Oregon COVID-19 Indoor Mask Mandate Ends No Later Than March 31

PORTLAND, OR —State officials say that when March 31 gets here, if not soon, Oregon's indoor mask mandate will be over. The Oregon Health Authority made the announcement on Monday.

The move comes a week after the state adopted its rule making mask wearing indoors permanent. At the time, officials stressed that "permanent" does not mean "forever."

The ending of the mandate will be a suspension and could come back if numbers shoot back up.

"The evidence from Oregon and around the country is clear: masks save lives by slowing the spread of COVID-19,"state health officer and state epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger said.

"We should see COVID-19 hospitalizations drop by the end of March because so many Oregonians are wearing masks and taking other steps to protect themselves and each other, such as getting a booster shot or vaccinating their children. At that point, it will be safer to lift mask requirements."

Sidelinger stressed that he suspension could come March 31 if not before if the numbers cooperate.

He also pointed out that Oregon has the third lowest cumulative COVID-19 case in the country and the seventh lowest COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.