In early December, 2021, Oregon, one of few states imposing an indoor mask mandate at that time, convened a new Rules Advisory Committee with the Oregon Health Authority, putting the first steps in place to make Oregon’s mask mandate permanent.
Less than 2 months later, the Oregon Health Authority announced that Oregon will join almost all other states and lift mask requirements for indoor public places and Oregon’s schools on March 19th, as hospitalizations drop and are projected to reach levels below those at the start of the Omicron surge.
Earlier this month, Oregon Health Authority announced that the general indoor mask requirement would be lifted by March 31st, with the option of lifting it sooner if conditions improved enough.
Daily COVID-19 hospitalizations have declined 48% since peaking in late January. Over the past two weeks, hospitalizations have fallen by an average of more than 30 a day. Yesterday, there were 579 people hospitalized with COVID-19 across the state.
Reported COVID-19 infections also have dropped precipitously in recent weeks. Over the past month, new infections have declined by more than 80%. The seven-day moving average for new cases is 84% lower than at the peak of the Omicron surge.
Originally, Oregon Health Authority announced that the K-12 indoor mask rule would lift on March 31st. Feedback from school districts around the state indicated that preparations for the transition could be completed earlier.
By that date, it was expected, 400 or fewer people per day in Oregon would be hospitalized with the virus, a level the state experienced prior to the arrival of the Omicron variant. A recent modeling report by Oregon Health & Science University predicted the state would reach that total around March 20.
