Ditched! Virtual Art Page A10 Show Page A10 Wednesday, June 17, 2020 $1 TheThe ChronicleChronicle thechronicleonline.com Serving Columbia County since 1881 Pandemic Special cases rise JEREMY C. RUARK Session
[email protected] JEREMY C. RUARK Across the state, the number of
[email protected] confirmed and presumptive COV- ID-19 cases has risen sharply over As public protests continue in Or- the past few weeks as the state egon and across the nation demand- slowly reopens county economies ing police accountability, and the and social settings. state works through the COVID-19 Oregon Health Authority pandemic, Oregon Governor Kate reported 184 new confirmed and Brown is calling legislators back to presumptive cases of COVID-19 Salem for a special session. as of Monday, June 15, bringing the state total to 5,820. Columbia County Health Department re- “We are at a unique ported a total of 22 cases on June 15. The county’s COVID-19 case moment in America.” count had been holding steady ~ Kate Brown, for several weeks at 10 cases and Oregon Governor began to increase as more testing became available and more coun- ties reopened. Brown said she will convene the Columbia County Health offi- special session of the Oregon Leg- islature at 8 a.m. Wednesday, June cials told The Chronicle in an ear- 24, to take up proposed legislation lier published article that because to improve police accountability and of Columbia County’s comparably address the COVID-19 pandemic. low rate of COVID-19 cases, there “We are at a unique moment in may be public complacency.