Douglas County Commissioners Declare State of Emergency

Today, the Douglas County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution ratifying the declaration of State of Emergency for Douglas County that was declared on Saturday, March 14, 2020 at 10:00 am, in order to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The resolution was ratified during the Monday, March 16, 2020 morning work session. Pursuant to ORS 401.309, the Board finds that conditions of extreme peril to the health and safety of the citizens and visitors of Douglas County, have arisen within the county, caused by the COVID-19 emergency. The emergency declaration will continue to allow the county to take all necessary steps authorized by law to respond to the covid-19 emergency, allow increased flexibility in how services are managed to ensure that resources reach our citizens, and to continue make the safety of our citizens our top priority. This includes, but is not limited authority to waive normal bid contracts, expediting the allocation of county funds to those assisting in the containment of this disease and to devote all county necessary resources in order to take immediate action. “We have been working diligently with local and state health officials to meet the ongoing threat of the coronavirus. We will continue to provide assistance and support to our local health partners who have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure the health and safety of our citizens,” commented Board Chair, Chris Boice. A reminder to citizens, that if you are feeling reasonably well, you might not need to visit a clinic or hospital, which allows providers to focus on patients who most need care. If you are very ill or having trouble breathing, call your healthcare provider and only call 911 if it is an actual emergency. Additionally, we encourage residents to follow the recommended guidelines for the public exposure, which are to maintain a social distance of six feet, maintain good hygiene (especially frequent hand washing), and to stay home if you are sick. Again, we want to reiterate that those that are the most vulnerable to the severe conditions related to COVID-19, such as the elderly and people with a history of health conditions need to take extra precautions to stay healthy and safe. Additional resources and guidance are available from the websites of the Douglas Public Health Network, Oregon Health Authority, Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization and by calling or logging onto 211Info. Your Commissioners, along with Douglas County Public Health Official, Dr. Robert Dannenhoffer, officials from Douglas Public Health Network (DPHN), Douglas County Emergency Management, as well as leaders in our local health community continue to work cooperatively to provide accurate and timely COVID-19 information to Douglas County residents.