Masks will be mandatory in 7 northwest Oregon counties

SALEM, Ore. – Governor Kate Brown is making the use of face coverings mandatory within indoor public spaces in several northwest Oregon counties.

In a June 17 announcement, Governor Brown said, “First, I will be instituting a requirement to wear face coverings while in indoor public spaces, such as grocery stores and other businesses, for the following counties: Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, Hood River, Marion, Polk, and Lincoln. This mandate will be effective beginning Wednesday, June 24.”

In addition, Marion, Polk, and Hood River Counties can move to Phase 2 on Friday, June 19. That’s the same day Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas Counties can start moving to Phase 1. From now on, the tri-county area will be treated as a single unit due to the population density and interconnectedness.

Brown said, “The next few weeks will be difficult, and we will be monitoring the data regularly. We are much better prepared than we were in early March. We have increased PPE, much more widespread testing, and many more contact tracers. However, if hospitalizations spike too rapidly, if the capacity of our health care system is threatened, we will be forced to revert to stricter rules.”

For more information, you can visit https://govstatus.egov.com/OR-OHA-COVID-19