Governor Kate Brown Announces Updates to County Risk Levels

Source: Oregon.gov

Updated risk levels take effect Friday, April 23

CORRECTION: There was an error in the effective dates of the updated risk levels in the original release. Updated risk levels will be in effect April 23 through May 6.  

Governor Kate Brown today announced 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 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 April 23 through May 6, there will be 23 counties in the High Risk level, three at Moderate Risk, and 10 at Lower Risk. As case counts and hospitalizations increase and counties qualify for higher risk levels, increased safety measures for businesses and activities will resume. A complete list of counties and their associated risk levels is available here.

“As we face more contagious variants and increased spread of COVID-19 in our communities, the best way to protect yourself and others is to get vaccinated,” said Governor Brown. “Until you, your family, your friends, and your neighbors are fully vaccinated, it’s also critical that we all continue to wear masks, maintain physical distance, and stay home when sick.”

Statewide hospitalization metrics for determining Extreme Risk
For counties to move to (or remain in) Extreme Risk, they must meet the county metrics for case rates and percent positivity, plus statewide hospitalization metrics: COVID-19 positive patients occupying 300 hospital beds or more, and a 15% increase in the seven-day hospitalization average over the past week. This week there are 11 counties that qualify for Extreme Risk based on their county metrics, but are assigned High Risk because the statewide hospitalization triggers have not been met: Baker, Clackamas, Columbia, Crook, Deschutes, Jackson, Josephine, Klamath, Linn, Marion, and Polk.

Three counties enter two-week caution period
The two-week caution period applies to counties facing backward movement. Counties that reduced their COVID-19 spread enough to move down in risk level in the previous two-week period, but see their numbers go back up in the next two-week period, are given a two-week caution period to re-focus efforts to drive back down creeping case numbers and give local businesses additional certainty on their plans for operating. This week, the caution period applies to three counties:

• Grant County qualifies for High Risk but is given a two-week caution period at Lower Risk because it moved down from Moderate Risk in the last movement period.
• Malheur County qualifies for Moderate Risk but is given a two-week caution period at Lower Risk because it moved down from Moderate Risk in the last movement period.
• Umatilla County qualifies for High Risk but is given a two-week caution period at Moderate Risk because it moved down from High Risk in the last movement period.

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 be announced May 4 and take effect May 7.

Updates to Warning Week data and county risk levels will be posted to coronavirus.oregon.gov.