FEBRUARY 11, 2022, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A3
COVID restrictions loosen throughout county, state
By JOEY CAPPELLETTI
Of the Keizertimes
State health offi cials announced in a
press release Monday, Feb. 7 that mask
requirements for indoor public places
and schools would be removed no later
than March 31, with the possibility of
the requirement being lifted sooner.
“We should see COVID-19 hospi-
talizations drop by the end of March
because so many Oregonians are wear-
ing masks and taking other steps to pro-
tect themselves and each other, such as
getting a booster shot or vaccinating
their children. At that point, it will be
safer to lift mask requirements,” said
Dr. Dean Sidelinger, state epidemiolo-
gist, in a statement.
According to the Feb. 7 press release
from the Oregon Health Authority,
health scientists expect 400 or fewer
Oregonians will be hospitalized with
COVID by the end of March — the
number of hospitalizations in the state
prior to the Omicron variant.
If Oregon reaches 400 or fewer hos-
pitalizations prior to March 31, state
health offi cials said they would con-
sider lifting the
indoor require-
ment
sooner.
Masks
will
We should see COVID-19
continue to be
hospitalizations drop by
required within
schools
until
the end of March because
March 31 to give
so many Oregonians are
school districts
time to prepare.
wearing masks and taking
“State health
steps to protect themselves
offi cials
say
Oregon needs
and each other . . .
to keep mask
requirements
in place for
now as COVID-
19
hospital-
izations
crest
State Epidemiologist
and
Oregon’s
health
care
— DR. DEAN SIDELINGER
system strains to treat high numbers of
severely ill patients,” the release said.
With the state’s temporary indoor
mask mandate set to expire on Feb. 8,
health offi cials fi led a permanent new
rule with the Oregon Secretary of State
to require that masks be worn while
indoors in public places. Health offi -
cials said the permanent rule was “the
only way health offi cials could extend
the current temporary mask rule past
its expiration date and until mask rules
would no longer be needed.”
While daily COVID cases have con-
tinued to decrease across Oregon, as of
Feb. 8, there were still 1,055 Oregonians
hospitalized due to COVID. The release
said that current models show hospital-
izations peaking at 1,169 before declin-
ing throughout February and March.
The Marion County Health and
Human Services also announced
Tuesday, Feb. 8 that they would stop
doing COVID case investigations.
Going forward, this means individuals
that test positive for COVID should no
longer expect a call or letter in the mail.
In the press release, the county
Health and Human Services said they
will no longer provide return to work
letters or work restriction letters for an
employee who has tested positive for
COVID-19. The department said indi-
viduals should work with health pro-
viders and their employer to come up
with a return-to-work date.
“If you have symptoms, even if you
are vaccinated and especially if you
can’t get a test, you should stay home
and isolate to prevent potentially
spreading it to others,” the release said.
“You can also help by doing your own
contact tracing. Contact the people you
were in close contact with beginning
two days before your symptoms began.
Call, email, or text close contacts as
soon as possible.”
The department reiterated that the
best way to prevent getting COVID is
by getting vaccinated. People can visit
https://www.co.marion.or.us/HLT/
COVID-19/Pages/Default.aspx to fi nd
vaccination locations near them.
V a l e n t i n e ’ s D a y i s M o n d a y , F e b . 14
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