Oregon will tighten restrictions on business and public activity in 10 additional counties starting Friday, as the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic shows no signs of slowing down.
More than half of Oregon counties are now considered high-risk COVID-19 transmission, Gov. Kate Brown said Tuesday. This means that restaurants, bars, gyms and retail stores in these counties will have to limit the number of people allowed inside. People in those counties are also ordered to limit private social gatherings to eight people or less.
“As we face more contagious variants and an increased spread of COVID-19 in our communities, the best way to protect yourself and others is to get vaccinated,” Brown said in a news release. . “Until you, your family, your friends and neighbors are completely vaccinated, it is also essential that we all wear masks, keep our physical distance, and stay home when we are sick.”
Baker, Clatsop, Columbia, Crook, Jefferson, Lane, Polk, Wasco, Washington and Yamhill counties are now in the state’s high-risk bucket – many of them jumping from “lower risk” in the past two weeks.
Staff working at the massive COVID-19 vaccination clinic at Portland International Airport, April 9, 2021, are monitoring people in the post-vaccination waiting period. The clinic is a joint operation hosted by Oregon Health & Science University, Port of Portland and the American Red Cross.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Grant County, where the virus has grown, as many residents refuse vaccines, and Umatilla County have qualified for high risk, but the state has chosen to put them on a precautionary tour for the next two weeks.
Several counties, including Clackamas and Deschutes, qualify for the state’s “extreme risk” category. However, the state has chosen not to use this designation with the greatest risk, as sufficient space for the hospital remains available at the state level.
Only two Oregon counties – Union and Curry – have reduced their risk. See the full list here.
Just over a month ago, risk levels were dropping just like the transmission of the virus, even in the most populous counties in the state. Business was gradually reopened and vaccinations proliferated, prompting many, including Brown, to talk about the “light at the end of the tunnel.”
However, Brown and public health officials have also warned for weeks that if the number of cases increases, restrictions will be restored.
Oregon is now reporting more COVID-19 cases than in a few months. As of Tuesday, the state reported nearly 700 confirmed and presumptive coronavirus infections a day.
Thousands of Oregonians get vaccinated every day. More than a quarter of adults in Oregon aged 16 and over are fully vaccinated and nearly 40% have received at least one dose.
The new restrictions take effect on Friday. The governor will announce new levels of risk on Tuesday, May 4.