Gov. Kate Brown Promises New Details on Requirements to Reopen Schools

Gov. Kate Brown plans to release new details Tuesday, July 28, on what health benchmarks must be met for schools to reopen during the pandemic.

The state has released details on logistical requirements for schools, but Brown had previously promised to lay out benchmarks related to prevalence of the disease for when she would allow schools to have in-person classes.

Teachers' unions have expressed concern about reopening schools without a decrease in the number of cases.

Brown's office says she'll release metrics for when in-classroom teaching can resume.

"The metrics to be used are based on the number of COVID-19 cases and the COVID-19 positivity rate per capita––both on a county and statewide level––setting requirements for when it is safe for in-person instruction to resume, and when the level of COVID-19 spread in a community would warrant a transition to comprehensive distance learning," a news release from the governor's office says.

That announcement follows one bright spot in the news as case counts continue to climb. The percentage of tests coming back positive for COVID-19 declined last week—to 4.8%.

"This represents the first weekly decline in percent positivity since it began increasing in late May," an OHA release said.

Anything below 5% is considered one indication of an adequate number of tests.

At the same time, Multnomah County posted a near-record number of new COVID-19 cases in a single day: 119. The state overall had 340 new cases.