City Of Newberg Preparing And Taking Measures In Response To COVID-19 -03/13/20

(NEWBERG, OREGON) – The City of Newberg has been meeting actively with department leadership teams, partner organizations, and working with Yamhill County Public Health in response to the novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The City has been preparing for the past two weeks taking preventative measures and putting practices in place to ensure a continuation of operations throughout the COVID-19 outbreak.

The City of Newberg will continue to follow measures and orders put in place at the direction of Governor Brown as well as continue promoting preventative measures like social distancing, frequent hand-washing, and frequently disinfecting commonly used surfaces. For trusted news sources, the City recommends signing up for alerts through the Oregon Health Authority.

There is currently no evidence that COVID-19 is transmitted through drinking water. Viruses can be disinfected through the use of chlorine and other treatment processes already used to process city tap water. The City of Newberg Public Works Department is also confident that there will be no wastewater overflows that would expose the public to COVID-19. Measures are in place to ensure monitoring and redundant systems will continue during any possible outbreak.

Starting today (Friday, March 13th) the City has begun taking further measures to stop the spread of the virus including canceling all children’s programs at the Newberg Public Library, scheduling additional disinfecting cleaning to commonly used surfaces throughout the day and doing a deep cleaning of City buildings during the evenings, and putting measures in place to promote continuity of operations through limiting public interactions and accommodating employees with compromised immune systems and those that need to cover child care. The City will continue to work actively with residents needing accommodations on the payment of bills and other transactions.

Newberg City Manager Dan Weinheimer commented, “The City is monitoring this evolving situation and considering additional steps to flatten the curve. While some actions may feel inconvenient, we appreciate the community’s participation in measures aimed at limiting the spread of this disease. It is important that we protect those in our community who are at a higher risk from Coronavirus.”

As of 3:00 p.m. on March 13, 2020, no cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Yamhill County. The City asks that citizens:

• Remain calm
• Stay home if they are sick or exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19
• Call their healthcare providers if they have concerns they have developed COVID-19
• Continue utilizing preventative measures that can help stop the spread of the virus

In addition to the measures above the City would also like to remind residents:

• Do not flush cleaning wipes down the toilet including products labeled as “flushable.” These products do not dissolve and can get stuck in underground sewer pipes causing overflows and sewer backups.
• PGE has announced they will be temporarily suspending service disconnections and asks customers to call with questions
• Citizens are encouraged to sign up for emergency notifications from the City of Newberg through the City’s CodeRED Service. Residents can sign up for notifications on the City’s website.
• Wash your hands and take appropriate precautions to limit your exposure to large gatherings of people

The City will continue updating its website: www.NewbergOregon.gov/COVID-19 throughout the coming weeks with information and resources.

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