Baker County returns to extreme risk
By Shannon McKone on Thursday, April 29th, 2021 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News More Top Stories
BAKER COUNTY – (Release by Baker County) The Governor’s office announced Baker County is returning to the extreme risk category beginning Friday, April 30.
The extreme risk category imposes additional limitations on businesses, including prohibiting indoor dining and reducing capacity for indoor fitness or entertainment establishments. The Governor announced that outdoor capacity limits for bars, restaurants, and other sectors will be raised from 50 to 100 people in extreme risk counties, and that “In an effort to speed up the return to normal business operations, county COVID-19 data will be evaluated weekly for atleast the next three weeks. Any updates to county risk levels next week will be announced on Tuesday, May 4 and take effect on Friday, May 7. Counties that improve their COVID-19 metrics will have the opportunity to move to a lower risk level. Counties will remain in Extreme Risk for a maximum of three weeks… and will be able to move to a lower risk level sooner if their COVID-19 case rates are brought down in the intervening weeks, or if Oregon movesbelow 300 statewide hospitalizations or the seven-day hospitalization average percent increase goes below 15 percent.”
County Commissioner Mark Bennett said, “I really encourage the community to draw close together to support the businesses impacted by the county moving to extreme. Order takeout and be mindful that shopping local makes a difference to these locally owned places. The Governor has indicated she’s working with the legislature to secure funds to help businesses hurt by the move back to extreme, and we’ll advocate for all the help we can to alleviate theimpact.”
Specific guidance for each risk level is available on the Oregon Health Authority’s website.
