APRC continues to work to protect the public, our volunteers and staff by following the Oregon
Health Authority guidance for the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). This guidance recommends measures that could potentially slow the transmission of COVID-19 and avoid overburdening our health system.
As of Thursday, March 12, 2020, Oregon Governor Kate Brown placed new restrictions statewide due to COVID-19. Effective immediately, organized gatherings of 250 people or more will be canceled for a four-week period, through Wednesday, April 8, 2020. Infectious disease researchers estimate the cases of COVID-19 could double every week without some form of intervention, which could result in thousands of cases in Oregon by May. As a result, we are postponing the 30th Annual Rogue Valley Bike Swap originally scheduled for Saturday, April 4, 2020. The event will be rescheduled and details will be posted at
RVTD.org/bikeswap and
AshlandParksandRec.org.
The Oregon Health Authority also recommends canceling events for vulnerable populations with 10 or more in attendance. In addition, these at-risk populations, including all older adults and people with underlying health conditions, are advised to stay home as much as possible. For this reason, effective immediately, we are canceling all non-essential activities for older adults at both Ashland Senior Center and The Grove. Ashland Senior Center will remain open for phone calls and individual assistance. The Food & Friends senior lunch program, administered by our partner the Rogue Valley Council of Governments, will continue to stage meals at the Center for their home delivery program, but there will be no congregate lunch. Instead, lunch participants may come to the Center, one at a time, to pick up a meal to take home.
The AARP Tax-aide program offered at The Grove will be canceled after Friday, March 13. Please call 1.888.227.7669 for information on other tax-aide options in Southern Oregon. In addition, all non-essential
public meetings will be suspended during this four-week period.
For APRC programs that are not canceled, we are following the recommendations of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) and suggesting that participants, instructors and volunteers practice social distancing and stay six (6) feet away from others, avoid hand shaking, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or sleeve when coughing or sneezing and please do not attend if you are sick.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at
ParksInfo@ashland.or.us or call 541.488.5340. We will post regular updates on our website,
AshlandParksandRec.org, and on
Facebook and
Instagram @AshlandParksandRec. #CDC #PublicHealth #COVID19 #CoronavirusDisease #AshlandParksandRec #APRC #AshlandWhatToDo #FunItsInOurNature