PORTLAND, Ore. — The only three counties in Oregon that didn’t apply this week for the first phase of Gov. Kate Brown’s reopening plan amid the coronavirus pandemic were in the Portland metro area: Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas.
Every other county in the state applied to reopen with all but two (Marion and Polk) being approved to begin easing restrictions Friday. While those counties take a step closer to pre-pandemic life, it appears the Portland metro is still weeks away from being ready to apply for the first phase of reopening. Why is that?
As part of the first phase of reopening, which includes lifting some restrictions on restaurants, salons and gyms, counties must meet seven prerequisites put into place by Gov. Brown’s office. Multnomah County has set up an online dashboard that lays out why the county isn’t ready to reopen and where improvement needs to be made.
1.) Declining prevalence of COVID-19
Multnomah County says it has seen a decline in COVID-19 hospitalizations over the last two weeks but is still evaluating the impact of transmission on communities of color.
2.) Minimum testing regimen
Multnomah County is part of a health region that also includes Washington, Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia and Tillamook counties. The region meets the state-required testing rate of 30 tests per 10,000 people per week, but more work is needed to make testing accessible to underserved communities.
3.) Contact tracing system
A lot of work is needed to meet this requirement. The state requires 15 contact tracers per 100,000 people. The county says it currently employs 20% of the number of contact tracers needed.
4.) Isolation/quarantine facilities
The county says it has hotel rooms and other shelter locations to house people who can’t self-quarantine but is still working on plans for if an outbreak happens at a long-term care facility, food processing plant or a shelter.
5.) Finalized statewide sector guidelines
Multnomah County doesn’t address this prerequisite, which requires business sectors adhere to Oregon Health Authority guidelines to protect employees and consumers.
6.) Sufficient health care capacity
The health region that includes Multnomah County can accommodate a 20% increase in hospitalizations.
7.) Sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE) supply
While the health region that includes Multnomah County has an adequate supply of PPE for hospitals, Multnomah County says more work is needed to make sure there is enough PPE for first responders and other key constituents.
So, when will Multnomah County be able to meet all these requirements? Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury on Thursday said she doesn't yet know.
"I think it would be irresponsible of me to give you a date at this point and I don’t yet know and I don’t want to set unrealistic expectations for the public that it’s going to happen tomorrow or next week or any time in the near future," Kafoury said.
In Washington County, officials are targeting early to mid-June to go for Phase 1 reopening. Health officials are working to get contact tracing set, which includes hiring about 90 people.
Clackamas County is working on the Phase 1 application now. Commissioners will review a draft version on Tuesday, May 19, but they haven’t set out a Phase 1 target date yet.
