COVID-19 Update: The Pauses in Oregon and California

Updated January 22nd, 2021

We are working hard to bring you the latest COVID updates as we receive them.

Oregon Restrictions

As of December 17th

Oregon is declared in a state of emergency until March 3rd, 2021.

Every county in Oregon is assigned to a tier based on its test positivity and adjusted case rate for tier assignment.

California Restrictions

As of December 3rd

The Regional Stay Home Order will go into effect within 48 hours for regions with less than 15% ICU availability. It prohibits private gatherings of any size, closes sector operations except for critical infrastructure and retail, and requires 100% masking and physical distancing in all others.

Every county in California is assigned to a tier based on its test positivity and adjusted case rate for tier assignment.

Resources

Impact on Units

National BSA on COVID-19 Pandemic

Everyone should review the latest updates to the BSA’s national statement and recommendations concerning the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The updates feature an emphasis on using the adapted CDC guidance for the general public as the minimum guidelines for Scouting participants. This is in addition to any state and local regulations and council guidelines. Updates also further encourage use of the Model COVID-19 Pre-Event Medical Screening Checklist prior to conducting any Scouting activities.

California Units

As of January 21st, 2021:

The Northern California region are currently not under Stay at Home Orders. Scouts and Units may follow the guidelines for cohort gatherings below.

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The order will remain in effect for at least 3 weeks and, after that period, will be lifted when a region’s projected ICU capacity meets or exceeds 15%. This will be assessed on a weekly basis after the initial 3 week period.

The state released a map of five regions and their current ICU capacity, as well as projected dates when regions will fall below the 15 percent threshold. For our California Units, this means counties located in the Northern California region:

Northern California: Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama, Trinity

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Scouting programs may meet in stable cohorts of no more than 16.
A Cohort is a small group of around 10 people that must participate in all Scouting activities together. For example, it could be a patrol of up to 10 Scouts plus 2-3 leaders, It could be a den of similar size. An example of a cohort is a couple of families that choose to Scout together. A troop or pack with a meeting space large enough could have 3-5 cohorts (depending on the phase), but these cohorts must act independently.

In the event of an exposure, we can identify those that are potentially exposed and we limit the number of people affected.

The maximum cohort size applies to all children and youth in the cohort, even when all children are not participating at the same time. For example:
- A cohort may not include 6 children or youth who attend a meeting/event full‐time, 6 children on Mon/Wed/Fri, and 6 children on Tue/Thu (total of 18).
- A cohort may not include 8 children or youth who attend an event for an entire day, 4 who attend mornings only, and 4 who attend afternoons only (total of 16).
Cohort Mixing is Not Allowed
- Prevent interactions between cohorts, including interactions between staff assigned to different cohorts.
  - Assign children and youth who live together or carpool together to the same cohort, if possible.
  - Avoid moving children and youth from one cohort to another, unless needed for a child’s overall safety and wellness.
  - Cohorts must be kept separate from one another for special activities such as art, music, and exercise. Stagger playground time and other activities so that no two cohorts are in the same place at the same time.

Oregon Units

As of January 21st:

According to the State of Oregon, Scouting falls under the Youth Program category for Scouts BSA and Child Care category for Cub Scouts.

What that means for Scouting is that Scout BSA troops will meet in stable cohorts of no more than 10 Scouts. Cub Scouts Packs will meet in cohorts of no more than 20 Scouts. We will need to follow the other guidance laid out in the state rules.

At this time, overnight camp programs cannot safely operate. The Governor’s Office (GO) and the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) will work together to decide if and when it is safe for children and staff to return to overnight camp settings

Cohort Mixing is Not Allowed
- Prevent interactions between cohorts, including interactions between staff assigned to different cohorts.
  - Assign children and youth who live together or carpool together to the same cohort, if possible.
  - Avoid moving children and youth from one cohort to another, unless needed for a child’s overall safety and wellness.
  - Cohorts must be kept separate from one another for special activities such as art, music, and exercise. Stagger playground time and other activities so that no two cohorts are in the same place at the same time.

The Crater Lake Council Scout Shops in Bend and Central Point will be open for door front pick up or delivery.

For the Bend Scout Shop: If pickup is needed, please place your order ahead of time and we will have it prepared and in the conference room for pickup.

For the Central Point Scout Shop: We will have the order ready in the lobby for your pick up.

If planning to pick up at either location, please call ahead of time so we are prepared to greet you.

Travel Restrictions

The governors of Oregon, Washington and California have jointly announced new travel advisories for their states, which include a recommended 14-day quarantine after travel out of each state. The advisories are encouraging “against non-essential out-of-state travel, ask people to self-quarantine for 14 days after arriving from another state or country, and encourage residents to stay local.”

The advisories are encouraging “against non-essential out-of-state travel.” They are also asking for “people to self-quarantine for 14 days after arriving from another state or country, and encourage residents to stay local.”

CLC recommendations for packs, troops, and other units:

Units with plans for travel out-of-state must reconsider, as Scouting activities are not deemed ‘essential.’

During this pandemic, we have all had to make sacrifices. The challenge with participating in any social activity is not just the danger you place yourself but also your ability to place others in danger. You should have come to grips with the fact that any social activity outside your family puts you and your family at risk of infection. Those who are at-risk or have fragile persons in their home should carefully weigh the risks of socializing outside the home. Most should not feel they need to wait out this pandemic in a cave. There are several things you can do within the guidelines of your state and county that could allow for in person Scouting can happen.

Updated November 18th: included link to local CLC COVID update post.

Updated November 19th: Included guidelines for Units in California and Oregon; clarification on travel restrictions; added OHA resource link.

Updated November 20th: Inserted link to California FAQ for face shields; included updated infographic on California COVID statistics; added infographic of Oregon status by county.

Updated November 23rd: Inserted updated infographic for California statistics; removed link to outdated CLC Council COVID post.

Updated November 25th: Inserted most recent Oregon Press briefing video link; replaced California statistics infographic with updated version.

Updated December 3rd: Updated California information to reflect the Stay at Home Executive Order issued on December 3rd, 2020.

Updated December 4th: Updated Oregon map; re-linked to active Oregon COVID resource website

Updated December 10th: Updated Oregon by county map; Updated Oregon restrictions summary; updated California COVID Infographic; updated Oregon segment regarding unit impact; adjusted Oregon county map credit to OHA; reworded title to be more inclusive to all of Crater Lake Council’s districts; updated California restrictions summary

Update December 14th: Removed obsolete OR Coronavirus website link; updated California COVID infographic.

Updated December 21st: Updated California COVID infographic.

Updated December 28th: Updated California infographic; updated Oregon infographic.

Updated January 12th: Updated California infographic; updated info regarding Oregon’s status.

Update January 20th: Removal of CA and OR infographics; additional information from National BSA’s statement/resources regarding COVID-19; updated information for Oregon Unit-specific information.

Updated January 21st: Removed recommendation for Oregon Units to cancel in-person meetings

Updated January 22nd: Reworked entire page layout in order to make the information more streamlined and easy to read, as well as reduce page length.