Oregon to lift indoor mask mandate March 19, state of emergency will end April 1

SALEM, Ore. — Oregon is lifting its mask mandate for indoor public places and schools earlier than anticipated, on March 19, state health officials said Thursday.

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) said it pushed up the date for ending the masking requirements based on the decrease in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

Originally, OHA announced it would not make masking optional in K-12 schools until March 31. However, OHA said feedback from school districts around the state indicated that preparations for the transition could be completed earlier.

Oregon health officials said the March 19 date will still give everyone time to prepare for the transition, as well as offer time for school districts to put a plan in place on how they will approach masking rules.

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Governor Kate Brown also issued a statement, saying she would drop the emergency declaration for COVID-19 emergency on April 1.

She said she based the decision on how COVID-19 hospitalizations and case numbers are dropping rapidly across the state as the omicron variant recedes.

READ MORE |OHSU forecasts COVID hospitalizations will soon drop to levels seen before omicron variant

“COVID-19 is still present in Oregon, and we must remain vigilant. We must continue to get vaccinated and boosted, wear masks when necessary, and stay home when sick. That is the only way we can achieve our shared goals of saving lives and keeping our schools, businesses, and communities open,” Governor Brown said.

State officials said they highly recommend that people in high-risk groups continue to wear masks in indoor public settings even after the restrictions are lifted.

There are still a lot of questions about what school districts will do once they have local control over whether to continue masking in the classroom.

Many districts, including Portland Public Schools, have yet to commit to making masking optional come March 19.

PPS said Thursday it is expecting new guidance from state leaders soon.

Oregon Department of Education Director Colt Gill referenced the state’s guidance in a pre-recorded statement released Thursday, saying after getting community feedback his agency and the OHA are working on a plan to be released early next week.

"To develop practical updates to safety protocols for quarantine contact tracing and testing that meet the current conditions of the pandemic," said Gill.

KATU talked with parents, some who support keeping masking in place, and others who want the rules lifted in the classrooms.