All Oregon counties pulled out of ‘Extreme Risk’ as vaccine rollout ramps up

(The Center Square) – Every Oregon county will see the state’s most restrictive reopening rules lifted by order of Gov. Kate Brown after hospitalization rates fell .1% short of triggering more shutdowns.

The Oregon Health Authority announced this week that the state’s 7-day hospital occupancy rate came in at 14.9%. That’s .1% below the threshold for the Extreme Risk. Seventy-nine patients are currently hospitalized with the virus or one person fewer than on Monday, the OHA reports.

Oregon’s 7-day average for COVID cases remains at around 800 per 100,000 cases or double the rate at the start of April. This week will be the fifth week that the state has seen a 20% surge in new case rates.

Brown announced the news on Tuesday evening, expressing confidence that the state’s vaccination rates would keep pace with the state’s caseload.

“I know this will bring relief to many across the state,” she said in a statement. “However, the lifting of Extreme Risk health and safety measures comes with great personal responsibility for us all.”

The CDC’s COVID Tracker pegged the percentage of Oregonians fully vaccinated against the pandemic at 32.1% on Wednesday morning. Another 45% of people in the state are on their first dose.

Those vaccination rates put Oregon behind 27 other states, including Maine, Vermont and Connecticut, according to Becker’s Hospital Review.

This week, President Joe Biden has directed pharmacies to offer walk-in COVID vaccine appointments in light of climbing vaccination rates nationwide. Brown said on Tuesday Oregon will continue to request as many vaccines from the federal government as possible to meet demand. The state’s 7-day average for shots is more than 32,000 per day.

Effective on Friday, 24 urban and rural counties will move to High Risk, allowing them to resume indoor dining at 25% capacity and social gatherings of up to 8 people from two households.

The Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association hailed Brown’s decision as good news for the state’s ailing leisure and hospitality industry on Wednesday.

“Now that everyone older than 16 is eligible, help us move away from future government restrictions by getting vaccinated,” said ORLA CEO Jason Brandt in a statement. “We look forward to working with our national partners on legislation to turn extended unemployment benefits through September into upfront cash bonuses to accelerate the industry’s recovery.”

Four more counties will move to Moderate Risk while eight rural counties will be moved to Lower Risk. The two latter tiers allow indoor dining at 50% capacity and social gatherings of up to 12 people in four households.

State health officials have urged the public to be cautious and continue wearing face masks and social distancing in the meantime. One state health official has floated the idea of making Brown’s face mask order permanent until no longer needed.

Brown has entertained the idea of fully reopening the state by the end of June if cases plateau. Her current COVID-91 emergency order ends on June 28.

Oregon State University joined a growing number of colleges around the country this week in requiring all new and returning students to be vaccinated this fall. The mandate applies to all students signed up for in-person classes. OSU officials say they will be finalizing what exemptions students can file later this summer.

On Tuesday, the OHA reported six new deaths from COVID-19 in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 2,508 people. The agency also reported 748 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total caseload to 187,611.

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