Governor Brown tightens “Stay Home, Save Lives” guidelines

Gov. Kate Brown has issued an executive order directing everyone to stay home if possible and extended the list of businesses that must close in order to stop the spread of COVID-19. It also adds misdemeanor penalties for those who don’t follow the order.

• All non-essential social and recreational gatherings of individuals are prohibited immediately, regardless of size, if a distance of at least six feet between individuals cannot be maintained. Gatherings of members of the same residential household are permitted.
• It closes and prohibits shopping at specific categories of retail businesses, for which close personal contact is difficult to avoid, such as arcades, barber shops, hair salons, gyms and fitness studios, skating rinks, theaters, and yoga studios.
• It requires businesses not closed by the order to implement social distancing policies in order to remain open, and requires workplaces to implement teleworking and work-at-home options when possible.
• It directs Oregonians to stay home whenever possible, while permitting activities outside the home when social distance is maintained.
• It closes playgrounds, sports courts, and skate parks, among other types of outdoor recreation facilities. Those that remain open are required to strictly adhere to social distancing guidelines.
• It outlines new guidelines for child care facilities, setting limits and rules on amounts of children allowed in care, and outlining that child care groups may not change participants.
• Failure to comply with the order will be considered an immediate danger to public health and subject to a Class C misdemeanor.

• Shopping: Outdoor and indoor malls and retail complexes, although individual types of businesses not subject to the measures may stay open.
• Fitness: Gyms, sports and fitness centers, health clubs, and exercise studios
• Grooming: Barbershops, beauty and nail salons, and non-medical wellness spas
• Entertainment: Theaters, amusement parks, arcades, bowling alleys, and pool halls

Other retail businesses will not be able to continue to operate unless they can implement strict social distancing measures and designate an employee or officer charged with ensuring compliance. Read the full executive order here.

“I started by asking Oregonians to stay home and practice social distancing. Then I urged the public to follow these recommendations,” Gov. Brown said in a statement. “Instead, thousands crowded the beaches of our coastal communities, our trails, our parks, and our city streets, potentially spreading COVID-19 and endangering the lives of others across the state. Now, I’m ordering it. To save lives and protect our community.