Governor Kate Brown today announced updates to county risk levels under the state's new public health framework to reduce transmission and protect Oregonians from COVID-19. The framework uses four different risk levels for counties based on COVID-19 spread—Extreme Risk, High Risk, Moderate Risk, and Lower Risk—and assigns health and safety measures for each level.
Effective Dec. 18 through Dec. 31, there will be 29 counties in the Extreme Risk level, one county at Moderate Risk, and six counties at Lower Risk. A complete list of counties and their associated risk levels is available here.
"We continue to see community spread across Oregon to the point that the majority of the state needs to continue with strict health and safety measures," said Governor Brown. "Until we reduce the spread and have high participation in vaccination, all Oregonians need to follow the guidelines in place in their counties. I am also asking Oregonians to continue practicing the measures we know are effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19 — wear your mask, keep physical distance from others, avoid gatherings, wash your hands often, and stay home when you're sick."
The Oregon Health Authority will examine and publish county data weekly. County risk levels will be reassigned every two weeks. The first week's data will provide a "warning week" to prepare counties for potential risk level changes. The next assignment of risk levels will take effect Jan. 1.
Here are the change to the rankings:
- Grant County has moved from Extreme to Lower
- Harney County has moved from Moderate to Lower
- Lake County has moved from Extreme to Moderate
- Benton County has moved from High to Extreme
- Clatsop County has moved from High to Extreme
- Coos County has moved from High to Extreme
- Curry County has moved from High to Extreme
- Lincoln County has moved from High to Extreme
- Tillamook County has moved from Moderate to Extreme