Oregon Gov. Kate Brown called on the state’s residents to “uninvite” people from their Thanksgiving gatherings.
“This is hard, but making difficult sacrifices now will save lives,” Brown said on Twitter. “This Thanksgiving, keep it small. Uninvite them.”
This is hard, but making difficult sacrifices now will save lives.
This Thanksgiving, keep it small. Uninvite them. pic.twitter.com/4OLOv6s6A0
— Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown) November 24, 2020
A video attached to the tweet scrolls through a list of people to “uninvite” from a Thanksgiving gathering, including “your new boyfriend,” “drunken uncle,” “argumentative aunt,” “favorite aunt,” “bragging brother,” “best friend,” “half-sister,” and “vegan niece.”
“This holiday, keep your gathering small,” it continued. “Limit groups. Save lives.”
Brown ordered a two-week restriction limiting indoor and outdoor gatherings to six people from no more than two households last week, hoping that the new order would help stop the spread of COVID-19 cases in the state.
“I know Oregonians have made tremendous sacrifices throughout this pandemic and that these new, temporary restrictions may seem daunting,” Brown said in a statement. “But we are at a breaking point. If we don’t take further action, we risk continued alarming spikes in infections and hospitalizations, and we risk the lives of our neighbors and loved ones.”
“I also know that Oregonians come together in times of need, and we owe it to each other to take these measures seriously,” she continued. “It is up to all of us to work together to get this virus under control.”
Violations of the new order have penalties of up to 30 days in jail and up to $1,250 in fines, which Brown said she would use state police and local law enforcement to assist in making people comply with the new rules.
“For the last eight months, I have been asking Oregonians to follow the letter and the spirit of the law, and we have not chosen to engage law enforcement,” Brown said. “At this point in time, unfortunately, we have no other option.”
