What does lower risk mean for Lane County? TrackTown USA and more look forward to changes – KEZI TV

LANE COUNTY, Ore. — Lane County is just a few short hours away from officially moving into the lower risk category.

This means a variety of things for small businesses, places of worship, and major sporting events.

The NCAA Track and Field Championships are happening right now, and in two weeks the Olympic Trials will be well underway. In a statement released by CEO of TrackTown USA Michael Reilly, he said they are thrilled about the move into lower risk.

RELATED: LANE AND COOS COUNTIES MOVING DOWN TO LOWER RISK

“We’re thrilled to learn that Lane County is moving to this designation. It’s a credit to all the hard work of the public health and medical professionals in our community. We could not be more excited for local businesses and look forward to the increased opportunities they will have during the Olympic Trials,” said Reilly.

And as far as what Track and Field fans can expect, the move to lower risk also brings about some changes for them. According to a spokesman for the University of Oregon, capacity at Hayward Field is being bumped up to 6,300 seats. This is a jump from the 4,400 seats announced back in May.

This also means places of worship can raise their capacity to 75%. Churches in the area said they will still adhere to state and local guidelines.

Small businesses in Lane County will see a boost, as well, and some are thrilled to make the move down to lower risk. Assistant manager at Glenwood Restaurant Miranda Grockin is thrilled to see more customers in the near future.

“The news was a wonderful surprise for us and we are still deciding on what we’re going to do. We’re definitely looking forward to getting more tables in our downstairs dining space and welcoming visitors who are coming to town over the summer,” said Grockin.

While some businesses are thrilled, others are still open to precautions. Oolong Bar is still providing a contactless way to serve customers. Founder and owner Josh Chamberlain doesn’t plan on changing protocol anytime soon.

“I don’t want to put my employees at risk, I don’t want to put myself at risk, and the health is more important to us than any type of benefit that might come from having some more customers or this type of thing,” said Chamberlain.

To find out more about what lower risk looks like for the county, CLICK HERE.