SALEM — Union County is moving down to the lower risk category for COVID-19 beginning Friday, April 23.

Gov. Kate Brown on Tuesday announced the latest updates to county risk levels under the state’s public health framework to reduce transmission and protect Oregonians from COVID-19. The framework uses four 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.

Union County drops from the moderate level to the lower level effective April 23 through May 6. Union County is joining neighboring Wallowa County and eight more counties in the lower risk group.

There will be 23 counties in the high risk level and three at moderate risk.

“As case counts and hospitalizations increase and counties qualify for higher risk levels, increased safety measures for businesses and activities will resume,” according to the press release.

Baker County, which has been in the lower risk level, is moving up to the higher risk.

Baker County is among 11 counties that qualify for extreme risk based on their county metrics, according to the press release, but which the state assigned to high risk because the statewide hospitalization triggers have not been met.