February 9, 2020

Dear students, faculty, and staff,

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced this morning that Multnomah County will move from "Extreme" to "High" Risk, effective February 12. The county summarized the impact of the latest health restrictions here.

Reed's COVID-19 Risk Assessment Group is reviewing how this change will impact all of our COVID-19 protocols and will make an announcement by the end of day on Friday, November 12. We can announce now the change to dining at Reed resulting from moving from "Extreme" to "High Risk".

DINING: Starting Friday, we will resume indoor dining in Commons and add all four walls back to the outdoor dining tent for warmth. By adding the walls back to the outdoor tent, the space is considered an indoor space. This means the maximum capacity for both inside Commons and the outdoor dining tent is 50 people. Additionally, everyone dining must remain at least six (6) feet apart when ordering, waiting or in line, or sitting. The plexiglass barriers provide a suitable substitute for six feet of distance and face-covering requirements while individuals are eating or drinking, as long as there is just one person on each side of the plexiglass.

While this news is encouraging, we must continue to remain vigilant and protect our community from COVID-19. This means continuing to wear masks, keep our physical distance, participate in weekly COVID-19 testing, and avoid indoor gatherings.

Sincerely,

Madison Riethman, MPH, CPH
COVID-19 Response Coordinator and Health Project Manager