Oregon Is First State To Restore Outdoor Mask Mandate In Most Public Settings

“Masks are a quick and simple tool we can immediately deploy to protect ourselves and our families," Democratic Gov. Kate Brown said.

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) said Tuesday that the state would restore its outdoor mask mandate in many public settings, the first in the nation to do so amid the spread of the highly transmissible delta variant of the coronavirus. The new rules will apply to all residents older than 5, regardless of vaccination status, and apply to most public spaces where people from different households cannot maintain sufficient physical distance from one another. The policy doesn’t apply to fleeting encounters when people pass each other on the street or a trail, and it doesn’t cover private gatherings. Brown, however, recommended that Oregonians wear masks when gathered at home with visitors from multiple households. They new rules go into effect on Friday.