A Florence restaurateur is petitioning Governor Kate Brown to change how COVID-19 risk is assessed across Oregon.
Jordan Stone owns the Waterfront Depot. He argues that imposing restrictions based on zip codes versus counties would better help smaller, less densely-populated cities that he feels are at less risk of spreading the pandemic.
Stone says Florence has seen roughly a tenth of cases as seen in Lane County’s more populous Eugene/ Springfield area.
“For the businesses to be facing the same restrictions as places that have experienced far worse, it just didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me," Stone told KLCC. "And so I felt that because the data is available on a zip code basis, then determinations could be made to continue to be safe. Especially in those places where it’s most needed but also allow businesses to have a shot at surviving the winter.”
At last check, Stone’s online petition was nearing 1300 signatures since he launched it at the start of the month.
Governor Brown’s office has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Copyright 2020, KLCC.