Oregon has announced that K-12 school kids and diners in restaurants will not have to wear masks indoors within the next month. Like the state of Washington, Oregon adjusted its timeline to lift its statewide mask mandate earlier than it originally stated.
Last month the statewide mask mandate required all indoor public spaces and K-12 schools to mask up. It was supposed to expire the last day in March. COVID-19 cases have dropped significantly across the Pacific Northwest. Many republican voters in a number of counties have defied the mask mandate from the start.
The Oregon Health Authority stated that Oregonians will be able to enter restaurants and bars without masks by March 19. They sent out a press release indicating that COVID-19 hospitalizations are “projected to reach levels below those at the state of the Omicron surge.”
Within the last month, new COVID-19 infections have also dropped more than 80 percent within the state. Hospitalizations reportedly have declined 48 percent since January when OMICRON was heavily in the news. There are he still high-risk groups and places are allowed to require masks despite the removal of the statewide mandate.
More than 70% of the country is now in a low-risk zone. The CDC now recommends masking up for 30% of the nation. On last Friday, the CDC updated its COVID-19 guidance with a new map. It shows areas of the country that remain under high alert (recommended masking and other precautions), medium alert (masking might be recommended if you are a high-risk individual), and low risk (which does not recommend masking for indoor or outdoor businesses and schools).
