City Declares Local Emergency Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

City Manager Mark Shepard declared a local emergency for the City of Corvallis as the city organization works to mitigate service disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement came at 5 p.m. Friday, March 13.

With the announcement, the City can access state and federal resources if the response exceeds local capacity. Oregon Governor Kate Brown issued a statewide emergency declaration on March 8.

The City plans to ramp up its Joint Emergency Operations Plan in partnership with Benton County to focus local resources on the emerging pandemic.

The City announced a spate of closures earlier in the day, including closures of the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library and Osborn Aquatic Center through the end of March. In addition, the emergency declaration cancels all non-essential meetings and events until the end of March. Essential meetings, such as City Council meetings, will be conducted with additional safeguards to protect the public and meet legal requirements.