(PORTLAND, Ore.) Gov. Kate Brown’s office announced Thursday that mask-wearing will be required indoors at all Oregon K-12 schools for the upcoming school year.
The governor’s office said it was working alongside the Oregon Health Authority and the Oregon Department of Education to mandate masks indoors when school starts up in the fall, in alignment with the most recent recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“The science and data are clear: The Delta variant is in our communities, and it is more contagious,” Brown said. “My priority is to ensure our kids are able to safely return to full-time in-person learning this fall, five days per week and with minimal disruptions. With many children still ineligible to be vaccinated, masks are an effective way to help keep our kids safe in the classroom, the learning environment we know serves them best.”
Amid rising COVID-19 cases and the spread of the Delta variant in the state, health officials recommended earlier this week that all Oregonians, regardless of vaccination status, wear masks indoors.
The OHA reported more than 1,000 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday and over 800 on Wednesday.