Eugene and Springfield coordinate together on the emergency plan.

Eugene and Springfield are operating under their joint emergency plan in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, and Eugene has opened its Emergency Operations Center and is discontinuing public meetings.

Springfield has not activated its Emergency Operations Center.

The COVID-19 outbreak, which has yet to have a confirmed case in Lane County even as statewide cases have risen to at least 30, is causing disruption across the country.

President Trump on Friday declared a national state of emergency to blunt the spread of the disease. Nationwide testing is increasing, but still is spotty.

https://www.eugene-or.gov/DocumentCenter/View/17722/Eugene-SpringfieldMulti-Jurisdictional-EOP_BasicPlan-Adopted-June-2019

"The Eugene-Springfield Multi-Jurisdictional Emergency Operations Plan provides the structure and mechanism to respond to and recover from significant disasters or emergencies," the plan reads. "The (Emergency Operations Plan) provides the framework for the Cities of Eugene and Springfield to augment their individual jurisdictional capabilities, while preserving their territorial authority."

The plan is meant to:

– Provide a description of the legal authorities upon which the cities of Eugene and Springfield structure their Emergency Management Organizations, including the emergency declaration process, activation of mutual aid agreements and requests for resources and emergency spending powers.

– Describe the context under which the cities of Eugene and Springfield will respond to a disaster or emergency independently or collaboratively.

– Provide a community profile for each jurisdiction identifying hazards and threats facing the community.

– Assign and describe roles and responsibilities for each jurisdiction and the employees tasked with emergency preparedness, response and recovery functions.

– Describe a concept of operations for the cities of Eugene and Springfield defining how the jurisdictions will conduct emergency operations and coordinate with other agencies and partners.

– Describe the cities of Eugene and Springfield emergency response structure, including activation and operation of the Emergency Operations Center.

– Discuss the protocols for maintaining and reviewing this plan, including training, exercises, and public education components

"Public meetings are suspended while the City (of Eugene) determines online or other remote options for participation," according to a city news release. "Our first responders have the proper personal protective equipment, training and protocols they need to protect themselves and their patients."

The news release said city facilities began more rigorous cleaning protocols of city facilities.

The city is putting up 10 hand-washing stations throughout the community Friday, according to the news release.

All Eugene libraries branches will be closed until March 30. They have suspended their programming and are waiving late fees, according to the news release. Eugene Rec programs are suspended starting Monday. The Campbell Community Center will close starting Monday. All city-related closures can be found on the city website.

Contact reporter Adam Duvernay at aduvernay@registerguard.com or 541-338-2237, and follow him on Twitter @DuvernayOR. Want more stories like this? Subscribe to get unlimited access and support local journalism.