ASTORIA, Ore — Some popular cities on the Oregon Coast are fully into Phase 2 of reopening now. And with nice weather, more people are going to visit.
The Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce is all for that, but also wants to keep everyone safe. Starting Wednesday, the chamber will begin distributing 5,000 masks from Clatsop County, free of charge, to businesses that want them.
“Requirements are one thing, just going above and beyond, employers are doing that here and I think everybody’s taking that to heart,” said chamber executive director David Reid.
It's important to places like Fultano's Pizza in Warrenton, where the general manager says takeout service has been great, but it's even better to have more customers coming in.
“We feel very blessed that people are dining with us and ordering with us and keeping this place busy and giving all of our employees a job and keeping them financially OK,” said Jessica Lahaie.
These cities on the Oregon Coast count on summer months to support their tourist economy. And they ask anyone coming to the coast to help them out. Wearing a face covering yourself, when appropriate, is one way to do it.
“I think everybody here feels like we’re open, we’re just asking that you be patient with us and help us to not only be open but stay open," said Reid. “Because as bad as the shutdown was, and as painful as it was… the only thing worse than that is to have us shut down again."
For now, the masks being distributed by the chamber of commerce are for employees, but if they can, they'll supply more for visitors, too. But of course, it’s always smart to bring your own.