8A | WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021 | SIUSLAW NEWS
Oregon adjusts guidelines for mask-wearing, physical distancing indoors and outdoors
SALEM — the Oregon
Health Authority (OHA)
has released updated
guidance about mask
and physical distancing
requirements for indi-
viduals fully vaccinated
against COVID-19.
Under the updated
guidance, people who
are fully vaccinated will
no longer be required
to wear a mask indoors,
in most public settings
where vaccination status
is checked.
In public settings
where vaccination status
is not checked, masks
will still be required. Fi-
nally, businesses and ven-
ue operators remain free
to establish their own,
more restrictive policies
regarding mask usage.
In addition to ex-
empting people who are
fully vaccinated from
mask requirements in
most indoor settings,
OHA health experts an-
nounced that mask re-
quirements no longer
apply to anyone who is
outdoors.
However, OHA rec-
ommends that individ-
uals continue to wear a
mask or face covering in
crowded areas and large
gatherings (such as sport-
ing events), and to main-
tain physical distance as
much as possible. OHA
urges unvaccinated indi-
viduals and those at risk
for complications to wear
masks in these settings.
The new guidance
comes after the U.S. Cen-
ters for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC)
last week announced
that individuals who are
fully vaccinated against
COVID-19 could stop
wearing masks and stop
physical distancing in
most public spaces.
Oregon’s
Governor
Kate Brown pointed to
the CDC announcement
as “another sign that as
more people become ful-
ly vaccinated, the clos-
er we are to ending this
pandemic.”
OHA Director Patrick
Allen said, “Masks con-
tinue to save lives and
protect people who are
not vaccinated. However,
last week’s announcement
from the CDC emphasiz-
es the point that safe and
effective vaccines are the
very best way to protect
people from getting and
spreading COVID.”
He added, “That’s why
it’s safer for life to look
more like normal for
people who are fully vac-
cinated. And why people
who haven’t had a chance
to get vaccinated should
do so as soon as they
can.”
The new Oregon guid-
ance says:
• Individuals in Oregon
are no longer required to
wear a face mask or phys-
ically distance, whether
indoors or outdoors, two
weeks after their final
Backstreet featuring beaded art, photos
In June, photographer
Mark Anderson and jew-
eler Kathleen Wenzel will
present their intriguing arts
as the Backstreet Gallery
featured artists.
The physical world’s
beauty and natural occur-
rences inspire Anderson.
He aims for something be-
yond that.
“Our eyes see the natu-
ral, while our souls feel that
which sustains the natural,”
Anderson said.
Anderson started as a
freelance
photographer
with commercial clients.
After his professional ca-
reer, he returned to his
camera using digital pho-
tography. His use of light,
form and composition
transposes nature into
monochromatic imagery.
He uses the strong effects
of natural light on stunning
scenery to compose his
subjects in a powerful way.
Usually executed in black
and white, he also prints in
sepia tones.
Anderson’s work has ap-
peared at various galleries
in Sacramento, Honolu-
lu, Portland, San Rafael,
Minneapolis, Kansas City,
Loveland, Cape Cod and
Florence venues.
When seed-bead jeweler
Wenzel weaves tiny seed
beads together, she trans-
forms them into remark-
able one-of-a-kind pieces
of jewelry. Her intricate
designs combine various
colors and items, includ-
ing florals, snowflakes,
shells, butterflies and more,
and they are quite often
three-dimensional.
Wenzel’s collection in-
cludes earrings, necklaces,
pins and amulet bags. She
creates her pieces to en-
hance any wardrobe and
some may even be appre-
ciated at Oregon sporting
events.
Backstreet Gallery, 1421
Bay St., is open 11 a.m. to 5
p.m. daily, except Tuesday.
COVID-19 vaccination
dose. A “fully vaccinat-
ed individual” is a per-
son who has received
both doses of a two-dose
COVID-19 vaccine or
one dose of a single-dose
vaccine and at least 14
days have passed since
the individual’s final dose
of COVID-19 vaccine.
• However, fully vac-
cinated individuals are
required to continue
wearing a mask and ob-
serve physical distancing
on public transportation
and in schools, hospitals
and clinics, homeless
shelters, youth and adult
correctional facilities and
long-term care facilities.
• Businesses, employers
and faith institutions can
choose to no longer re-
quire masks and physical
distancing for fully vacci-
nated individuals or con-
tinue to require masks
and physical distancing
in their locations for all
individuals, regardless of
vaccination status.
• If a business, employ-
er or faith institution
chooses to no longer re-
quire masks and physical
dis-tancing, the business,
employer or faith institu-
tion must require visitors
to show proof of vaccina-
tion and review the proof
of vaccination.
In that case, a busi-
ness would need to have
a policy for checking the
vaccination status of cus-
tomers and employees
if they are not wearing
masks.
Fully vaccinated indi-
viduals would need to
provide proof they’d been
vaccinated if they want
to remove face coverings
and not observe physical
distancing guidelines.
In addition, state health
experts announced that
face coverings are no
longer required outdoors
(regardless of vaccination
status).
OHA strongly recom-
mends that people who
are not vaccinated and
people who are at high
risk of severe COVID-19
disease continue to wear
face coverings and phys-
ically distance in outdoor
crowded areas and large
gatherings.
More
information
about vaccinations in Or-
egon is available at covid-
vaccine.oregon.gov.
FOLLOW THE
CHARM TRAIL
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Playground and make a
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IN 2021
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