SALEM — Oregon’s masking rules now have a firm expiration date: March 19.

As COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations plummet across the state, the Oregon Health Authority will lift requirements for masks in indoor public spaces and schools earlier than expected; the mandate had been scheduled to lapse by March 31.

At the same time, Gov. Kate Brown announced Thursday, Feb. 24, that she will rescind her COVID-19 state of emergency declaration on April 1. By then the declaration will have lingered for more than two years, allowing the governor to take unprecedented actions to stem the spread of the virus.

“I am really excited that our numbers are down,” Union County Commissioner Donna Beverage said. “Of course, you can only hope that we can get back to how we were before the pandemic.”

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Taken together, the moves are the most significant curtailment of COVID-19 restrictions that Oregon has seen since the arrival of the virus in March 2020. Brown previously revoked masking and distancing requirements last summer as cases dropped, only to reinstate them weeks later as the delta variant of the virus took hold.

Despite those fluctuations, the governor has repeatedly extended the emergency declaration that has allowed her to wield broad powers. Brown cautioned Thursday that her decision to lift it now was not a sign Oregon is in the clear.

“Lifting Oregon’s COVID-19 emergency declaration today does not mean that the pandemic is over, or that COVID-19 is no longer a significant concern,” Brown said in a written statement. “But, as we have shown through the delta and omicron surges, as we learn to live with this virus, and with so many Oregonians protected by safe and effective vaccines, we can now protect ourselves, our friends, and our families without invoking the extraordinary emergency authorities that were necessary at the beginning of the pandemic.”

Oregon’s current masking requirements are not authorized under Brown’s emergency order. They are public health rules put into place by the OHA. The agency said in a statement of its own Feb. 24 that modeling suggests Oregon will see pre-omicron levels of the virus by March 20. The OHA is still recommending that people at high-risk from the coronavirus continue to wear masks in public settings.

“We are able to take this important step, earlier than anticipated, because of the collective diligence and the shared sacrifice that people in Oregon have demonstrated in getting vaccinated, wearing masks and limiting their gatherings,” state epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger said in a statement.

In the last month, new reported COVID infections have dropped by more than 80%, according to the state health agency. More important for Oregon’s overtaxed health care system, hospitalizations are down nearly 50% since peaking last month, the agency said.

In Union County, the average rate of COVID-19 cases per day stood at just under 15 through from the start of the month to Feb. 23. Case numbers in January reached upwards of 85 in one single day.

“Nobody knows what tomorrow brings, but watching the numbers go down is really good,” Beverage said. “We’re excited and hopeful.”

Beverage noted that the recent COVID-19 trends and lifted mask restrictions will help struggling local businesses get back on their feet.

Local educators buoyed by the news

Earl Pettit, superintendent of the Cove School District, is more than happy that the mandate will be lifted earlier than initially announced.

“March 19 is better than March 31, better sooner than later,” he said.

Mark Mulvihill, superintendent of the InterMountain Education Service District, whose service area includes Union County, also expressed pleasure at the earlier date.

“I am very excited. It has been a very, very difficult period. Many are exhausted from the pandemic. Now we can return to a sense of optimism,” he said.

Mulvihill said it is fitting that the mandate will be lifted when many students are beginning their spring break, one they will be able to enter with a sense of renewal because of the Feb. 24 announcement.

“Rebirth is what spring is all about,” he said.

Imbler School District Interim Superintendent Doug Hislop said many people in his school district will be very happy when the mandate is lifted.

“There will be a huge sigh of relief,” he said.

Hislop said that students will still be able to still wear masks if they want to once the mandate expires. He said the school district will no longer be buying masks for students to use, but students who want to wear masks will not be out of luck if they don’t have one.

“If there are any students who want to wear a mask and don’t have one I will find one for them,” Hislop said.

At Eastern Oregon University, it is unknown when the mask mandate will be lifted.

EOU Vice President of Student Affairs Lacy Karpilo said last week that the university will make its decision on mask mandates from within campus leadership.

The university has continued to consult with the Oregon Health Authority and the Center for Human Development when making decisions related to COVID-19. Karpilo noted that the university relies on evidence-based processing to keep the campus as safe and productive of an in-person experience as possible during the pandemic.

Oregon in step with what is happening nationally

Many of the same trends are playing out nationwide, and a growing list of state and local governments have announced an end to masking rules in recent days. A mask requirement in Washington state is scheduled to lapse on March 21.

In Oregon, restrictions put in place by Brown and health officials have been among the strictest in the nation, but have also helped Oregon record fewer deaths per capita than many other states. Nevertheless, the restrictions have been deeply controversial in many more rural parts of the state.

Union County Sheriff Cody Bowen previously wrote a letter addressed to Oregon governor Kate Brown on Aug. 13, opposing mask mandates in schools statewide.

“I’m glad common sense has prevailed,” he said. “I’m excited to see it, especially for our kids.”

In a videotaped message released Feb. 24, Colt Gill, director of the Oregon Department of Education and deputy superintendent of public instruction, said schools would be included in the move based on feedback from school districts.

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“Based on the feedback from local leaders and communities, OHA and ODE are partnering to develop practical updates to safety protocols for quarantine, contact tracing, and testing that meet the current conditions of the pandemic,” he said. “These guidelines will continue to support our North Star goal of providing in-person learning for every student, all day, every school day and will focus on specific supports for students, staff, and families that may be at more risk from COVID-19 than others in the school population.”

— The Observer reporters Davis Carbaugh and Dick Mason contributed to this report.