28 Oregon counties approved, 2 not approved for Phase 1 reopening

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    PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) — Twenty-eight Oregon counties have been approved to begin Phase 1 of reopening, Governor Kate Brown announced Thursday.

While majority of the counties that applied have been approved to reopen on Friday, applications for Marion County and Polk County were not approved.

Gov. Brown said applications for three counties – Jefferson, Morrow and Umatilla – remain under review.

The 28 counties approved for Phase 1 reopening are:

Baker
Benton
Clatsop
Columbia
Coos
Crook
Curry
Deschutes
Douglas
Gilliam
Grant
Harney
Hood River
Jackson
Josephine
Klamath
Lake
Lane
Lincoln
Linn
Malheur
Sherman
Tillamook
Union
Wallowa
Wasco
Wheeler
Yamhill
Thirty-three of the 36 counties in Oregon applied to reopen for Phase 1. Washington, Multnomah and Clackamas counties have chosen to wait until they’re better prepared.

FOX 12 asked Gov. Brown whether people living in counties that have not reopened should travel to counties that are approved. The governor said she knows it’s hard, but people in the Portland metro area are advised to limit travel and be thoughtful to fellow Oregonians and to not overwhelm the counties that are approved to reopen.

Phase 1 allows for things like sit-down service at bars and restaurants and the reopening of some personal services like salons, but all under strict safety guidelines.

In order to have been approved for Phase 1 of reopening, counties must prove that they meet these prerequisites:

Declining prevalence of COVID-19
Minimum testing regimen
Contact tracing system
Isolation/quarantine facilities
Finalized statewide sector guidelines
Sufficient health care capacity
Sufficient PPE supply

For more on county application statuses, visit govstatus.egov.com/reopening-oregon#countyStatuses.

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