SALEM, Ore. — Oregon Gov. Kate Brown issued another warning to Oregonians about the importance of safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 over Labor Day weekend.
At a news conference on Friday, Brown urged everyone to make smart choices as state health officials said it will not take much for another spike in cases.
"We've seen three times now how get-togethers among friends and families on holiday weekends have taken us backward," Brown said. Oregon saw an uptick in cases after Mother's Day, Memorial Day and July 4.
“As you make your plans for Labor Day please don’t let your fatigue with these restrictions take you away from our collective goal of reducing infection and preventing deaths,” the governor said. "The more we all follow good safety practices, the safer you and your family will be."
Brown urged Oregonians to keep their Labor Day plans local, small and outdoors to minimize risk of spreading the virus. She also reminded everyone to wear face coverings and practice social distancing.
The warning about a potential spike in cases following the holiday weekend also came with words of encouragement from the state's top health officials.
Oregon Health Authority (OHA) Director Patrick Allen said there has been a clear downtrend in cases throughout the state.
“Our collective efforts appear to be slowing the spread of the virus for the time being,” Allen said.
Social gatherings remain one of the primary ways COVID-19 is spreading.
"We simply cannot celebrate this Labor Day and all of the holidays coming up in the fall and winter as we have in the past," said Allen.
Oregon's state epidemiologist, Dr. Dean Sidelinger, said the state's COVID-19 modeling shows that each new case of the virus is now leading to less than one additional case, which is why Oregon has seen case numbers dropping in recent weeks.
"This is tremendous progress but it wouldn't take much for cases to spike again," said Sidelinger.
Gov. Brown said she has heard from several students as many begin their school year online. Her central goal, she said, is to get students safely back into the classroom, and the actions of Oregonians this weekend could go a long way toward helping make that happen.
"If we continue to make smart choices we will get there," Brown said
