"This is the time to be easing restrictions"
The Jackson County Commissioners -- Rick Dyer, Dave Dotterrer and Colleen Roberts -- have sent a
letter to Oregon Governor Kate Brown asking for COVID-19 restrictions to be eased, calling these restrictions "misguided" and saying that they "place unfair and undue responsibilities on local businesses and churches, and their employees and leaders."
The letter describes the burden on public establishments:
As a practical matter, requiring businesses and churches, and the employees of those businesses and churches, to verify a person's vaccine status is only going to lead to conflict between employees and customers. As Jackson County's restaurants, venues, churches, and other businesses have been devastated by shutdowns, restrictions, and limitations on their ability to provide service and function for over a year, the last thing any of these businesses and churches need is yet another, unsupported by science, mandate from the State of Oregon that is only going to lead to conflict as these businesses and churches and their employees begin the long and arduous task of attempting to rebuild what they have lost.
A
de facto ethos seems to be evolving in the state in which public establishments ask patrons to be vaccinated or wear a mask, but fail to insist on proof of vaccination -- what amounts to an honor system. The commissioners closed by tying the availability of vaccines to the easing of restrictions:
Vaccines are readily accessible to any resident of Jackson County who wants to receive a vaccine. Any resident of Jackson County can walk up and obtain a vaccine without an appointment. This is the time to be easing restrictions, not creating new mandates in the guise of easing restrictions.
--Staff Reports| Post Date: 2021-05-27 13:48:01 | Last Update: 2021-05-27 14:45:22 |
