Oregon COVID-19 Indoor Mask Requirements Lifted As Of March 12

PORTLAND, OR — On February 28, 2020, Oregon diagnosed its first case of COVID-19. Now, two years, nearly 700,000 cases and nearly 7,000 deaths later, the virus may not be gone but its threat has receded enough major changes are coming.

As of March 12, masks will no longer be required in indoor public spaces. And school masking requirements will become school masking recommendations.

The changes are being put in place in California and Washington as well as in Oregon, Governor Brown announced.

"As has been made clear time and again over the last two years, COVID-19 does not stop at state borders or county lines," she said. Our communities and economies are linked.

"As we continue to recover from the omicron surge, we will build resiliency and prepare for the next variant and the next pandemic."

Brown says that federal and state requirements covering places such as health care facilities and public transit will remain in place for the time being.

At a news conference Monday afternoon, State Epidemiologist and Health Officer Dr. Dean Sidelinger said that the decision to suspend the mandate is warranted by the changing numbers.

"Hospitals numbers will continue to go down as will cases," he said. "Despite some very dark moments, the tools we have in place to keep people safe are working."

Oregon Health Authority says that on the three days ending Sunday, there had been only 1,694 new cases reported and that number of people hospitalized continues its decline.

On Monday, 479 Oregonians woke up in hospitals across the state. Of those, only 84 were in intensive care units.

Just 30 days ago, there were 1,125 Oregonians in the hospital with COVID-19.

"At the present pace, hospitalizations could fall below pre-Omicron levels by next week," Sidelinger said. "We have many losses to mourn.

"But we also can take heart and pride in the way Oregonians have come together to protect themselves and the people around them."

Sidelinger was joined at the news conference by State Education Director Colt Gill who said that his department will release new guidelines for schools on Wednesday.

"This update will be based on the feedback we gathered from local school and public health leaders and communities," he said.

"It will offer a practical approach to safety protocols for quarantine, contact tracing and testing that meets the current conditions of the pandemic."