Governor Brown joined by Oregon leaders for reopening event, July 1

Wednesday, Governor Kate Brown was joined by various business, health, community and governmental leaders to commemorate Oregon’s official reopening. “Today, we celebrate Oregon’s strength, resilience and collaboration,” said Governor Brown. “We celebrate brighter days ahead. And, today, we celebrate that Oregon is 100% open for business.” While reaching the 70% statewide vaccination threshold gives many reasons to be joyful, the event also acknowledged the immense loss and grief that many continue to experience as a result of the pandemic. “In Oregon, we’ve lost 2,770 family, friends, neighbors and co-workers who died with COVID-19,” said OHA Director Patrick Allen. “If we took just one minute to honor each person we’ve lost, we’d stand a vigil that would last more than 46 hours.” “For those who are continuing to grieve, whether it’s for the loss of a loved one, a sense of stability, or the life you imagined for yourself and your family this past year and a half, know that it’s okay to feel the way you do. If you need support, mental and emotional health resources are available for you online through Safe + Strong, The Dougy Center and Refuge in Grief. Additionally, OHA filmed a Facebook Live on grief in early March, which you can view on the OHA website.” To learn more about Wednesday’s reopening event, read about it on OHA’s blog.