Keeping Eugene Safe
(Updated February 23, 2021)
Protect Yourself and Others
Practice the 4 Ws:
- Wear a Face Covering – indoors and outside when you can’t maintain 6 feet of space, it’s a statewide requirement.
- Watch Your Distance – stay 6-feet apart from those outside your household and limit your gathering size.
- Wash Your Hands – often with soap and water for 20 seconds throughout the day.
- Wait It Out – stay home if you are sick.
Lane County has lowered into the high risk category for the two-week period beginning February 26.
With the reduced risk level comes new guidance including what is allowed for indoor activities such as dining, gyms, entertainment establishments and faith institutions. See Oregon Health Authority’s guidance for activities at each risk level.
Risk Levels
The health and safety framework uses four different risk levels for counties based on their level of COVID-19 spread—Extreme Risk, High Risk, Moderate Risk, and Lower Risk. The framework is intended to establish sustainable protection measures for Oregonians in counties with rapid spread of COVID-19, while balancing the economic needs of families and businesses in the absence of a federal aid package.
County risk levels are based on two metrics:
- Rate of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 over 14 days
- Percentage test positivity over previous 14 days
Learn More
See Governor Brown's Building a Safe & Strong Oregon website to find:
- Risk Level by County
See a map of all Oregon counties and their current risk level. Also find the Public Health Indicators table that outlines the metrics for each risk level. - Guidance by Activity
See guidance for activities at each risk level.
Also see Lane County's current data that determine our current risk level.
County Risk Levels to be Evaluated Every Two Weeks
County Risk Levels are updated every two weeks in response to how COVID-19 is spreading in our communities.
- On Tuesday of Week One (called the Warning Week): Data for the previous two weeks is published so counties can prepare for potential risk level changes the following week.
- On Tuesday of Week Two (called the Movement Week): Updated data is published and County Risk Levels are determined. Risk Levels take effect on Friday and remain in effect for the next two weeks while this process repeats.
Governor Brown emphasizes that there is no Zero Risk category. Until COVID-19 vaccines are widely available, health and safety precautions will remain in place so that schools, businesses, and communities can reopen, and stay open. At every risk level, to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks, Oregonians must continue to wear face coverings, watch their physical distance, wash hands, stay home when sick, and keep social get-togethers and gatherings small.
Governor Brown issued a travel advisory on Nov. 13, 2020 in response to increasing cases of COVID-19 in many states and countries. Persons arriving in Oregon from other states or Oregonians returning from other states or countries could increase the risk of COVID-19 spread. In addition, travel itself can be a risk for exposure to COVID-19, particularly travel through shared conveyance such as air, bus or rail travel.
Travel Advisory for Non-Essential Travel
- Persons arriving in Oregon from states or countries, including returning Oregon residents, should practice self-quarantine for 14 days after arrival. These persons should limit their interactions to their immediate household. This recommendation does not apply to individuals who cross state or country borders for essential travel.
- Non-essential travel includes travel that is considered tourism or recreational in nature.
- Essential travel includes work and study, critical infrastructure support, economic services and supply chains, health, immediate medical care, and safety and security.
- Oregonians are encouraged to stay home or in their region and avoid non-essential travel to other states or countries. Avoiding travel can reduce the risk of virus transmission and bringing the virus back to Oregon.
COVID-19 Testing
If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, such as fever, cough, or shortness of breath, please contact your healthcare provider or telehealth program to discuss whether you should be evaluated for testing. Each coronavirus test provider will determine if testing is appropriate based on your symptoms, risk factors, and test availability.
Use Oregon Health Authority's COVID-19 Test Site Finder to find the nearest testing site and find answers to frequently asked questions.
University of Oregon’s Free COVID-19 Testing
COVID-19 testing reservations are available for all UO employees, students, and the Eugene/Springfield community through university’s Monitoring and Assessment Program (MAP) on a first-come, first-served basis. Please visit the UO’s website for available dates/times and to register for an appointment.
Please note that individuals should not sign up if they:
- Have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 90 days
- Are currently isolating or quarantining due to their contact with a known positive case
- Are feeling sick or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms
Test results will be sent within four days of the test.
After Testing
Testing is the best way to find the virus in our community and slow its spread. It may take a few days to get the results of your test. If you test positive, you may be contacted by public health.
Read Lane County Public Health’s COVID-19 Guidebook: After Testing to learn:
- What to do if you test negative
- What to do if you test positive
- When and how to isolate or quarantine
- When to start and end quarantine
- What you can and can’t do during isolation or quarantine
- How to tell close contacts and your employer
Also visit Lane County's Quarantine and Isolation resources web page for additional information and frequently asked questions.
Contact Tracing
Contact tracing means calling people who may have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 to provide guidance and support.
Contact tracing is critical to our community's ability to continue limiting the spread of COVID-19. People who participate in contact tracing are actively helping to keep their community safe by helping public health officials track the virus.
Lane County Public Health's contact tracing involves educating people who are sick so they understand why they need to isolate, making sure those people have what they need to stay isolated, and identifying additional people who may have been exposed. Investigators are prioritizing follow up with case contacts from vulnerable populations. People in lower-risk groups who test positive for the virus are being asked to reach out to their own contacts.
Learn More
TRACE Community Testing in Eugene
Oregon State University’s Trace Community testing teams visited randomly-selected Eugene households on Nov. 7 and 8 in a representative set of neighborhoods. Participation was voluntary and all selected individuals received a home test kit from TRACE field staff.
Participants in the TRACE project help public health leaders understand the prevalence of the virus that causes COVID-19 in their communities and how prevalence is changing over time. With a clearer understanding of how the virus spreads, public health leaders and health care providers can make informed decisions about policies, as well as the use of time and resources to slow the spread of the virus and minimize its impacts. The results also help community members make personal decisions about their own health care and that of family members.