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[February 26, 2021] - Latest Updates from ORLA Vaccination Prioritization - ORLA’s focus has been to make sure our frontline staff in the lodging industry (front desk clerks / housekeepers) and restaurant industry (consumer facing employees / kitchen staff) have the opportunity to be included in the next phase as essential workers contributing to our food supply needs and shelter needs. Governor Brown announced today during her press conference that "all other frontline workers as defined by the CDC" will be eligible for a vaccine no later than May 1. What this means is, restaurant, bar and lodging employees without underlying health conditions are eligible on May 1. However, if your hospitality staff have any underlying health conditions and are ages 45 to 64, they are eligible to get in line on March 29. Testimony on HB 3177 - Thursday morning we had a strong showing of hospitality owners who testified in support of House Bill 3177. The bill would limit the ability of the Governor to impose harsher restrictions on specific industry sectors including food and drink establishments and fitness centers for the remainder of the Covid emergency. The bill has a big uphill climb but the sympathy and response of the committee to the arguments presented by our operators of all shapes and sizes was noteworthy. A special thanks to Greg Astley as our Director of Government Affairs for lining up a dozen restaurant owners to participate in the committee hearing. Oregon OSHA Proposed Permanent Rule Hearings - OSHA's temporary rule expires on May 4 and since the law does not allow a temporary rule to be extended, Oregon OSHA expects to repeal the permanent rule once it is no longer needed to address the coronavirus pandemic. As a reminder, OSHA is holding hearings or for commenting on the proposed rule. This is an opportunity to share your experiences and perspectives. Virtual public hearings will be held at 10 a.m. Feb. 26, and at 5 p.m. on March 3 and March 4. The comment period will close on April 2. Click here for sample talking points. Beverage Tax - ORLA is part of the group backed by the Oregon Beverage Alliance opposing the alcohol tax increase proposal. Legislators need to hear from Oregonians in the industry who are driving opportunity and creating good paying jobs in one of the state’s leading economic sectors. These businesses can make a powerful case to legislators about the importance of supporting – not taxing – these vital, job-creators. House Bill 3296 would increase taxes on beer and cider by nearly 3000% and increase taxes on wine by 1700%, making Oregon the highest beer, wine and spirits tax state in the nation. Join the Oregon Beverage Alliance and ask lawmakers to oppose HB 3296. Tell them:Don't Tax My Drink. [February 19, 2021] - Three Things from Your Association Warning Week Risk Levels - The latest County Risk Level chart from the Governor’s Office and Oregon Health Authority was released in preparation for next week’s “Movement Week,” whereby additional counties are expected to move into High Risk and lower risk levels to either gain indoor dining back or expand indoor dining they already have. We’re anticipating good news as early as Tuesday from some additional areas of the state including some of our secondary metro areas finally moving out of an Extreme Risk status. Pacing PPP Funding Against Vaccine Distribution - Earlier this week, ORLA sent a press release out illustrating the use of Round 2 PPP funds against Oregon’s vaccination pace to showcase the importance of big picture thinking. There has been an ongoing process of decision making in a vacuum and it must be recognized that a lack of comprehensive decision making has the potential to plague Oregon’s economic recovery. Read more here. Reminder About the Employee Retention Tax Credit - A new law makes businesses eligible for an employee retention tax credit, even if they received a PPP loan. For any calendar quarter between March 13 and Dec. 31, 2020, a business with 100 or fewer full-time employees may be able to access the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) of up to $5,000 per employee. Employers need to make sure they do not claim wages that were used for family leave, PPP or other Cares act related credits. Read FAQ. [February 12, 2021] - Updates from ORLA Governor’s Office - As of today, 22 of Oregon’s 36 counties have some level of indoor dining open to go with the continued open status of all lodging facilities across the state. The work to improve the operational environment for restaurants does have a positive impact on all our lodging members working hard to entice consumers to join them for overnight stays. Tuesday’s announcement on 10 additional counties opening up including the Portland Metro area resulted in significant media attention. Read our press release reacting to Governor Brown’s announcement. Oregon Legislature - House Bill 3177 has been officially introduced in our active session of the Oregon Legislature. The bill would bring equity to the business sector and provide additional protections from government restrictions targeted at specific industries including eating and drinking establishments as well as indoor fitness and physical recreation facilities. We will keep you posted on public hearing developments. You can take action now if you have not done so already to ask your legislator to Sponsor the bill. Mobilization Efforts - In addition to the mobilization effort for HB 3177 we are also promoting the importance of federal action in support of the Unified Restaurants Act. Additional grant relief is needed and is a real possibility for the industry. You can take action here at the federal level. As action alerts are promoted and amplified by our national partners in the lodging industry we will make sure to share those opportunities as well. Stay informed and ready to take action by signing up for text alerts and announcements relating to our advocacy work on behalf of Oregon's hospitality industry. Text "ORLA" to 52886 or sign up online to become a Hospitality Industry Advocate. [February 4, 2021] - Latest Updates from Your State Association Ongoing Governor’s Office Communications Governor Brown has enlisted her Director of Jobs and Economy Leah Horner and Leah’s Regional Solutions staff to engage our industry as well as other industry groups struggling with the combination of ongoing restrictions and changes in consumer demand. Multiple staff, including ORLA’s regional representatives, have direct communication channels with a multitude of staffers in the Governor’s Office. We fight for changes in metrics, risk levels, and our current 2-week cycle often with the goal of more flexibility and continuity for Oregon’s restaurants (some indoor dining statewide) and lodging establishments. Foundation Highlights The Oregon Hospitality Foundation is ready to launch their new safety training videos this coming Monday, February 8. A big thanks to Wendy Popkin, OHF Executive Director, for her work on this project alongside our marketing and communication staff. We are confident the video series, Providing Service While Supporting Safety, will be incredibly helpful to our industry during Covid times. The course has two versions, restaurant and lodging, and both also come with Spanish subtitles. See the course flyer. ORLA and the Foundation welcome Melinda Casady as our new ProStart and Workforce Coordinator. Melinda graduated from Western Culinary Institute in 1997. She worked ten years in the industry (Fiddleheads, Pazzo’s, Multnomah Athletic Club, and Oritalia being some of the highlights) and finally as a Food & Beverage Director at the Marriott before being called back to Western Culinary Institute Le Cordon Bleu to teach. Warning Week Data from the Governor’s Office If this week were a “movement” week, the following counties would have moved out of Extreme Risk and joined 10 other counties in Oregon that currently have indoor dining. There is a chance this coming week numbers hold on case counts and allow some or maybe all of these counties to provide indoor dining once again a week from tomorrow. Watch announcements closely this coming week on Monday/Tuesday for any developments that provide more opportunity for indoor dining as of Friday, February 12. Multnomah and Clackamas counties are really close in the latest data in getting into the “high risk” category.
 [January 29, 2021] - ORLA Working to Protect, Promote and Provide Relief for Oregon's Hospitality Industry Your statewide association has been working tirelessly this past year to advocate on behalf of Oregon's restaurant and lodging industry during the pandemic. ORLA is working to chronicle all the work done for our hospitality industry, providing an ongoing summary of advocacy work at the local, state and federal levels. For now, take a look at the "ORLA Outcomes" to the right for a quick summary of some of the things ORLA has been fighting for to protect your business and ensure equitable treatment for foodservice and lodging accommodations. Watch for more updates online at OregonRLA.org. ORLA Seeks Data, Evidence for Ongoing Shutdown - While the Governor’s Jan. 26 announcement provides welcome news for lottery retailers, restaurant operators with functional outdoor dining space, and hotels eager to open indoor pools and hot tubs, these modifications are not assisting operators who lack outdoor dining space. Data across states with mask mandates shows no correlation between the number of cases and the decisions to close indoor dining. Read more here. [January 26, 2021] - Updates to County Risk Levels Governor Kate Brown today announced updates to county risk levels in addition to modified guidance for indoor activities to take effect January 29. Modifications include an allowance for a maximum of six people indoors at facilities over 500 square feet for all indoor activities except dining. Reach out to your regional representative as we await for detailed guidance to be posted on the Coronavirus page. While the Governor’s announcement today provides welcome news for lottery retailers, restaurant operators with functional outdoor dining space, and hotels eager to open indoor pools and hot tubs, these modifications are not assisting operators who lack outdoor dining space. [See an abbreviated modifications chart from the Governor's Office below; view online here] Oregon’s aggressive economic restrictions on one of the state’s largest private sector employers continues to lack data to substantiate the disproportionate sacrifices being endured by these small business operators. As ORLA highlights in today's press release, a recent analysis of December data on the status of restaurant closures across states with mask mandates shows no correlation between the number of cases and deaths and the decisions to close indoor dining. ORLA will continue our call for a reconvened Economic Advisory Council to bring government officials, health advisors, and industry leaders together to find solutions that consider the devastating impacts prolonged restrictions are having on all of Oregon’s hospitality industry.  ORLA will share guidance on the above modifications once available (the Governor's Office stated it would be posted by Jan. 29). Please reach out to your Regional Representative with questions. [January 22, 2021] - Update from Your Association
As our industry continues to struggle during this pandemic due to several factors contributing to unsustainable operations, ORLA remains steadfast in communicating daily with the Governor's Office on reopening Oregon's hospitality businesses. We have been urging consideration of the following:
With more counties potentially moving into the Extreme Risk category, hospitality businesses can benefit from every bit of flexibility and allowances made possible.
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A Total of 31 of Oregon’s 36 Counties Are Open for Indoor Dining as of Friday
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 23, 2021 Contact: Jason Brandt, President & CEO, ORLA 503.302.5060 | JBrandt@OregonRLA.org Featured Industry Operator: John Barofsky, Co-Owner, Beppe & Gianni’s 541.517.5027 | Laperlapizzeria@live.com Wilsonville, OR– Oregon counties are on the move again with an announcement today by Governor Brown’s office lowering extreme risk levels for 10 counties which allows restaurants in those regions to open for indoor dining on Friday, February 26. “Oregon’s remaining metro areas surrounding the Salem area, Eugene area, and Medford area will be joining Portland Metro and the Bend area in bringing back indoor dining Friday,” said Jason Brandt, President & CEO for the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association. “Our operators are gearing up as we speak to make sure safety remains our number one priority for both industry employees and customers indoors. We are committed to doing this right to make employees and guests as comfortable as possible in bringing hospitality back to more of Oregon’s local economies.” The news today means approximately 91 percent of Oregonians will now have access to indoor dining in the county where they live. About 9 percent, or close to 386,000 Oregonians, still live in a county limited to take out, delivery, and outdoor dining options. Counties designated as extreme risk include Benton, Coos, Douglas, Jefferson, and Josephine counties. “We are happy to hear we have the opportunity to return to our business model which has always been reliant on full-service dining,” said John Barofsky, Co-Owner of Beppe & Gianni’s Trattoria in Lane County. “We have tried hard to keep most of our employees on the payroll throughout the pandemic but have had to cut hours to make that happen. Today’s news will allow us to increase the hours available to our workers by about 30 percent now that we have indoor dining coming back online.” Barofsky and other operators across the state remain leery about the duration of time they will be allowed to continue indoor dining operations. For example, some operators in Portland chose not to open on Friday, February 12 even though they were given the green light to proceed. The two issues cited most frequently in deciding to stay closed indoors were the challenges in recruiting workers to return to work and the uncertainty indoor operations will remain open as of Friday, February 26. The open/close structure does little to assist hard hit restaurants with planning efforts that could help their employees pay their monthly bills and avoid permanent business closures. Today’s announcement confirms that all counties previously allowed to open indoor dining on February 12 will be able to continue indoor operations with the one exception in Douglas County. “Some helpful news also included in today’s announcement is the number of restaurants that will be able to move to 50% indoor capacity from 25%,” said Brandt. “25% capacity is a real challenge for operators with smaller amounts of square footage in their business. Washington and Clackamas counties for example, are moving to moderate risk levels which means restaurants can move up to 50% indoor capacity or 100 total people indoors including staff, whichever is smaller. In addition, outdoor dining capacity in moderate risk counties moves up to 150 people.” Restaurants who continue to operate in high risk counties including Multnomah will be limited to 25% indoor capacity or 50 people total including staff indoors, whichever is smaller. Outdoor dining capacity expands slightly as well in the high risk category and allows for 75 people total outdoors compared to the 50-person limit in the extreme category. Oregon also has 3 new counties in the lowest risk category. Wasco, Lincoln, and Clatsop counties which can open at 50% capacity with no limitations on total number of people. In addition, restaurants in low risk counties can have as many as 300 people outdoors and stay open until midnight instead of 11pm like the other three risk categories. For more information on the efforts of the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association please visit OregonRLA.org. ### The Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association is the leading business association for the foodservice and lodging industry in Oregon, which before COVID-19 provided over 180,000 paychecks to working Oregonians. According to the Oregon Employment Department’s December data, over 50,000 Oregonians that once had a job in hospitality do not have work available to return to.  Join the National Restaurant Association and the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association for a virtual conference on April 20, 2021 Every spring, the restaurant industry comes together in Washington D.C., to meet with Congress on issues impacting our industry. The 2021 Public Affairs Conference may look different this year, but it provides the National Restaurant Association and state restaurant associations like ORLA with an opportunity to expand our reach and impact with more attendees and more meetings on Capitol Hill. As an industry leader, your attendance is critical to the success of the Conference. With new party leadership in D.C. and our industry suffering from this unprecedented pandemic, our collective voices are needed now more than ever. We have to educate our lawmakers—new and established—on the impact of COVID-19 to our industry and what steps Congress should (or shouldn’t) take to help us survive and then thrive once the pandemic has passed. Click the Register button below and use the code PAFCMEMBER to receive your member discount. The cost for members is $50 and $75 for non-members. You will hear from political analysts, industry leaders, and lawmakers on key issues impacting the restaurant industry. If you’ve never attended the conference in the past, this virtual Public Affairs Conference is a great way to get involved for the first time.
If you have any questions, contact ORLA's Director of Government Affairs, Greg Astley.  Click graph to download ORLA Continues to Support All Efforts Aimed at Comprehensive Decision Making
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 15, 2021 Contact: Jason Brandt, President & CEO, ORLA 503.302.5060 | JBrandt@OregonRLA.org Industry Operator | Media Access to Paddy’s: Jim Hall, Independent Restaurant Concepts 503.232.8355 | jim@irc-nw.com Wilsonville, OR– As recently reported, applications for the next round of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) dollars are well underway with Oregon’s hospitality businesses eager to secure funding through their lending institutions. The following analysis combines the latest vaccination rates in Oregon against the funding timeline associated with round two of PPP. “We feel it is incredibly important to look at the boost provided by PPP revenue for Oregon’s hospitality industry against the pace at which we are vaccinating Oregonians,” said Jason Brandt, President & CEO for the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association. “With 24 weeks available to use PPP, how many Oregonians are likely to be vaccinated at different intervals across that timeframe? We wanted to find out to provide one example of how crucial it is to engage in comprehensive decision making that considers our ongoing health interventions against a backdrop of Oregon’s local economies and employment opportunities.” Small business owners in the hospitality industry continue to report the onset of PPP will not on its own save their business but without it, the next 24 weeks would have been disastrous. “I have different small business restaurant and bar locations across Portland and PPP is going to be a difference maker in keeping most if not all of those locations in play,” said Jim Hall, Co-Owner of Independent Restaurant Concepts. “My two downtown locations, Paddy’s and the Independent, have been the hardest hit. I need our state leaders to commit to processing these economic realities and make sure their decision-making includes these types of assessments. It is near impossible to plan for the revival of these locations which brings jobs and hours back to my co-workers without a longer-term framework from state leaders.” ORLA’s assessment took the total number of Oregonians receiving their first Covid vaccination dose as of February 15 and overlayed the daily vaccination goals promoted by the Oregon Health Authority against 24 weeks of PPP funding. The vast majority of PPP applicants are still waiting for the official transfer of funds so the model assumes the week of February 15 as the first of 24 weeks when PPP revenue can be expended within applicable rules in order for the loan to be forgiven by the federal government as a grant. The following model shows projected timelines associated with vaccination rates as PPP funds are utilized to keep small businesses afloat. Population breakdowns were provided by Oregon’s Office of Economic Analysis with the assistance of State Representative Brian Clem. “The projections represented in our analysis show how important it will be to create more flexibility for Oregon’s hospitality businesses as money from the second round of PPP starts to run out,” said Brandt. “There is good news represented here in showing when we might expect to see additional opportunities to bring back more jobs for Oregonians as we hit vaccination milestones over the course of the coming weeks and months.” For more information on the efforts of the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association please visit OregonRLA.org. ### The Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association is the leading business association for the foodservice and lodging industry in Oregon, which before COVID-19 provided over 180,000 paychecks to working Oregonians. According to the Oregon Employment Department’s December data, over 50,000 Oregonians that once had a job in hospitality do not have work available to return to. A new law signed in late December 2020 makes hospitality businesses eligible for an employee retention tax credit, even if they received a PPP loan. Now, for any calendar quarter between March 13 and Dec. 31, 2020, a restaurant with 100 or fewer full-time employees may be able to access the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) of up to $5,000 per employee. And, for the first two quarters of 2021, Jan. 1–March 31, and April 1–June 30, businesses with 500 or fewer full-time employees may be able to access ERTC of up to $7,000 per employee per quarter. Read more from the National Restaurant Association: Big tax credits to restaurants could support employee retention FAQ on the Employee Retention Credit
(The following information provided by Cross Financial) The eligibility criteria outlined below is referring to the Employee Retention Credit as it is revised in Bill HR 133, Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020, signed December 27, 2020. This went into affect January 1, 2021 and ends June 30, 2021. While the IRS has yet to update their webpages on the ERC, the changes outlined in the bill are as follows:
Employers need to make sure they do not claim wages that were used for family leave, PPP or other Cares act related credits. In other words, no double dipping. Employee Retention Credit 2020 (ended Dec 31, 2020) An employer with one employee making $12,000 within a quarter would be permitted to use 50% of $10,000 so the max annual employee limit of $5,000 against applicable employment taxes, if there was not enough taxes to offset against, a refund would be calculated at the time of filing form 941, or a refund can be requested earlier by filing form 7200. 1 Employee x $12,000 in quarterly wages = $12,000 $12,000 - $10,000 (max qualifying wage amount) = $10,000 $10,000 x 50% (eligible credit percentage) = $5,000 employee retention credit (ERC) $5,000 in ERC - $ (employment taxes) = Refund amount if credit exceeds employment taxes for the quarter. Employee Retention Credit 2021 (ends June 30, 2021) The Employee Retention Credit as it is revised in Bill HR 133, Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020, signed December 27, 2020 outlines updates for the calculation of the ERC. This went into affect January 1, 2021 and ends June 30, 2021. An employer with one employee making $12,000 within a quarter would be permitted to use 70% of $10,000 so the max quarterly employee limit of $7,000 against applicable employment taxes. If there is not enough taxes to offset against, a refund would be calculated at the time of filing form 941, or a refund can be requested earlier by filing form 7200. 1 Employee x $12,000 in quarterly wages = $12,000 $12,000 - $10,000 (max qualifying wage amount) = $10,000 $10,000 x 70% (eligible credit percentage for Q1) = $7,000 employee retention credit (ERC) $7,000 in ERC - $ (employment taxes) = Refund amount if credit exceeds employment taxes for the quarter. A Total of 22 of Oregon’s 36 Counties Open for Indoor Dining Friday
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 9, 2021 Contact: Jason Brandt, President & CEO, ORLA 503.302.5060 | JBrandt@OregonRLA.org Industry Operator | Dixie Tavern Access: Dan Lenzen, Co-Owner of Dixie Tavern 503.516.5249 | danl@venturehre.com Wilsonville, OR– Hundreds of Oregon restaurants will open their doors to indoor dining starting Friday, February 12 as case counts per 100,000 residents drop below the coveted 200 case mark over the course of the previous two weeks in specific counties. As industry suppliers and restaurant owners scramble to safely open for indoor dining, two prevailing issues remain – continuity of restaurant operations and getting employees back on the schedule. “Today’s announcement represents a significant step in the right direction,” said Jason Brandt, President & CEO for the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association. “It’s our job to make sure the Governor’s Office and Oregon’s Legislators understand what we think will happen next because of today’s news. Top on the list are the challenges facing small businesses attempting to manage two weeks of operational certainty at a time which includes finding workers who are trying to pay monthly bills. And we must acknowledge the 14 counties with restaurant operations still trying to survive in the winter with no indoor dining.” Opening and closing restaurant operations continues to be cited as the number one challenge facing the industry with the biggest issues revolving around worker schedules and forecasting food supply needs in a limited time period once announcements on changes are made. “It is our job to be there for our workers and we will be doing our best to explain the uncertainty surrounding future work schedules,” said Dan Lenzen, Co-Owner of Dixie Tavern in Portland. “I hope our ability to open indoors represents a turning point allowing us to be open longer than two weeks. To stay in business, we need the ability to safely use some of the space inside our restaurant consistently and provide the jobs that go along with it.” February 12 appears to represent a key marker in the fight to mitigate virus spread as most Oregonians will now have indoor dining back as an option in their community for the first time in months. Still, restaurant operators in 14 counties continue to rely on Payroll Protection Program funds, limited outdoor operations if available, and takeout/delivery to scrape by. Approximately 38 percent of Oregonians still live in a county where indoor dining is not currently available. “We continue to be faced with incredible headwinds in the restaurant industry with the ban on indoor dining in Marion County,” said Conrad Venti, Co-Owner of Venti’s Taphouse and Basement Bar. “Every change we have managed as a company has impacted our employees just as much. We have permanently lost several long-term employees, including management, who have chosen to move on to other industries because of the complete instability and continuous changes we’ve had to face in the last year.” “With recent numbers trending in the right direction I was hopeful we would be inviting our guests and community back in to dine with us, and bringing employees back to work,” said Kevin Boyles, Co-Owner of Sassy Onion Restaurant in Salem. “Being in the extreme risk category while most of the state reopens is even more frustrating knowing my long time customers are able to make a small trip and enjoy a dining experience elsewhere, while my business continues to suffer.” ORLA is mounting a grassroots effort of industry professionals this week to continue encouraging outreach to Oregon’s Legislators and Governor Brown’s professional staff given the clear divide being experienced in a state with just over half its restaurants open while the others attempt to hold on. “We know firsthand how difficult it is for Oregon’s restaurant industry to ramp up their businesses two weeks at a time,” said Brandt. “Our goal in facilitating ongoing communication is to provide our elected leaders and their professional staff with the personal stories behind these challenges in hopes of providing more runway and a glide path for work schedules Oregonians can rely on. The easiest way to accommodate this would be to move to a system based on Low, Moderate, and High COVID-19 risk in each county and eliminate the Extreme Risk category altogether. Having three levels of risk instead of four would provide an additional level of flexibility needed as restaurants continue their fight for survival.” For more information on the efforts of the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association please visit OregonRLA.org. ### The Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association is the leading business association for the foodservice and lodging industry in Oregon, which before COVID-19 provided over 180,000 paychecks to working Oregonians. According to the Oregon Employment Department’s December data, over 50,000 Oregonians that once had a job in hospitality do not have work available to return to. The State’s Most Diverse Industry Pushes to Bring Jobs Back Now
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 2, 2021 ORLA Board Chair: Masudur Khan, ORLA Board Chair 248.910.8170 | mkhan@seasidelodgingllc.com ORLA Board Member: Harish Patel, President, Florencein, Inc. 503.443.4686 | harish@flcnw.com Wilsonville, OR– Oregon’s restaurant and lodging industries carry the distinction of having 17.1 percent of its employment base represented by people of color, the highest share of any industry in the state. Yet, Oregon’s foodservice and accommodations sector continues to reel from disproportionate restrictions forced upon these small businesses and their employees. “At this time there is a heightened sense of social unrest with racial inequities,” said Harish Patel, President of Oregon hospitality company Florencein, Inc. “The current leaders in the State of Oregon are throwing a blind eye and are out of touch with the industries they are continuing to restrict.” According to the Oregon Employment Department’s website, the Accommodation and Foodservice sector reached a historic high of 193,204 employees in August of 2019. According to the latest available data from December of 2020, the sector now employs 119,400 representing a staggering 38 percent drop in jobs. “The ORLA Board of Directors and our professional leadership do not question the role of public health interventions, but we fail to see an additional benefit to business closures,” said Masudur Khan, Chair of ORLA’s Board of Directors and Owner of Seaside Lodging LLC. “Studies show these ongoing restrictions on our hotels and restaurants damage our important work in providing equity and opportunities to people of color here in the State of Oregon.” A new study by the Bureau of Economic Research with participation by academic experts from Duke University, John Hopkins University, and the Harvard Medical School concluded the long-term loss of life over the period of the next 15 years could far surpass those we have lost directly to Covid. That study is available for download through the following link and provides comprehensive analysis on the impacts of unemployment for all with an emphasis on underrepresented populations: https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w28304/w28304.pdf “Our results suggest that the toll of lives claimed by the SARS-CoV-2 virus far exceeds those immediately related to the acute COVID-19 critical illness and that the recession caused by the pandemic can jeopardize population health for the next two decades,” the researchers said. In addition, studies from past decades have concluded there is a correlation between increased unemployment and higher death rates citing a 1.2 percent increase in mortality for every 10 percent rise in the number of people unemployed, according to Harvey Brenner in his 1979 study titled ‘Influence of the Social Environment on Psychology.’ An article published by the Oregon Employment Department in November of 2020 sums up the challenge and its impact on the Oregon hospitality industry stating the following: “Unfortunately, the industry that is the most racially diverse, and the second most ethnically diverse, is having a difficult time recovering after the initial COVID-19 impacts.” ORLA continues their call for a return to limited indoor dining statewide in perpetuity as one of the most crucial steps that can be taken now to counteract the increasing toll government restrictions are having in real time on the livelihoods and health of Oregonians. “We have all heard the saying ‘we are all in this together’ as we have worked to fight against the virus,” said Jason Brandt, President & CEO for the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association. “That is simply not the case. We are certainly all in the same storm together, but we need to be honest with ourselves about what vessels the good people of Oregon are in as they try to weather that storm. Some are in cruise ships while others struggle to turn over their capsized kayak. There are too many capsized kayaks right now in Oregon’s hospitality industry.” For more information on the efforts of the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association please visit OregonRLA.org. ### The Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association is the leading business association for the foodservice and lodging industry in Oregon, which before COVID-19 provided over 180,000 paychecks to working Oregonians. According to the Oregon Employment Department’s December data, over 50,000 Oregonians that once had a job in hospitality do not have work available to return to. |
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