PORTLAND, Ore. — One of the longest, hardest stretches of strict social isolation in Oregon history may end May 15 for some parts of the state.
Friday is when counties that qualify will begin phase one of reopening with the coronavirus still active in the state. Each county will enter the phase with guarded optimism, stressing the need for social distancing
Eastern Oregon's Baker County, with a population of 16,000, hopes to be one of the first counties to open up again after shutting down to curb the spread of COVID-19.
"It's extremely exciting. As I drove down through main street Baker City this morning I was thinking, 'What a relief it will be to at least transition into phase one,'" said Mark Bennett, a county commissioner who is also in charge of the county's coronavirus response.
Phase one allows restaurants and bars to reopen along with personal services and gyms, all with social distancing. Thirty-two of the 36 counties in Oregon have applied to enter phase one.
The only counties that have not, as of Monday night, are Clackamas, Lincoln, Multnomah, and Washington. Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties said hiring and training contract tracers will slow their move into phase one.
In Hood River County, board chair Mike Oates hurt business more than the devastating Eagle Creek Fire in the Columbia River Gorge in 2017.
“I’ve lived here my whole life. This is the biggest hit I think we’ve ever- I’ve ever seen. This is worse than the fire. The fire went on for a while. This is going on for weeks. It's tough,” he said.
Oates expects businesses will open slowly in the Hood River area. And while he loves people who live in the greater Portland area, he’d rather not see them for a while.
“We need to do this slow, we need to get it right. We need to be safe. So, we’re not ready to say let’s go Portland. I’m sorry. We can’t do that right now,” he said.
In Eastern Oregon, the message is quite different. Bennet said half of Baker County's economy is tourism and folks are ready to get things going—with social distancing—the moment the governor gives the green light.