UMATILLA COUNTY — The Umatilla County Board of Commissioners voted Wednesday to extend the county’s COVID-19 emergency declaration to July 6.

The declaration, first issued by the county on March 18, was set to expire on May 17. The language in Wednesday’s extension initially would have extended the order for another 60 days to July 17, but it was ultimately amended to match the end date of Gov. Kate Brown’s statewide order.

“I’m reluctant to approve anything that goes against our previous orders of not enacting anything that goes beyond the governor’s guidelines,” said Umatilla County Commissioner George Murdock.

The county’s extension Wednesday allows the board of commissioners to keep in place temporary orders that have almost entirely closed down county buildings to the public along with issuing any additional orders as they see fit.

The board of commissioners had been reluctant in March to follow with the state’s emergency declaration until more cases of COVID-19 were confirmed, and have made it clear since that they won’t enact any additional restrictions or extend those from the state any longer than is required of them.

The original statewide emergency order was issued on March 8 and was set to expire Thursday until Brown extended it for another 60 days last week. The extension gives Brown legal authority to continue the executive orders she’s already issued — such as the stay-home order — or issue more as needed. Brown also has the authority to end the emergency order prior to July 6.