OLYMPIA — The state Department of Health announced Friday the last piece of its mask mandate will end next month.
Starting April 3, wearing of face-coverings will be encouraged but no longer required by the state inside health care, long-term care and adult correctional facilities. This is for people age 5 and older.
Local and tribal governments, as well as individual facilities and providers can keep mask-wearing rules in place if they want.
In a press release, the department said infection rates and hospitalizations for COVID-19, RSV and influenza have been on the decline since the end of 2022. Oregon is rescinding its universal masking requirement the same day.
“Masks have been – and will continue to be – an important tool, along with vaccinations, to keep people healthy and safe,” Secretary of Health Umair A. Shah said in the release.
The department first imposed the mask mandate in June 2020. It’s been amended and modified several times.
A year ago, Shah lifted the requirement for wearing of face coverings in most indoor public spaces, schools and child care facilities. Last October, he erased the mask requirement for everywhere except indoors at health care and long-term care settings and correctional facilities.
Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623;
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