Most retail stores in Oregon can open May 15, regardless of the county

Josephine County is doing what it can to support many businesses that are looking toward reopening this Friday.

The governor's guidelines.

The chamber has its entire website dedicated to helping businesses.

The site has educational information to help business owners understand phase 1 reopening guidelines.

Resources listed there also help owners find manufacturers for supplies like plexiglass dividers, face shields, and other items needed to follow the governor's protocol.

"businesses can find resources as they look to re-open and we add to that page daily, hourly, as we find more information ... anything that we can find to support them as they reopen we're doing" on newswatch 12 at 4, you heard from brad hicks with the medford - jackson county chamber of commerce about what it's doing to help businesses.

We'll be posting that interview on our website in case you missed it.

Coming up tonight on newswatch 12 at 6 -- the ashland chamber also is sharing resources it's offering to local businesses, coming up tonight.

Where does josephine county stand in the process of officially getting the reopening.

Okay.

From the state.

We passed the initial phase of review with the governor's office and they submitted our application to oregon health authority where we are still pending review as are all the other counties at this time.

So it looks like we're all in the same pending status.

And as you understand it right now, retail across the straight state has been given the green light for friday.

It looks like it.

I was checking on the governor's website today and it says statewide as of may 15th the guidelines for retail, so it looks like retail is allowed to open up regardless of accounty status as of this friday the 15th and you have no indication at this time that josephine county's status won't be granted as well.

Right.

We are expecting our status to be approved.

We just have not heard word yet.

So as you look towards reopening and toward the summer, how concerned are you that your tourism based businesses, my face, a major struggle as the summer begins now?

Well, this has been an ongoing concern in the last couple of summers with fires and now with the coven, uh, that all businesses are going to be struggling to meet.

Requirements to keep their doors open.

So anything that we can do to help them and encourage them while keeping safety protocols in mind so that we're keeping safe as well.

Uh, but we need to move forward and see how we can come together as a whole community supporting each other.

What can the county do given that there are so many unknowns about, not only about the state's requirements, but also season.

We.

Prepare the best we can.

Encouraging people to put defensible space around their homes.

Uh, regarding the economics.

Uh, the county is, josephine county is in the process of approving some micro grants to businesses that weren't able to get assistance from.

Uh, the federal government or the, the payroll protection.

So we're trying to see about using some economic development dollars towards helping businesses in josephine county, and we're finalizing that application with a small business development center right now.

And, uh, we'll continue to put out the education and respond as appropriate.

We're helping get protective gear, um, contacting, uh, local businesses and like the talent works who are creating devices for businesses, connecting the right people with the right people.

So that as we open, we can keep safe and keep moving forward, and of course the local public health authority.

We're going to continue monitoring and making sure that we're responding appropriately as in case anything happens.