Oregon records highest COVID case tally days before mask mandate is reinforced

Kate Brown, the governor of Oregon, spoke on Wednesday about the face mask mandate in the state, which is scheduled to start from Friday this week. The governor also revealed that Oregon had recorded 2,300 cases on Tuesday, setting the highest daily count for Oregon since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The governor also announced, in a tweet, that Oregon is currently facing a record high hospitalisation rate and that 90% of its ICU beds were filled. Additionally, Brown wrote that some regions have fewer than five ICU beds to start the day.

Her tweet read, “Yesterday, we had over 2,300 cases reported—the highest since the virus first landed in Oregon. Hospitalizations are also at a record high. Across the state, our ICU beds are about 90% filled. Some of our hospital regions have fewer than 5 ICU beds available to start the day.”

In a string of tweets, Brown, who is a member of the Democratic Party, acknowledged that the people of Oregon were “tired of wearing masks” but also emphasised the “latest science”, which dictates that both vaccinated and unvaccinated people are capable of spreading COVID-19, which has spread its wings in the United States with the help of the Delta variant.

The soon-to-be-implemented mask mandate will include all individuals who are above the age of five. However, all those above the age of two who are using public transport will have to wear face masks. 

The mandate does not require people to cover their faces in a crowded outdoor setting, however, the state authorities have strongly advised the public to wear a mask in all situations, according to reports from NBC News.

“The latest science is clear that both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals are able to spread the Delta variant. Masks are simple, and they are effective. Wearing a mask should give you confidence that you are not infecting others”, Oregon’s governor Brown said in a tweet on Wednesday.