MORROW COUNTY — Morrow County is one of 14 counties in Oregon that will move into Phase 2 of reopening starting Friday, June 5, while Umatilla County’s application “remains under further review,” a press release from the governor’s office stated.

Counties approved for Phase 2 are able to expand gathering sizes, reopen public spaces and venues, such as movie theaters and pools, and ease other restrictions placed on businesses in Phase 1.

“We will proceed with caution,” Morrow County Commissioner Melissa Lindsay said. “I know people are really ready to get back to work and get their businesses open, and so we have to think about the economy as well as the health. If we continue to be as successful as we have been, we would very much look forward to a Phase 3.”

To enter Phase 2, counties must continue to meet the Phase 1 criteria and had to demonstrate they are tracing 95% of new cases within 24 hours and that they can trace a minimum of 70% of cases to a previously confirmed case over one- and two-week periods.

According to Umatilla County Commissioner George Murdock, the state is looking closer at the county’s application because of a unique situation impacting the county’s ability to meet these contact tracing standards.

Murdock said four of the eight new cases among Umatilla County residents haven’t been connected to a previously confirmed case and are associated with travel outside the county. Three of these cases work outside of the county, he said, and one was hospitalized in the Tri-Cities.

“The purpose of this metric is to determine whether or not there’s an outbreak in the county,” he said. 

While these cases have been difficult to trace, Murdock said it’s not indicative of a local outbreak because they may have contracted it elsewhere.

“We can’t forbid people from working outside of the county and we can’t forbid people from contracting COVID when they are,” he said. 

The state has said its evaluating applications for the phased reopening “holistically,” with the idea of not penalizing counties with smaller case totals when they can’t officially meet the percentage standards outlined for each phase. 

“For example, several counties did not technically meet the metric that at least 70% of new cases must be tracked to an existing, known case,” a June 4 press release stated. “However, in all of these counties the number of untracked cases was so small (fewer than 5) that OHA deemed them not significant.”

Murdock said the county spoke with state officials and additional information about those cases had been relayed with hopes that the application could still be gratned to enter Phase 2 on Saturday, June 6. 

Umatilla County, which also had its approval for Phase 1 reopening delayed due to additional information requested by the state, is joined by Deschutes and Jefferson counties in having their Phase 2 applications reviewed more closely. 

For restaurants and bars, Phase 2 will allow for extended hours from 10 p.m. to midnight and expanded outdoor seating. Additionally, the next phase means an increase in indoor group gatherings from 25 to 50 people, and outdoor group gatherings are permitted up to 100 people.

Faith communities will also be permitted to expand gatherings to 250 people, so long as they can provide 35 square feet for each person.

People are also permitted to return to work in indoor office spaces for limited hours, although the Oregon Health Authority recommends people continue to work from home.

Zoos, gardens and museums are also included in Phase 2 plans, though the governor’s office is in the process of drafting guidelines for their reopening. State officials have also indicated a plan to allow collegiate athletes to begin training for an eventual return to competition.

Pools, bowling alleys and arcades will be allowed to reopen with physical distancing protocols in place, and noncontact youth sports can begin with equipment sharing guidelines.

The state also updated its guidance for face coverings during its June 3 press conference to include that all employees will have to wear face coverings in public transit, grocery stores, gyms, entertainment facilities, pools, pharmacies, and personal service providers.

Once in Phase 2, counties won’t return to Phase 1 and if there’s an increase in cases the Oregon Health Authority would quickly quarantine new cases and effectively contact trace.

As the summer approaches, there is still no official decision on whether schools will reopen in the fall. Gov. Kate Brown said on June 3 that the state will be releasing those details in the coming weeks.

“I suspect it will not look like the traditional classroom setting, and the Department of Education is collaborating with teachers, with parents, with public health experts to figure out how we do this safely,” Brown said.

As for large summer gatherings that won’t be permitted until Phase 3, like the Pendleton Round-Up, state epidemiologist Dean Sidelinger said that Phase 2 is expected to last through the summer and into fall. State officials have stated that Phase 3 won’t be possible “until a reliable treatment or prevention is available.”

This is a developing story and will be updated.