PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The mayors of the Portland Metro Area have collectively called for a statewide “Stay at Home” order from Governor Kate Brown in a letter published Saturday.
According to Shane Bemis, Gresham mayor and chair of the Metropolitan Mayors Consortium, the region’s 25 mayors gathered on a conference call Saturday morning to discuss the COVID-19 outbreak. During that call, an “overwhelming majority” agreed that a statewide “Stay at Home” order was needed.
The MMC devised a letter to the governor, imploring her that immediate action was needed in order to “help protect Oregonians from the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.” The letter also included five specific guidelines that regional mayors agreed should be in the “Stay at Home” order.
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“Collectively, the region’s mayors are doing everything in our power to protect the health, safety and livelihood of more than 1.7 million Oregonians. Republican or Democrat, big city or small, we are in clear agreement. The time for action is now. Delaying this order puts our residents, our first responders and our healthcare system at extreme risk,” said Bemis in a written statement.
When asked for comment directly, Canby Mayor Brian Hodson said he would like to more people taking the existing social distancing instruction more seriously.
“In the last two days, I have seen more Canby businesses taking action by limiting interactions on their own accord,” said Hodson. “Bottom line, if you don’t absolutely need to be out, then don’t. If you have to be out and about, then keep social distancing a paramount focus.”
Beaverton Mayor Denny Doyle also said he supports what the mayors of the region asked of the governor.
“We, in Beaverton and beyond, need to approach this situation together,” said Doyle in a statement. “I have been talking with people all day and the conversations I was a part of assured me that we can do this, while keeping our economy going and people working. Our requests are reasonable, measured and will no doubt make this situation go away sooner, which is what we all want for our communities.”
While the letter called for a statewide order to help ensure social distancing, the address did not make any mention of Brown’s newest campaign announced Friday evening: “Stay home, stay healthy.”
Read the full letter to Governor Kate Brown here:
Metro-area mayors call for Stay at Home Order (Text)
KOIN 6 News reached out to Brown’s office for a comment on the call to action, but has not yet heard back.