Editor's Note: This story was published before Oregon Gov. Kate Brown issued an executive order March 23 that requires Oregonians to stay home unless seeking essential services. For a list of what is considered an essential service, refer to this FAQ on the governor's order.
As the novel coronavirus continues to disrupt daily life, businesses and restaurants are limiting their hours or closing their doors to curb the spread of COVID-19 in our communities.
Recent executive orders from Oregon Gov. Kate Brown have limited restaurants and bars to delivery and take-out only. Public gatherings have been canceled in efforts to increase social distancing, and schools remain closed as Brown extended closures through April 28.
As people try their best to "flatten the curve" of COVID-19, many are left wondering what’s closed and what’s still open.
Food
People can still head to their local grocery stores to stock up on items like canned goods, sanitary products and toilet paper, however, some supermarket chains are adjusting to the growing demand and changing health recommendations.
WinCo, Walmart and Trader Joe's stores announced they would be cutting hours to ensure stores can safely clean and restock items.
New Seasons and Whole Foods are asking their customers to observe a "senior shopping hour" for customers 60 and older from 8 to 9 a.m. each weekday.
Safeway and Albertsons will also provide designated hours for at-risk groups, including elderly people, pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems at its stores.
Green Zebra Grocery said it is also offering shopping hours for the “high risk population” from 7 to 8 a.m.
Portland vegan grocery store Food Fight! Grocery are asking people to send their grocery lists via email for same-day pick-up orders at their two locations, but have closed public access to their storefronts to minimize the spread of COVID-19.
“Sorry for any inconveniences, but it’s the best way (that we can think of) that we can try and keep staff safer, minimize spreading, and still keep business going,” a statement from the supermarket reads.
Brown's executive order Monday left restaurant owners and service industry workers scrambling as eateries adapt to take-out and delivery options. Some restaurants and bars have opted for temporary closures due to significant losses in income, less need for wait staff or logistical challenges with getting their food delivered.
Restaurants and bars are open or closed on a case-by-case basis. A new resource called PDX2Go compiled a list of restaurants, bars and other eateries with ways people can order. Some have opted for curbside pickups, while others utilize third-party food delivery apps like GrubHub or Postmates. Bars like Ladd Taphouse in Southeast Portland have been able to do on-the-go growler fills for beer and cider, along with food orders.
Coastal tourist towns like Astoria are seeing the impact of restaurant closures through the city, as businesses adjust to lower turnout.
In college towns like Corvallis, small-town staples like the vegan restaurant Nearly Normals and coffeehouse Interzone have temporarily closed.
Some food trucks are still operating with heightened sanitary measures and to-go orders only. Mojava, a coffee truck based in Southeast Portland, opened just last Saturday.
Resources
Hospitals and urgent care clinics remain open for medical needs, but are bracing for a surge in COVID-19 cases statewide. The Oregon Health Authority urges people who are feeling sick with mild symptoms to stay home to recover. If people are planning to seek care, they should call their health care provider before going in for care so arrangements can be made to prevent exposing others. The Oregon Health Plan has expanded telehealth services for people to be screened remotely for routine physical and behavioral health services.
Related: Temporary Hospital To Open In Salem; 75 Known Coronavirus Cases In Oregon
Pharmacies remain open for prescription fills, and U.S. postal workers continue to deliver mail.
Lines are still forming at Oregon DMV locations, despite Brown's call for public gatherings to include fewer than 25 people. Washington closed its DMV offices Tuesday, and Oregon may follow suit in the future.
Recreational cannabis stores remain open. The Oregon Weedery Dispensary in Northwest Portland cites that sales are much higher than usual, with people stocking up on marijuana in case stores are ordered to close. The store currently only allows a limited number of people into the facility at a time, and it's pre-packaging cannabis to safely hand off to customers.
The Columbian reports similar sales jumps in Clark County, Washington, where cannabis retailers have seen consumers rush to stores to stock up during the outbreak.
Banks in Oregon also remain open for now — Umpqua Bank encourages people to use online and mobile banking to minimize the spread of COVID-19.
Gyms such as Lloyd Athletic Club in Portland and Courthouse gyms remain open as of Wednesday, but have canceled group classes and training events. Planet Fitness has closed all of its gyms through the end of March.
Related: Fear Grows As Protective Equipment Supplies Dwindle For Oregon Health Care Workers
Places of worship throughout the state have opted to take their message online to combat the spread of COVID-19, canceling in-person congregations. Portland's Bridgetown Church has taken devotionals, youth groups and Bible studies online via the video conference app, Zoom.
Masjed As-Saber, one of the largest mosques in Portland, has suspended Friday prayers until further notice, asking people to pray at home with family.
Most homeless shelters remain open, but providers are bracing for the coronavirus, struggling to maximize social distancing in limited space. Some providers such as Transition Projects have temporarily stopped taking in new guests.
Vancouver's Navigation Center, which provides services to people experiencing homelessness, announced Wednesday that it would be closing because it would not be able to comply with requirements to reduce the spread of the virus.
Vancouver's Navigation Center is pictured Tuesday, March 10, 2020, in Vancouver, Wash.
Troy Brynelson / OPB
Public K-12 schools remain closed through April 28, and Oregon's major universities will conduct spring term classes online through at least mid-April.
Most Recreational, Arts, Leisure Facilities Closed
With maximized social distancing measures in place, recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have forced many recreational facilities to close.
Related: Metro Council Says It Will Not Postpone Its Proposed Homeless Services Ballot Measure
The Oregon Zoo will remain closed through at least April 8, and the Portland Japanese Garden is closed until further notice, canceling multiple cultural demonstrations through April.
A majority of museums are closed throughout the state, as OMSI remains closed through mid-April, and the Portland Art Museum is closed through at least March 31. The Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in McMinnville has closed, along with the High Desert Museum in Bend. Children's museums like the Gilbert House in Salem are closed through the end of April.
The Northwest Film Center has closed, and the remainder of the Portland International Film Festival has been canceled.
Portland movie theaters such as the Hollywood Theatre and the Laurelhurst Theater have temporarily closed, despite efforts to cap admission capacity and maximize social distancing.
Small arthouse theaters such as Darkside Cinema in Corvallis, and Eugene's Broadway Metro are also closed.
Major theater chains such as AMC Theaters and Regal Cinemas have closed their doors nationally for the foreseeable future.
Portland video rental store Movie Madness temporarily closed its doors, waiving all late fees. Movies can still be returned to dropboxes throughout the city.
Physical books may be harder to come by locally, as library systems throughout the state have closed through at least the end of March. Most libraries still offer ebooks, downloadable audiobooks and free access to Kanopy, a digital streaming service.
Multnomah County Libraries have closed until further notice, but will still offer public WiFi, and have waived all late fees.
Related: Will Alternative Newspapers Survive the Pandemic?
The Statesman Journal reports branches of the Salem Public Library, Keizer Community Library and the Silver Falls Library have closed through March, and Stayton Public Library is closed until further notice.
The Pendleton Public Library is closed to the public starting Thursday, but patrons can still hold books online and get them for curbside pickup. The library will be closed through April 15.
Powell's Books have closed all locations for at least eight weeks, laying off the vast majority of its staff.
Portland comic book store Books with Pictures is doing curbside pickups and delivering comics to people's doorsteps.
Major concert venues such as the Hawthorne Theatre and the Crystal Ballroom have canceled or postponed shows through mid-April, in compliance with Brown's order of limiting gatherings to 25 people.
Casino resorts throughout Oregon have closed their casinos through the end of the month, including Spirit Mountain Casino, Chinook Winds, Seven Feathers, Wildhorse Resort and Casino and Mill Casino-Hotel.
Related: Is It Safe To Go Hiking? Yes, With Caveats
The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, Department of Forestry and Department of Fish and Wildlife announced camping closures for campground and dispersed camping in attempts to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department said it will accommodate current overnight guests through April 2. After that, reservations for all state parks from April 3 through May 8 will be canceled, with site fees refunded. Before May 8, the agency will review park campground closures to see whether they should be extended.
The agencies encourage people to continue accessing daytime activities.
Crater Lake National Park has closed its Steel Visitor Center at park headquarters, and fees won't be collected at the entrance station. Ranger-guided snowshoe walks have been canceled. Officials say park areas will remain open "where it is possible to adhere to the latest health guidance."
Getting some sunshine while hiking is still a viable option and encouraged, but health officials recommend folks drive in separate cars and maintain distance if they're hiking in a group.
The Oregon Health Licensing Office is essentially telling salons and hair stylists to use their best judgment, though Twitter and Instagram suggest many have decided to shut temporarily.
Do you have questions about what's open or closed? What did we miss? Email us: opbnews@opb.org
This story will be updated.
