Oregon Gov. Kate Brown tells residents calling the police on neighbors for a public health violations is 'no different' than a noise complaint
- Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said residents should call the police on anyone who is not following the state's COVID-19 mandates, according to Fox News.
- "This is no different than what happens if there's a party down the street and it's keeping everyone awake," Brown told KGW-TV in an interview Friday. "What do neighbors do [in that case]? They call law enforcement because it's too noisy. This is just like that. It's like a violation of a noise ordinance."
- Brown announced a "two-week freeze" earlier this month to help slow down the spiking coronavirus cases in the state.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said residents can call the police on people who fail to follow rules meant to help slow down the spread of COVID-19 in the state, Fox News reported.
"This is no different than what happens if there's a party down the street and it's keeping everyone awake," Brown told KGW-TV in an interview Friday. "What do neighbors do [in that case]? They call law enforcement because it's too noisy. This is just like that. It's like a violation of a noise ordinance."
However, Brown said it doesn't need to go that far.
"This about saving lives and it's about protecting our fellow Oregonians. It's about protecting our families. It's about protecting our vulnerable community members and frankly, it's about protecting the entire state of Oregon."
Earlier this month, Brown issued a two-week freeze from November 18 to December 2 to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 as cases continue to spike in the state. The freeze implements many restrictions including; limiting six people to social gatherings from no more than two households, allows only 75% capacity at essential establishments like grocery stores and pharmacies, and closure of fitness centers and other indoor recreational activities. Residents who don't follow the restrictions could spend some time in jail, face a $1,250 fine or both, KGW-TV reported.
According to Johns Hopkins University data available Monday, there have been 65,170 COVID-19 cases and 820 deaths in Oregon. On Sunday, Oregon broke its record with 1,517 positive coronavirus cases, according to KEZI-TV.
Experts are urging Americans to take the necessary safety precautions ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday by limiting the number of guests they host inside their homes.
"Oregon's doctors, nurses, and physician assistants are asking for our help, saying that Thanksgiving gatherings would be 'dangerous and irresponsible,'" Brown tweeted on Monday. "Please read their message."