Coronavirus

Oregonians won’t have to wear a mask indoors starting March 12. Alex Wong / Getty Images Oregon officials will lift the state’s indoor mask mandate on March 12, Governor Kate Brown announced Monday. This is the second time the end date for the state’s mask mandate has been moved up as COVID-19 cases decrease dramatically […]

Oregon will end its indoor mask mandate by March 31 at the latest. Motoya Nakamura / Multnomah County The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) will lift Oregon’s indoor mask requirement no later than March 31, the agency announced Monday. The OHA expects hospitalizations will be low enough by the end of March that eliminating the mask […]

Motoya Nakamura / Multnomah County The COVID-19 pandemic is the worst it has ever been, with cases surging throughout the nation thanks to the highly contagious omicron variant. In a recent press conference, Oregon Health & Science University’s (OHSU) Peter Graven estimated about 65 percent of all Oregonians do not have immunity against omicron due […]

Center for Covid Control’s testing location in the Hollywood neighborhood. Isabella Garcia State and county public health agencies have minimal to no oversight of COVID-19 testing facilities run by private companies, the Mercury has found. As demand for COVID testing in Oregon far outpaces supply, testing services offered by Multnomah County and its community partner […]

Portland Public Schools Portland Public Schools (PPS) is preparing for more schools to temporarily return to remote learning as Oregon’s surge in COVID-19 cases compounds the district’s existing staff shortages. During a press conference Friday, PPS leaders laid the groundwork for a possible wave of schools being forced to return to remote learning. The district […]

The Oregon Health Authority wants to get 1 million Oregonians boosted by the end of January. Motoya Nakamura / Multnomah County Oregon has three weeks before it will be hit with the largest surge of COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic, according to modeling from the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) released […]

Oregon teens ages 16 and 17 are now eligible for Pfizer booster shots. Motoya Nakamura / Multnomah County Oregon’s immunization advisory panel approved booster doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for people ages 16 and 17 Thursday. Healthcare providers and vaccine clinics are approved to administer shots to newly eligible teens who completed their original vaccine […]

Schools throughout the state can opt-in to the Test to Stay program, which allows unvaccinated students to stay in school if they test negative for COVID-19 after possible exposure. Portland Public Schools Oregonians no longer need to wear masks in crowded outdoor settings, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) announced Tuesday. “This decision, which takes effect […]

Motoya Nakamura / Multnomah County All adult Oregonians who received Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines at least six months ago will be eligible to receive a booster shot starting this weekend. The Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup, Oregon’s immunization advisory board, is expected to approve expanded eligibility for booster shots at a Friday evening […]

Members of the Oregon National Guard in a meeting with an OHSU official. OHSU A member of the Oregon National Guard assigned to support COVID-19 relief work at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) has been placed on leave after being accused of sexual harassment. In late September, two OHSU staff told management that a […]