SALEM — Gov. Kate Brown ordered face masks worn indoors in public places by everyone age 5 and over beginning Friday, Aug, 13.

At a morning press call Aug. 11, Brown said the highly contagious delta variant was pushing the virus spread to the point that each infected person was infecting eight others.

“Moving forward, for the immediate future, masks will be required for all indoor public settings,” Brown said.

The mandate applies to adults and children older than 5. On public transit, that also includes children older than 2.

Brown also urged, but did not mandate, wearing masks in crowded outdoor situations. She also urged private companies and other organizations to enact their own indoor mask policies.

Brown’s order came the day after the Oregon Health & Science University’s infectious disease experts forecast the state could see more than 1,000 COVID-19 patients per day in hospitals by early next month. Oregon would be about 500 staffed beds short of needs for all patients if the rate hit its projected peak of Sept. 7.

Dr. Dean Sidelinger, the state epidemiologist, said this “fifth wave” of COVID-19 to hit the state in the past 18 months was different than earlier spikes.

More than half the population is vaccinated, but the “relentless” delta variant was spreading rapidly through the estimated 1.2 million Oregon residents who are not inoculated. That group includes children under 12 for whom there is no federally approved vaccine as yet.

OHA has reported patients arriving at hospitals are younger, sicker, require more care and stay longer.

“The COVID-19 situation is dire,” Sidelinger said, with the delta variant “far outpacing even the grim scenarios in our latest reported projections.”

Commissioner OK with requiring masks

Umatilla County Commissioner John Shafer said he supports the new mask requirements and encourages people to wear masks in indoor public spaces.

“If it’s going to allow Round-Up to happen,” he said, “I can get behind that.”

Shafer added it’s important for county businesses to “do everything they can to make sure they are able to stay open,” which includes requiring masks.

“It was such a hit to our local businesses when everything was shut down and nobody could go inside,” he said. “I’ve heard from business owners who said, ‘We couldn’t survive another shutdown.’ For those businesses, yeah, when I walk in there I’ll be wearing a mask.”

Oregon will become the third state, along with Hawaii and Louisiana, with a statewide mask mandate.

The action Aug. 11 was a policy U-turn for Brown and the Oregon Health Authority, who had relinquished decisions on COVID-19 restrictions to county supervisors as of June 30.

With the delta variant rapidly filling hospitals to capacity across the state, Brown urged counties to require masks indoors in public spaces. Only Multnomah County, which includes Portland, did so.

Multnomah County’s infection rate was reported at 5.3% in the latest OHA weekly report. That is nearly half the state average of 9.5%, which is twice the maximum 5% that epidemiologists says will keep spread of the virus under control.

Counties with high infection rates, low vaccination numbers and swamped health care centers were not budging, despite calls from the governor and OHA about the critical hospital situation in their areas.

“I expected local elected officials to step up and do the right thing,” Brown said. “What is clear is they are not taking action. That is why we are moving forward.”

Shafer disagreed with Brown’s comments during the press conference that county officials haven’t taken sufficient action to curb the spread of infection. He pointed to mask requirements in county buildings and recent vaccine incentives at the county fair as examples of the county’s action. He said he isn’t sure how much more the county could do to recommend masking.

Meanwhile, Shafer said he wouldn’t mandate COVID-19 vaccinations among county officials.

“That’s a bridge too far. I’m OK with recommending a vaccine, and I’m on the record recommending the vaccine,” he said. “What I will not be on the record for is mandating a vaccine.”

Round-Up says vaccinating ‘up to you’

Within hours of the Aug. 11 press conference, the Pendleton Round-Up posted a video on its Facebook page to Jimmy Durante’s rendition of the popular song “I’ll be seeing you.” The video includes images of past events, and ends with what appears to be the image of a Band-Aid, the words “It’s up to you” and “COVID-19 Vaccination,” and a link to a vaccine information site.

No ban on county fairs, the Pendleton Round-Up, the Oregon State Fair in Marion County, Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Beavers and other college football games, concerts or other major events in Oregon was in the works “at this time,” Brown said.

The Pendleton Round-Up, the major event of the year in the area, held in mid-September, was cancelled in 2020 because of the pandemic. Amid months of declining infection rates, Brown earlier this summer said “Let ‘er buck,” a popular saying of fans of the event, which draws more than 50,000 to the region.

With the delta variant hitting Umatilla County especially hard, the pandemic was once again raising questions about large-scale events.

In an Aug. 10 newsletter for local officials, Umatilla County Commissioner George Murdock said the rising infection levels and low county vaccination levels were not going without notice in Salem.

“Putting an event in jeopardy that means $60 million to the local economy is dangerous, particularly knowing that for some of our businesses, it could be the final nail in their coffin,” Murdock wrote. “In the coming weeks, we need to dramatically increase our vaccination rates to demonstrate we are serious and that we care.”

The most recent spike in Eastern Oregon was pushed higher by the Pendleton Whisky Music Fest, an outdoor concert last month that attracted more than 12,000 people to Pendleton. Umatilla County Public Health Director, Joseph Fiumara, said 66 cases are tied to the festival, according to KATU, and five of those were vaccinated. But state officials did not step in to block the Umatilla County Fair this week or similar events in high-infection areas.

OHA and OHSU officials have pointed to several counties where no action was taking place despite having infection rates double the state average of 9.5%. The state percentage already is twice the OHA target of no more than 5% that epidemiologists say is the highest rate at which growth of the virus can be kept under control.

Statistics show the highest rates concentrated in two areas — Umatilla, Baker, Union, Malheur and Wallowa counties in Eastern Oregon, and Jackson, Josephine, Douglas and Curry counties in Southwestern Oregon. Crook County in Central Oregon also has twice the state rate.

Nearly all are in areas that have been resistant to masking mandates and other restrictions throughout the pandemic.

Vaccination rates were low in part because of what Allen, during testimony this spring before the Legislature called, “vaccine belligerence” by activists and some officials.

Though Brown had ceded daily control to the counties, her emergency order dating back to March 2020, and renewed by her several times since, allowed the state to take back control at any point.

In recent weeks, Umatilla County’s case rates have surged to the highest levels since the pandemic began, and to some of the highest levels in Oregon. CHI St. Anthony in Pendleton recently reported its largest spike in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 since the pandemic began. And last week, the county surpassed 10,000 total cases, meaning more than one in eight residents have had the virus. A COVID-19 death reported this week brought the county’s total death toll to 95 since the pandemic began.

“We are hopeful that the mask mandate will reduce the spread of COVID in our area and help take some of the burden off hospitals,” Emily Smith, a spokesperson for CHI St. Anthony in Pendleton, said in an email. “We are continuing to experience high volumes of COVID inpatients and Emergency Room patients daily. We urge everyone to wear their mask and get vaccinated.”

Health officials have pointed to the delta variant spreading rapidly through the county’s unvaccinated residents as what’s driving the surge.

“We’re highly encouraging people to get the vaccine,” Shafer said.

Vaccine mandate among executive branch officials

Brown on Aug. 10 ordered all state executive branch employees will be required to get the COVID-19 vaccine by Oct. 18.

“Delta is a different virus — it has changed everything,” Brown said.

The mask rules will go into effect Friday. The state will not immediately enforce the rules as people and businesses make the change.

But the order does not have a target end date, as the delta variant’s impact is still being gauged by state officials.

OHSU officials on Aug. 10 said the peak of the current wave is expected around Sept. 7, with its effects continuing at least into the late autumn.

Oregon Health Authority Director Pat Allen said the state would be sending nurse crisis teams to areas where the medical workforce is “overwhelmed and overtaxed” by the non-stop flow of new patients.

OHA will work to free up more hospital space in other health care facilities that could be used for recovery after the most acute phase of the infection recedes.