The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

Over the past couple of weeks Oregon has experienced increasing numbers of positive COVID-19 cases. It seems that is due to both more spread of the virus, including concentrated outbreaks and general community spread, as well as more testing.

Although this is alarming, fortunately Deschutes County still has not mirrored that trend. It is likely fair to say that it is as much preparation including social distancing, face coverings, and sanitation, as it is luck and other factors.

One thing that has been known and remains constant is that minimizing the spread and mitigating the risk is largely within our control and can be done with a few relatively simple precautions: social distancing, washing your hands frequently while avoiding touching your face, and wearing a face covering. Hearing that over and over sounds like a broken record, but there is wisdom in the expression “first we make our habits, then our habits make us.”

On June 24, the City Council adopted resolutions extending policies and programs first established during and by way of the state of emergency declaration. The declaration occurred back in March and expired June 24. The declaration was critical to act swiftly during the emergence of the pandemic and the City did that in a multitude of ways over the past few months.

Although the City may not be in a declared state of emergency, that does not take away from the importance of maintaining precautions and a heightened sense of awareness. We are still in the first wave of COVID-19 and no one can say what the future will bring. We are fortunate to this point and should sustain a cautious optimism, while keeping a watchful eye on both what we can and cannot control as we head into July.

Every proactive measure helps — thank you for continuing to do your part keeping Sisters healthy and prosperous.

Information and links to small business resources can be found here: www.ci.sisters.or.us/business/page/covid-19-small-business-resources.