These 11 Oregon counties should mask up amid BA.5-fueled COVID surge, according to CDC
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- Eleven Oregon counties are being recommended to mask up for the next week or so still as COVID-19 continues to surge on a local level, according to the latest community risk level guidance from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC's guidance, which was released Thursday evening, shows 11 counties are at high risk -- a drop from last week's 19 Oregon counties at high risk -- as the Oregon Health Authority says there's a surge in COVID-19 cases amid BA.5 becoming the predominant virus strain in Oregon.
The community risk level map shows there are 20 counties at medium risk and five counties at low risk.
The levels are determined on a few metrics, including the number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents over a seven-day period, hospital admissions per 100,000 residents, and the percentage of inpatient beds with COVID-19 patients.
The counties at high risk are:
- Multnomah
- Jackson
- Klamath
- Lake
- Sherman
- Wasco
- Umatilla
- Union
- Wallowa
- Baker
- Malheur
The counties at medium risk are:
- Clatsop
- Tillamook
- Lincoln
- Lane
- Douglas
- Coos
- Curry
- Josephine
- Columbia
- Washington
- Polk
- Benton
- Clackamas
- Hood River
- Jefferson
- Deschutes
- Crook
- Gilliam
- Morrow
- Grant
The counties at low risk are:
- Yamhill
- Marion
- Linn
- Wheeler
- Harney
Residents in counties listed at high risk are recommended to wear a mask indoors in public spaces and for those who are at higher risk of severe illness to take additional precautions, according to the CDC. Meanwhile, those who live in counties at medium risk are asked to speak with their health care provider if they're at high risk for a severe illness related to COVID-19 about their own precautions. Everyone living in all counties -- be it a high, medium or low-risk county -- is recommended to stay up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations and to get tested if they present symptoms.