The Oregon Supreme Court issued an emergency ruling late Monday, keeping the governor’s statewide coronavirus executive orders in effect until the high court issues its ruling on a circuit court decision earlier that day that would have overturned them.
“There are no shortcuts for us to return to life as it was before this pandemic,” Governor Kate Brown said in a statement. “Moving too quickly could return Oregon to the early days of this crisis, when we braced ourselves for hospitals to be overfilled and ventilators in short supply.”
The governor said that only physically distancing, wearing face coverings, staying home as much as possible and gradually reopening communities will keep Oregonian safe and save lives from the threat of the novel coronavirus.
“We all look forward to visiting our loved ones in nursing homes, sending our children to school, and going to the grocery store without fear of spreading this disease,” she said. “But the simple fact remains, COVID-19 is here in Oregon, and lives are at stake.”
