Oregon governor issues 'stay home' order to enforce coronavirus restrictions

Source: The Oregonian

Gov. Kate Brown, under fire for the ambiguous guidelines she issued Friday on social distancing, issued a more definitive order Monday morning that establishes legally enforceable restrictions on public activity in response to the coronavirus outbreak. “If we all do it we can save lives,” Brown said on a press call Monday afternoon.

The governor instructed people to stay home except when traveling for essential work, buying food and similar critical supplies or returning to their own homes. Recreational travel, of the kind that brought swarms of Oregonians to the coast last weekend in defiance of the governor’s earlier directive, is now forbidden by law.

Monday’s order, which cites authority under four state statutes, is the most profound action in a series of steps that have fundamentally altered life in Oregon this month. Parts of it take effect at midnight; others kick in Wednesday. Those who defy the order can be charged with endangering public health, a class C misdemeanor. People found to have violated her order could be jailed for up to 30 days or fined $1,250, though law enforcement agencies said Monday they’re more likely to inform people about the restrictions than cite them for violations.

But the governor’s announcement specifically exempted construction and manufacturing, two economic pillars, which may continue operating so long as they “ensure that their employees are maintaining social distancing measures.”


Read more: https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2020/03/oregon-governor-issues-stay-at-home-order-to-enforce-coronavirus-restrictions.html

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About damn time!

My spouse has a small construction company. He wants to shut it down yesterday, but he can't. His employees want to keep working, even those who don't have office jobs. All the big contractors are moving ahead full-steam, so it's nearly impossible to say "I don't agree with this plan." And how does one "socially distance" at a construction site? Worse, they have no more N95 masks, only a few have hand sanitizer. I know many of these people. I fear for their safety, and the safety of our community.