OSPIRG tells Governor Kate Brown it’s time to shut down, start over and do it right

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Numi Lee Griffith

With COVID-19 surging in Oregon, experts ask the governor to prioritize public health

OSPIRG

SALEM– OSPIRG is calling on Governor Kate Brown to hit the reset button on the state’s response to containing the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) as cases surge to concerning levels. More than 1,000 health professionals nationwide, including 24 from Oregon, have now signed an open letter to America’s decision makers urging them to shut it down, start over, and do it right this time to contain COVID-19 and save lives.

“Governor Brown needs to hit the reset button,” said Numi Lee Griffith, OSPIRG’s Health Care Advocate. “Although we slowed the virus down in the spring, we moved too quickly to reopen without hitting key benchmarks to be able to squash future outbreaks before they explode. And now we’re facing the consequences.” 

The group is urging Governor Brown to close non-essential businesses, limit restaurant service to take-out, and mandate that masks be worn in all situations, indoors and outdoors, where we interact with others. People should stay home, going out only to get food and medicine or to exercise and get fresh air. 

These protocols should stay in place until the positivity rate, the percentage of COVID-19 tests coming back positive, is at 2 percent or lower on average statewide. Health experts agree that’s low enough that they’d feel confident the current outbreak is under control. 

Even still, once the positivity rate hits 2 percent or lower, the state should not start reopening again unless it meets the following criteria laid out by health experts:

  • Enough daily testing capacity to test everyone with flu-like symptoms plus anyone they have been in close contact with over the last two weeks (at least 10 additional tests per symptomatic person). With case counts at current levels, Oregon should increase daily testing by 46%.

  • Enough personal protective equipment (PPE) to keep essential workers such as health professionals, emergency responders and grocery store clerks safe.

Federal support is key to helping states reach these benchmarks, and so far it’s been sorely lacking. That’s why OSPIRG is also urging the Trump Administration and Congress to provide a national strategy and resources for ramping up testing infrastructure around the country and ensuring that all essential workers get adequate PPE. 

“Telling the hard truths and making the hard calls now will save more lives later. That’s why we’re calling on our leaders to rise up to the challenge: act preemptively to stop outbreaks before they get out of hand. The Governor’s announcement of a return to baseline in Umatilla County is the right call – now she should follow it up by shutting down throughout the state, so we can start over and do it right,” finished Griffith.

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