Umatilla and Morrow counties are among eight counties in the state placed on a “Watch List” by Gov. Kate Brown due to recent outbreaks of COVID-19.
The move means that if the counties do not see a downturn quickly, restrictive measures, including business closures or stricter gathering size limits, could be imposed.
The other counties on the list are Jefferson, Lake, Lincoln, Union, Wasco and Malheur.
The governor’s announcement came after a record 375 coronavirus cases were reported in a single day on Thursday. Umatilla County reported its sixth death from coronavirus last week.
Oregon Liquor Control Commission staff conducted spot checks and inspections all over the state through the holiday weekend.
The Health Authority also released a table showing recent trends in cases by county between mid-June and the beginning of July.
These trends show where the COVID-19 virus is spreading at the fastest rate and which counties have the highest rates of “sporadic” transmission – i.e., cases that do not have a clear epidemiological link to other outbreaks or clusters of infections and therefore indicate that the virus is spreading uncontained in a community.
Between June 18 and July 1, Umatilla County had a “spread rate” of 537.08 cases reported per 100,000 people. Morrow County’s rate during that same period was 454.75 cases per 100,000 people – the two highest rates in the state. Umatilla County also has the fifth most COVID-19 cases among Oregon’s 36 counties.
Businesses that don’t comply with alcohol laws, liquor rules, and face covering requirements in indoor public spaces, could receive citations, fines and red warning notices, which close businesses until the conditions are remedied.
What “spot checks” was OLCC checking for?
Number One county in Oregon – for all the wrong reasons. A few weeks ago, you could hardly find a single person wearing a mask in stores unless they worked there. This is the result.
Comments are closed.