening between Friday and Monday, which means restaurants and bars in places like Eugene and McMinnville can stay open until midnight this weekend.
Earlier this week, Gov. Kate Brown announced the details of “phase two reopening.” This second phase means some businesses — pools and bowling alleys — can reopen, larger groups of people can meet, and some religious services can return; groups of 50 people can meet indoors and 100 people can meet outdoors, while certain religious and civic groups can meet in groups of up to 250 people. Phase one reopening, which allows restaurants and bars to open with social distancing guidelines, must last for at least 21 days before counties apply for phase two. State officials say phase two will likely last months, as opposed to the more restrictive phase one.
.Twenty-nine counties applied to reopen under phase two conditions, but only 26 will begin opening on either Friday, Saturday, or Monday — Deschutes, Jefferson, and Umatilla counties are still under review.
Restaurant owners will have to follow very similar rules to what they followed before, which means tables still need to be spaced six feet apart, and staff still need to wear face coverings. However, the extension to a midnight curfew will be a welcome relief to many restaurant and bar owners, who have expressed frustration with the 10 p.m. curfew required in phase one reopening.
Multnomah County has not yet entered phase one, though county officials did say they would submit applications to reopen June 5, hoping to actually begin phase one on June 12. However, the Oregon Health Authority announced today that there are 30 new cases of coronavirus in Multnomah County, which may hinder its chances of nabbing approval. The full list of counties entering phase two appears below:
Baker County — Begins Phase Two June 6
Benton — Begins Phase Two June 5
Clackamas — Still in Phase One
Clatsop —Begins Phase Two June 6
Columbia — Begins Phase Two June 6
Coos — Begins Phase Two June 6
Crook — Begins Phase Two June 6
Curry — Begins Phase Two June 5
Deschutes — Still under review for Phase Two approval
Douglas — Begins Phase Two June 5
Gilliam — Begins Phase Two June 6
Grant — Begins Phase Two June 5
Harney — Begins Phase Two June 6
Hood River — Still in Phase One
Jackson — Begins Phase Two June 5
Jefferson — Still under review for Phase Two approval
Josephine — Begins Phase Two June 6
Klamath — Begins Phase Two June 5
Lake — Begins Phase Two June 5
Lane — Begins Phase Two June 5
Lincoln — Still in Phase One
Linn — Begins Phase Two June 5
Malheur — Begins Phase Two June 6
Marion — Still in Phase One
Morrow — Begins Phase Two June 5
Multnomah — Has not entered Phase One
Polk — Still in Phase One
Sherman — Begins Phase Two June 6
Tillamook — Begins Phase Two June 8
Umatilla — Still under review for Phase Two approval
Union — Begins Phase Two June 5
Wallowa — Begins Phase Two June 5
Wasco — Begins Phase Two June 5
Washington — Still in Phase One
Wheeler — Begins Phase Two June 5
Yamhill — Begins Phase Two June 6
• County reopening status [Official]
• Oregon Health Officials Report 30 New Cases of COVID-19 in Multnomah County [WWeek]
• Several Oregon Counties Could Begin The Second Wave of ‘Reopening’ on Friday [EPDX]
