SALEM — More than 1 million new people will be added early to the eligibility list for COVID-19 vaccinations, Gov. Kate Brown announced on Friday, March 19.

President Joe Biden announced on March 11 that he was directing states to lift all eligibility requirements for those 16 and older by May 1. Oregon did not plan on lifting all eligibility restrictions until July 1.

Oregon officials last week said they were sticking with their phased rollout of eligibility until they received assurances that additional vaccine was coming to the state. Many parts of the state have been reporting shortages of vaccine and appointment slots for the more than 1.3 million people already eligible.

On Wednesday, March 17, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services sent a directive to all states that the May 1 date for lifting restrictions was not optional. OHA Director Pat Allen told state lawmakers the directive was “binding” and “regulatory,” with noncompliance possibly affecting the shipment of future doses of vaccine to the state.

Brown on March 19 ordered many of the 530,000 people covered in the next eligibility group moved up from March 29 to Monday, March 22. OHA Director Pat Allen told state lawmakers on March 17 that Brown was considering moving up the date as a way to get the groups at least a short head start before opening the eligibility to all.

Under Brown’s new timeline, vaccinations can begin for migrant and seasonal farmworkers in counties where they are currently already working.

People age 45-64 with underlying health conditions can get vaccinated in counties that can attest they have “largely” vaccinated those age 65 and older. The Oregon Health Authority did not have additional information on what standards were required to meet that threshold. OHA also said it did not have a list of counties that currently meet the standard.

Another 550,000 people, who were to be eligible on May 1, have had their start date moved to April 19.

Umatilla County Public Health Director Joe Fiumara said the county was already planning on expanding eligibility next week regardless of the state’s timelines. He said he was glad to hear of the state’s new timeline, but added he was frustrated that the county will have to wait until March 22 to attest to the state to expand eligibility, days before the county had already scheduled events with new groups receiving the vaccine.

“We don’t think that everybody over 65 who wants (a vaccine) has gotten one,” he said. “But we think enough of them have that we’re starting to run into folks who don’t want it at this time. And there’s enough folks beyond them that still want (the vaccine) that we don’t want to keep holding them up.”

He added the county has already been reaching out to food processing and agricultural workplaces to offer vaccines to local farm workers at their workplaces starting next week.

“Those are the populations that have been most hit by” the pandemic, he said. “Especially in our area. We need to be able to give them vaccine.”

However, Fiumara said in order for eligibility to continue ramping up, the county simply needs to receive more doses moving forward.

“We don’t have enough vaccine for all of this yet,” he said. “And the concern is that we won’t. Hopefully we will.”

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East Oregonian reporter Bryce Dole contributed to this report.

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has ordered many of the 530,000 people covered in the next eligibility group moved up from March 29 to March 22. Here is the eligibility timeline:

March 22

• Counties that attest to largely completing the vaccination of residents 65 and older may begin vaccinating the next eligible groups.

• Vaccinations may also begin for migrant and seasonal farmworkers in counties where they are currently already working.

March 29

• All adults 45-64 with underlying health conditions,

• Migrant and seasonal farm workers,

• Seafood and agricultural workers,

• Food processing workers,

• People living in low-income senior housing, senior congregate and independent living,

• Individuals experiencing homelessness,

• People currently displaced by wildfires,

• Wildland firefighters, and

• Pregnant people 16 and older.

April 19

• Frontline workers as defined by the CDC,

• Multigenerational household members, and

• Adults 16-44 with underlying health conditions.

May 1

• All Oregonians 16 and older