Multnomah County Bring Back the Mask Wearing Rule

Multnomah County brings back the mask requirement in public spaces, business due to the surge of Covid cases. The county became the first in Oregon to bring back the mask mandate.The requirements issued by Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury will take effect Friday and apply to all vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals age 5 and older. According to county officials, the mandate could be in place through the end of the year.

The masking orders will be enforced for the first time through local action that includes education efforts and fines of up to $1,000. The rule excludes people actively eating and drinking in food establishments.Deborah Kafoury said that the variant has changed the terms of our engagement with the pandemic. She also added that wearing a mask helps to prevent being affected by viruses.

They are an affordable and effective way to limit the spread of viruses. Until enough of us are vaccinated all across Multnomah County, masks are the best strategy to keep people safe.The looming requirements for Oregon’s most populous and liberal county mark the first since Gov. Kate Brown ended a statewide mask mandate on June 30. Governor Brown and state health officials have deferred to local authorities to renew safeguards.

That led to no action across the 35 of 36 counties where masking is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, even as recent cases now average nearly 1,200 a day and the state is on the verge of setting a record for COVID-19 hospitalizations. Kafoury said additional information on enforcement, including a phone number and internet option for residents to report violations, would be made available later this week