A8
STATE
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, March 16, 2022
Fears linger as masks come off Local businesses switch gears as
on COVID’s second anniversary Oregon drops indoor mask mandate
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
By SUZANNE ROIG
The Bulletin
BEND — The identity of the fi rst person to test
positive for COVID-19 in Central Oregon will likely
never be revealed, but the turning point that case cre-
ated two years ago will always be etched into the his-
tory of the region.
Thousands of people would be diagnosed in Cen-
tral Oregon with the “novel coronavirus,” the term
used before the world became familiar with the word
pandemic. More than 411 people would die in Cen-
tral Oregon from the pandemic declared on this day
as well by the World Health Organization.
And the fear of the coronavirus, justifi ed or not,
lurked everywhere: at roped off neighborhood play-
grounds, on the groceries that came home, in the air
you breathed when you went for a walk.
The second anniversary of COVID-19 in the
region will pass Friday and with it, the masks that
reminded everyone that the pandemic was every-
where. At 11:59 p.m. Friday the state’s indoor mask
mandate will be lifted.
Whether or not the community will breathe easier
remains to be seen.
“We have been through so many surprises,” said
Chunhuei Chi, Oregon State University director of
the Center for Global health. “The virus won’t disap-
pear. It will be with us for a long time. We hope that
the current omicron variant will remain the dominant
strain for a long time so we can get a handle on that.
“The mask mandate lifting is the fi rst step in the
transition to a post-pandemic world.”
In all, COVID-19 has claimed the lives of more
than 6 million people worldwide and 6,800 in
Oregon.
Early on, Chi predicted that residents should
brace for a long haul. But even he did not predict the
state of COVID-19 two years later.
“I anticipated a year, not two,” Chi said. “I expect
now that by this summer we’ll be in full blown tran-
sition from a pandemic to post pandemic.”
In the beginning, when the medical world did not
have a concentrated eff ort to prevent the virus from
spreading, medical personnel at St. Charles Bend
battled the fast-spreading virus and the anxiety that
came with feeling powerless to stop it.
“We’re still in deep trouble,” said Dr. Doug Mer-
rill, St. Charles Health System chief medical offi cer.
“Caregivers have had high anxiety since March of
2020. It’s been diffi cult for health care workers all
along the way.’’
Mask mandates still are required in medical facil-
ities and on public transportation. Still, some see
the lifting as a signal that perhaps life can return to
pre-pandemic ways.
“For some this will feel like we’re done with hav-
ing to practice some level of protection against the
pandemic,” said Rachel Gerken, Mosaic Medical
director of behavioral health. “I feel like we’re going
down a road that it is more like normal.’’
Only four of the state’s 36 counties are in the high
risk category, according to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention. The bulk of the state is in
LA GRANDE — A major change is com-
ing to businesses across Oregon.
In the wake of COVID-19 rates showing
a steady decline in recent months, the state is
set to end its statewide indoor mask mandate
on Saturday, March 12. Local businesses
will be required to shift gears again with the
upcoming change but for the most part they
see it as a positive development.
“I think a lot of customers are going to
be really happy with the ability to choose for
themselves,” said Liberty O’Dell, manager
of La Grande Liquor and Smoke Shoppe.
“That will probably spur more business.”
Businesses have perhaps been most
impacted by the indoor mask mandate
passed down from the state government.
As of March 12, businesses will be able to
decide for themselves whether people are
required to wear masks while indoors at their
establishments.
Ryan Brennecke/Bulletin, File
Dr. George Conway, health services director for
Deschutes County, announces the fi rst presump-
tive case of COVID-19 in the county during a press
conference in the Deschutes Services Building on
March 11, 2020.
medium risk, which is determined by looking at hos-
pital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the
total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area,
according to the CDC.
Dr. Nathan Ansbaugh, who works at the St.
Charles Bend Emergency Department, said his emo-
tions are jumbled.
“Early on, none of us hesitated to take risks or
make sacrifi ces because we were watching our
neighbors and our community do the same,” said
Ansbaugh, who also holds degrees in public health
and epidemiology. “People were home, out of work,
out of school, away from family, from friends, losing
money, losing their jobs, all with the notion that the
sacrifi ces were worth keeping our community safe.”
But the pandemic wore him down, wore every-
one down.
“As weeks, however, became months and those
months, now years, it seems at times that this sense
of unity is a distant memory,” he said.
St. Charles reported that 333 people have died
within its walls of COVID-19. The staff who cared
for those patients bears the loss from each of those
deaths, Ansbaugh said.
“The mortality numbers that people see are not
just numbers to us,” he said. “They are memories of
Herculean, yet failed, eff orts to keep someone alive,
of providing the horrible news to families that we did
our best but could not save their loved one.”
The community should not assume the pandemic
is over, said Erik Breon, Deschutes County Health
Services spokesman. Those who are immune-com-
promised and elderly might consider keeping their
masks on indoors, he said.
“People should assess their own health and take
precautions,” Breon said. “We should remember that
another variant or surge may develop. People need to
make good personal choices to protect their families
and neighbors.”
Removing mask mandates for indoors is a sym-
bolic step in moving through the health crisis,
Gerken said.
“It will be lovely to see people’s faces again,”
Gerken said. “I’m ready to take the mask off and
engage in the world again.”
Masks off
La Grande Liquor and Smoke Shoppe
faced not only a statewide mandate but
requirements from the Oregon Liquor and
Cannabis Commission.
“As an agent of the state liquor commis-
sion, we have an agreement with them that
we’ll follow what they ask us to do with their
liquor,” O’Dell said. “We hold that agree-
ment to be mutually benefi cial, so when they
ask us to do something we follow through
with that.”
The local store will now stop polic-
ing mask usage by customers on the prem-
ises, but leave the decision up to employ-
ees whether they want to continue wearing
a face mask. According to O’Dell, the store
encourages customers to continue to wear
masks if they choose.
“If people still feel uncomfortable about
their safety, they can wear a mask,” he said.
“We did get quite a few people who were
thankful we were requiring masks, but we
also got way more vocal people who were
against the mask mandate.”
HQ, a performance venue in downtown
La Grande, recently announced upcoming
in-person events as COVID-19 numbers
decline. The venue is resuming its weekly
open mic night on Thursdays, and the own-
ers are beginning to schedule concert events
for the spring. Chris Jennings, the venue’s
co-owner, noted that HQ will abide by the
update to the mask mandate while trusting
in attendees to make responsible decisions.
“If you still want to bring your mask
because that’s comfortable, that’s fi ne,” Jen-
nings said. “We’re at that point where peo-
ple need to start taking care of each other and
be conscientious, while still enjoying those
things that keep us sane.”
HQ does not plan to require mask usage
at concerts, but will update its policies if any
changes occur in the future.
“I’m hoping that everyone has a vaccine
or at least has taken the steps to protect them-
selves and others, not coming to the shows if
they’re sick and those types of things,” Jen-
nings said. “I’m relying on some sound-
minded judgment calls by people that care
about each other and want to get together.”
Bella Mercantile on Adams Avenue was
stout in their enforcement of mask usage
during the mandate, but will refrain from
enforcing masks in its La Grande location
moving forward. Manager Erin Pierce said
that business has stayed steady during the
last two years, with the store experiencing
one of its most successful years in 2021.
Pierce noted that a sizable portion of local
customers were drawn to the store because
of its mask enforcement.
“I think that the bigger eff ect is going
to be on the people who came to our store
because we still required the masks, feel-
ing safe coming here,” Pierce said. “We’re
just going to reassure them that we can still
do curbside service and deliver and take
precautions.”
Market Place Fresh Foods in La Grande is
following a similar model, encouraging cus-
tomers to be conscientious. Owner Marco
Rennie noted that employees and customers
will not be required to wear masks, but that
each person can choose to do what they feel
is appropriate.
“If people still feel the need, then we
encourage them to wear a mask when they
come in,” Rennie said. “Many people have
gotten their vaccines and have the antibod-
ies. People who are still concerned I think
should continue to wear the masks.”
Employee burden
One common theme among local
businesses was fatigue among employ-
ees, who were tasked with policing the
mandate.
“I think everybody is going to be really
appreciative of not having to enforce it,”
O’Dell said. “I feel like that burden was put
on essential workers to enforce this mask
mandate. It added to the essential workers’
burden of responsibility.”
Tasked with labor shortages and supply
chain issues, employees policing the man-
date added to the stress of working during
a pandemic.
“I think it will help take some of the pres-
sure off employees,” Rennie said. “For them
to be in a place where they have to police it
is diffi cult.”
Bella’s Pierce agreed: “I think there’s
going to be a sense of relief in not having to
deal with any confrontation.”
As mask mandates lift, Oregon parents say they trust local schools
By ANNA DEL SAVIO
Oregon Capital Bureau
SALEM — Most par-
ents in Oregon say educators
have been keeping their kids
safe during the COVID-19
pandemic as the state’s mask
mandate comes to an end.
While coronavirus out-
breaks in schools haven’t
been a recent problem, just
under half of parents said out-
breaks in schools in their area
had been a problem in the
month prior to completing an
early February survey. Mean-
while 64% of Oregon par-
ents thought their area’s K-12
schools were doing a good
job keeping students safe
and minimizing the spread of
COVID-19.
The Oregon Values and
Beliefs Center’s survey,
which was conducted before
state offi cials announced that
the mask mandate would
end no later than March 31,
found that 81% of Oregonians
were at least somewhat con-
cerned about hospitals being
too short-staff ed to treat all
patients.
Susannah Krug, who has
three school-age children, said
she was nervous about the end
of the mask mandate.
“I’m glad about it end-
ing for children, since I didn’t
think it was fair they were car-
rying the burden of our failure
to control the spread,” Krug
said.
But Krug, a North Plains
resident whose job involves
daily face-to-face interactions
with diff erent people, said
she’ll likely continue wearing
a mask.
Krug said her three chil-
dren — an elementary
schooler, middle schooler and
high schooler in Hillsboro
public schools — have never
loved wearing masks.
“But now that the pros-
pect is on the table that they
can take them off , possibly
next week, they’re not thrilled
about that idea,” Krug said.
“(They) just feel really cau-
tious about it.”
Both Krug and Aimee
Wood, a parent of two
Tigard-Tualatin School Dis-
trict students, said they had
told their kids that they could
decide whether to continue
masking or not. But Wood
said she doubts her family will
continue wearing masks —
unless a new variant comes or
case numbers start to rise.
“They’ve been wear-
ing masks, which I supported
when the case numbers were
high, but based on where the
numbers are right now in Ore-
gon and our county, I think it
makes sense to remove them,”
Wood said.
Liberals were four times
more likely than conservatives
Sponsor:
to say they were “very con-
cerned” with hospitals in their
region not having enough
beds for everyone requiring
hospitalization.
As of March 10, Northwest
Oregon had 276 adult ICU
beds occupied and 46 beds
open.
As of last week there were
300 COVID-19 patients hos-
pitalized across Oregon, with
55 in ICUs.
Wood said she wasn’t at
all concerned with hospital
capacity as of early March,
but had been at previous
points over the past two years,
like last August and Septem-
ber when the delta variant was
surging.
Bryan Hadley, a Medford
resident with only his young-
est child still in school, said
he was glad the mask mandate
was ending but wished it had
ended sooner.
“I feel it’s about time,”
Hadley said. “My personal
opinions are that we should
have our own choice whether
to do it or not. If people want
to mask up, that’s totally fi ne.
And if they don’t, that’s totally
fi ne.”
Hadley also has an older
child at home who is at high
risk for a more serious case of
COVID-19, so he said his fam-
ily has been cautious about that
and was previously more con-
cerned about hospital capacity.
Daily new COVID-19
cases and the test positivity
rate have dropped since Jan-
uary, the most recent surge,
with fewer than 500 cases per
day, as of the week of March
11.
Those numbers represent a
steep drop from the fi rst weeks
of 2022, when an average of
more than 7,700 cases were
reported each day.
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