Starting Friday, August 27, Governor Brown has required all masks be worn in any public indoor and outdoor setting statewide.
See the full press release here.
On April 30, 2021, Jackson County, along with 14 other Oregon counties, will move into the Extreme Risk category for COVID-19 on Friday, April 30. The move back into the Extreme Risk category is due to an increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. Each county's health and safety restrictions will be evaluated on a weekly basis with Extreme Risk counties potentially remaining there for a maximum of three weeks. For more information, on what will be available as we move back into Extreme Risk visit the
Governor's website.
City offices will continue to be closed to walk-ins during this time, but staff are available via the phone and email for assistance. Please visit
our directory to contact our offices.
Governor Brown and the Oregon Legislature are working on a $20 million emergency relief package to immediately support businesses in Extreme Risk counties through the commercial rent relief program. Governor Brown is also encouraging everyone to get vaccinated. Vaccinations are available at the Jackson County Expo for everyone over 16 years of age. Visit
JacksonCounty.org/GetVaccinated (English) or
JacksonCounty.org/vacunate (Spanish) or call 211 to make an appointment.
On February 26, 2021, Governor Kate Brown has announced that Jackson County will move from the COVID-19 Extreme risk category down to the High rating.
A few broad changes include:
- Indoor Dining now allowed at limited capacity
- Faith Based Institutions allowed expanded capacity
- Indoor Entertainment capacity changes
- Indoor Recreation and fitness capacity changes
- Long term care facilities can now add indoor visitation
- Changes made to protocols around offices, remote work and being open to the public
- Outdoor Entertainment and Outdoor Recreation capacity changes
Please visit
this State website for specific guidance, or see
www.ashlandchamber.com.
As Jackson County is still recording dozens of new cases each day, we encourage everyone to continue practicing physical distancing, wearing face coverings, and washing your hands regularly.
On Monday, February 8, 2021 Governor Brown launched a new tool called Get Vaccinated Oregon on the State's designated vaccination website:
covidvaccine.oregon.gov. This tool will help people determine eligibility and to sign up for email alerts and/or text notifications for when they will be eligible to get the vaccine. You can also call 211 for more information on the vaccination schedules and availability.
More information on Oregon's vaccination plan can also be found at:
covidvaccine.oregon.gov.
As of January 29, 2021 Jackson County is still at extreme risk, but the Governor has announced modified rules for indoor activities in extreme risk counties.
The modified rule allows for a maximum of six people indoors in facilities over 500 square feet (excluding indoor dining). For any indoor facility under 500 square feet, one to one experiences, such as personal training, are allowed. Ongoing social distancing, regular cleaning protocols, and wearing face coverings are still required under this modified rule.
Indoor dining is still not allowed because customers cannot wear face coverings at all times inside a restaurant, bar, etc. Outdoor dining with tents with one side and a roof or individual enclosed dining pods are allowed. For more details on the modified rule for Extreme Risk counties, visit the Governor's dedicated website at
coronavirus.oregon.gov.
As of December 3, 2020, Jackson County is at Extreme Risk for the spread of COVID-19. Governor Kate Brown and public health experts have a new system of COVID-19 risk levels by county that uses four different risk levels for counties based on their level of COVID-19 spread—Extreme Risk, High Risk, Moderate Risk, and Lower Risk.
The Oregon Health Authority will reexamine county data to determine which counties qualify for each risk level every two weeks.
For more information on what is allowed during the Extreme Risk level, go to the
Governor's website.
As of November 13, 2020, Governor Kate Brown has placed a two-week freeze on the entire State from November 18 until December 2. The two-week freeze includes:
- Limiting social get together (indoors and outdoors) to no more than six people, total, from no more than two households.
- Limiting faith-based organizations to a maximum of 25 people indoors or 50 people outdoors.
- Limiting eating and drinking establishments to take-out and delivery only.
- Closing gyms and fitness organizations.
- Closing indoor recreational facilities, museums, indoor entertainment activities, and indoor pools and sports courts.
- Closing zoos, gardens, aquariums, outdoor entertainment activities, and outdoor pools.
- Limiting grocery stores and pharmacies to a maximum of 75% capacity and encouraging curbside pickup.
- Limiting retail stores and retail malls (indoor and outdoor) to a maximum of 75% capacity and encouraging curbside pickup.
- Closing venues (that host or facilitate indoor or outdoor events).
- Requiring all businesses to mandate work-from-home to the greatest extent possible and closing offices to the public.
- Prohibiting indoor visiting in long-term care facilities (outdoor visitation permitted for supporting quality of life).
The Two-Week Freeze does not apply to or change current health and safety protocols for personal services (such as barber shops, hair salons, and non-medical massage therapy), congregate homeless sheltering, outdoor recreation and sports, youth programs, childcare, K-12 schools, K-12 sports currently allowed, current Division 1 and professional athletics exemptions, and higher education — all of which can continue operating under previous guidance issued by the Oregon Health Authority.
Go here for the full press release for the Governor's office.
As of November 11, 2020, Governor Kate Brown has placed on two-week pause on Jackson County. The two-week pause includes:
- Urging all businesses to mandate work from home to the greatest extent possible.
- Pausing long-term care facility visits that take place indoors to protect staff and residents.
- Reducing maximum restaurant capacity to 50 people (including customers and staff) for indoor dining, with a maximum party size of six. Continuing to encourage outdoor dining and take out.
- Reducing the maximum capacity of other indoor activities to 50 people (includes gyms, fitness organizations/studios, bowling alleys, ice rinks, indoor sports, pools, and museums).
- Limiting social gatherings to your household, or no more than six people if the gathering includes those from outside your household, reducing the frequency of those social gatherings (significantly in a two-week period), and keeping the same six people in your social gathering circle.
Read our news release here.
As of September 28, 2020, the Governor extended the residential eviction moratorium through December 31, 2020. Landlords cannot evict tenants or charge late fees during this time.
Emergency Checks Available - The Oregon Legislature has approved $35 million in funding to provide financial relief to Oregonians experiencing hardships due to COVID-19, are not current on unemployment payments, and earned $4,000 or less per month prior to income lost as a result of COVID-19.
July 24, 2020: Governor Kate Brown has required all face coverings for age 5 and up. People with a disability or a medical condition that prevent them from wearing a face covering are not required to wear one. OSHA gives
best practices on how businesses can address the statewide face covering mandate with customers.
Restaurants and bars must close at 10 p.m. statewide, regardless of phase.
Face coverings are now required when exercising indoors, plus outdoors when you can't physically distance.
Capacity for indoor venues (e.g. restaurants and movie theaters) is reduced to 100 people indoors.
For more information, visit the
Governor's website.
July 15, 2020: Governor Kate Brown has required face coverings for all outdoor public spaces where physical distancing is not possible in addition to the indoor requirement. Children under 12 years of age, as well as people with a disability or a medical condition that prevent them from wearing a face covering are not required to wear one.
Click here for more information.
July 1, 2020: Governor Kate Brown has required face coverings for all indoor public spaces in all Oregon counties. Children under 12 years of age, as well as people with a disability or a medical condition that prevent them from wearing a face covering are not required to wear one.
Click here for the full press release.
April 7, 2020: Governor Kate Brown issued two executive orders (
20-14 and
20-15) stating that the prohibition of on-premise consumption of food and drink and the declaration of abnormal disruption of the market due to COVID-19 will remain in effect until terminated by the Governor (all previous end dates are now void).
- Hospitals and health care
- Grocery stores
- Banks
- Pharmacies
- Take-out/delivery from restaurants and bars
- Pet stores
- Gas stations (self-service is now allowed)
- Certain retail stores
- Outdoor activities like walking your dog, jogging, or biking in your neighborhood
- Child care facilities and babysitters (only if abiding by new rules)
Not Allowed:
- Social gatherings (parties, celebrations) with people from outside of your household
- Dine-in restaurants and bars
- Nightclubs and concerts
- Shopping at outdoor or indoor malls and retail complexes
- Fitness: Gyms, sports and fitness centers, health clubs, and exercise studios, dance and yoga studios
- Grooming: Hair salons, barbershops, nail salons, massage parlors, non-medical wellness spas, cosmetic stores, tattoo parlors
- Entertainment: Theaters, amusement parks, arcades, bowling alleys, music concerts, sporting events, museums, skating rinks
- Outdoors: State parks, playgrounds, campgrounds, pools, skate parks, festivals
March 16, 2020: Governor Kate Brown announced new statewide actions including the following social distancing measures effective March 17:
- A statewide cancelation of all events and gatherings larger than 25 people — exempting essential locations like workplaces, grocery stores, pharmacies, and retail stores. It's additionally recommended that Oregonians avoid gatherings of 10 people or more.
- Restaurants, bars, and other establishments that offer food or beverages for sale are restricted to carry-out and delivery only with no on-site consumption permitted.
- Food service at health care facilities, workplaces, and other essential facilities will continue.
- All other businesses are urged to assess their practices, implement strong social distancing measures, and close their doors temporarily if they cannot put the new guidance in place.
The statewide school closure starts March 16 and last through the end of the school year.
March 12, 2020: Per Executive Order 20-05, Governor Kate Brown prohibits large gatherings over 250 people statewide due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19).
The State of Oregon also updated mitigation measures on the Coronavirus response. This includes large gatherings, high risk populations, employers, schools, childcare providers, transit entities, and long-term care and assisted living facilities. Read the full list of mitigation measures here.
March 8, 2020: Per Executive Order 20-03, Governor Kate Brown declares a state of emergency due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in Oregon.
