Today, the Malheur County Court approved a resolution to protect Malheur County citizens and mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 emergency through temporary social gathering measures restricting the size of local social gatherings, effective immediately.

The resolution recommends the following measures for local social gatherings when individuals are from different households:

• No group of 10 or more individuals are to socially gather indoors (current statewide ban)
• No group of 25 or more individuals are to gather outdoors.
• Groups of less than 10 individuals gathering indoors are to wear face coverings, observe social distancing guidelines and keep six feet between individuals.
• Groups of less than 25 individuals gathering outdoors are to wear face coverings, observe social distancing guidelines and keep six feet between individuals.
• These temporary measures for local social gatherings include civic, cultural and private social gatherings and events, such as large back-yard weddings, private rodeo clubs, parties, book clubs and non-profit events.
• The limitations do not apply or change the State Phase 2 guidance with respect to businesses and churches. Read the resolution for more detailed information.

Also, today, the Malheur County Court approved a proclamation: Together, We Can Keep Malheur County Open.

The proclamation requests our communities and citizens to unite and commit to pandemic guiding principles so that “Together, We Can Keep Malheur County Open” during the COVID-19 emergency.

Guiding principles:

• We endorse a message campaign led by the Malheur County Health and Environmental Heath Departments as well as the Malheur County Sheriff’s Office – Emergency Management Division – illustrating and reminding our community members what they must do to keep Malheur County businesses open and to move forward.
• We are committed to:
  • Physical Distancing
  • Protecting Others
  • Keeping Clean
  • Read more details in the proclamation.