All Oregon COVID-19 restrictions end today, due to Oregon Gov. Kate Brown’s executive order announced on June 25. The state is still short of Brown’s 70% vaccination target, with 69.4% of Oregonians ages 18 and older having completed at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as of June 29.
Brown’s executive order cites declining COVID-19 cases as Oregon’s vaccination rates rise. In its June 23 report, the Oregon Health Authority reported a 4.7% decrease in COVID-19 cases compared with the week before — a continuation of a larger trend that shows declining COVID-19 case rates in Oregon.
“Because of this success and the widespread availability and uptake of safe and effective vaccines, we can take this next step and roll back restrictions here in Oregon,” Brown wrote.
According to the release, the new guidelines end most mask requirements and capacity limits — although some mask mandates will remain in settings including airports, public transit and healthcare sites.
The University of Oregon will still require face coverings indoors “until further notice,” according to an email that was sent to faculty and staff yesterday.
UO athletics said Brown’s new executive order means Autzen Stadium will return to 100% capacity this fall.
“As we transition to a sense of normalcy, the next phase of our statewide response will require us to redouble our efforts to help our communities recover from the economic toll of this pandemic,” Brown wrote in the executive order. She wrote that BIPOC communities have faced the brunt of pandemic-related economic hardship.
The World Health Organization recommended that fully vaccinated people continue to wear masks to stop the spread of the COVID-19 delta variant on June 25. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maintains its guidance that fully vaccinated individuals do not need to wear masks.
According to OHA’s weekly reports, hospitalization numbers related to COVID-19 cases in Oregon have slightly increased and testing numbers have decreased between June 7 and June 20.
Lane County previously moved into “Low Risk” for COVID-19 on June 9, after achieving a 65% vaccination rate.
