Oregon s Capitol, closed due to COVID, reopens to public
SARA CLINE, Associated Press/Report for America
July 12, 2021
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SALEM, Ore. (AP) After 16-months of being closed to the public as a COVID-19 safety measure, Oregon s Capitol building reopened on Monday.
The buildings closure has been a point of tension between Democratic and Republican lawmakers, as Republicans argued throughout the pandemic that everyone should have access to the Capitol.
“Last March, we consulted with infectious disease doctors and public health officials about what changes were needed to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission in the Capitol, House Speaker Tina Kotek and Senate President Peter Courtney said in a joint statement on Monday that announced the Capitol’s reopening now that more than 70% of Oregon s adults have been partially or fully vaccinated. “In the end, we made the very difficult decision to limit Capitol entry to legislators, essential staff, and members
Photo: ODOT
Senate President Peter Courtney and House Speaker Tina Kotek today released the following statement on the expansion of public entry in the Oregon State Capitol:
“The last year has been extremely hard on our state. Oregonians have suffered devastating wildfires, an ice storm, a historic heatwave, and extreme drought. Through it all, we have battled a global pandemic that has dramatically changed our daily lives.
“Last March, we consulted with infectious disease doctors and public health officials about what changes were needed to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission in the Capitol. In the end, we made the very difficult decision to limit Capitol entry to legislators, essential staff, and members of the press.
Photo: ODOT
Senate President Peter Courtney and House Speaker Tina Kotek today released the following statement on the expansion of public entry in the Oregon State Capitol:
“The last year has been extremely hard on our state. Oregonians have suffered devastating wildfires, an ice storm, a historic heatwave, and extreme drought. Through it all, we have battled a global pandemic that has dramatically changed our daily lives.
“Last March, we consulted with infectious disease doctors and public health officials about what changes were needed to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission in the Capitol. In the end, we made the very difficult decision to limit Capitol entry to legislators, essential staff, and members of the press.
Photo: ODOT
Senate President Peter Courtney and House Speaker Tina Kotek today released the following statement on the expansion of public entry in the Oregon State Capitol:
“The last year has been extremely hard on our state. Oregonians have suffered devastating wildfires, an ice storm, a historic heatwave, and extreme drought. Through it all, we have battled a global pandemic that has dramatically changed our daily lives.
“Last March, we consulted with infectious disease doctors and public health officials about what changes were needed to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission in the Capitol. In the end, we made the very difficult decision to limit Capitol entry to legislators, essential staff, and members of the press.
Photo: ODOT
Senate President Peter Courtney and House Speaker Tina Kotek today released the following statement on the expansion of public entry in the Oregon State Capitol:
“The last year has been extremely hard on our state. Oregonians have suffered devastating wildfires, an ice storm, a historic heatwave, and extreme drought. Through it all, we have battled a global pandemic that has dramatically changed our daily lives.
“Last March, we consulted with infectious disease doctors and public health officials about what changes were needed to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission in the Capitol. In the end, we made the very difficult decision to limit Capitol entry to legislators, essential staff, and members of the press.