Oregon governor extends COVID state of emergency declaration

By SARA CLINE
Associated Press/Report for America

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Gov. Kate Brown has extended Oregon’s declaration of a state of emergency, as health officials prepare for an expected surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the coming weeks. The emergency declaration is the legal underpinning for the executive orders that the governor has issued throughout the pandemic, including orders surrounding reopening Oregon, vaccine mandates, childcare, liability protections for schools and higher education operations. Last Friday during a news conference, local scientists predicted that the state is about three weeks away from a new wave of hospitalizations that could surpass the peak by two or three times. The Oregon Health Authority reported the state’s first three omicron cases last week.