Gov. Kate Brown has approved Clatsop County’s request to enter Phase 2 of the state’s reopening plan.
Beginning June 6, additional businesses and venues will be allowed to open, larger gatherings will be permitted and other restrictions imposed statewide last March to help fight the coronavirus pandemic will be relaxed.
Clatsop County and most other Oregon counties began Phase 1 of the multi-step reopening plan May 15 with the partial reopening of salons, gyms, sit-down restaurant dining and other certain retail businesses, as well as allowing gatherings of up to 25 people.
Phase 2 allows pools and sports facilities including bowling to reopen; allows gatherings of up to 50 people indoors and 100 outdoors; allows indoor and outdoor venues, including theaters and churches, to open with six-foot social distancing and, depending on size, occupancy of up to 250; and removes the requirement for remote office work. Restaurants and bars will be able to stay open until midnight.
Guidelines for Phase 2 operations are below.
County officials on Tuesday submitted a request for Phase 2 approval that detailed how the county meets the state’s prerequisites, which require timely tracing of new COVID-19 cases and no significant increase in positive cases in the previous seven days.
As of Thursday, the county had recorded a total of 46 positive cases since March 23. Of those, 45 were reported to be recovered; none required hospitalization.
Along with the Phase 2 reopening, the county will also ease restrictions on hotels, campgrounds and short-term vacation rentals in the unincorporated county beginning June 5, allowing 60 percent occupancy (and up to 100 percent for small vacation rentals); Astoria, Gearhart and Warrenton have done likewise. Cannon Beach and Seaside allowed lodging to reopen on May 26.
Also, several North Coast-area state parks will reopen to visitors beginning June 5, including limited overnight camping. Go to the Oregon State Parks website for more information.