Governor Brown just issued an Executive Order on “shelter in place” – Executive Order 20-12. Please note the guidance for professional offices, non profits, and which businesses are immediately ordered to be closed. Also the guidance for government buildings. About the order: All non-essential social and recreational gatherings of individuals are prohibited immediately, regardless of size, if a distance of at least six feet between individuals cannot be maintained. Gatherings of members of the same residential household are permitted. It closes and prohibits shopping at specific categories of retail businesses, for which close personal contact is difficult to avoid, such as arcades, barber shops, hair salons, gyms and fitness studios, skating rinks, theaters, and yoga studios. It requires businesses not closed by the order to implement social distancing policies in order to remain open, and requires workplaces to implement teleworking and work-at-home options when possible. It directs Oregonians to stay home whenever possible, while permitting activities outside the home when social distance is maintained. It closes playgrounds, sports courts, and skate parks, among other types of outdoor recreation facilities. Those that remain open are required to strictly adhere to social distancing guidelines. It outlines new guidelines for child care facilities, setting limits and rules on amounts of children allowed in care, and outlining that child care groups may not change participants. Retail businesses closed by Executive Order 20-12 include: Shopping: Outdoor and indoor malls and retail complexes, although individual types of businesses not subject to the measures may stay open. Fitness: Gyms, sports and fitness centers, health clubs, and exercise studios; Grooming: Barbershops, beauty and nail salons, and non-medical wellness spas; Entertainment: Theaters, amusement parks, arcades, bowling alleys, and pool halls. Other retail businesses will not be able to continue to operate unless they can implement strict social distancing measures and designate an employee or officer charged with ensuring compliance. Retail businesses able to adapt to take-out style shopping experiences can also remain open. If businesses can have employees work from home, then they must do so. Many of the businesses outlined in the order have voluntarily closed their doors already, to do their part to protect Oregon’s communities. In addition, non-retail businesses like manufacturers and the construction industry must ensure that their employees are maintaining social distancing measures. Restaurants are still permitted to offer take out, and delivery. They are required to maintain the social distancing guidelines. These are extraordinary circumstances. We’ll do our best to let you know of additional developments.
