Oregon working to put indoor mask rule in place indefinitely

PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon is one of only a handful of states that still has an indoor mask mandate, and now the state is working to make that rule permanent.

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) convened a Rules Advisory Committee (RAC) on Thursday. The RAC provided feedback on the indoor mask rule. The point of the committee is to suggest what should and shouldn't be included in the ruling and discuss the impact it will have on the public.

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Community stakeholders, including those from the hospitality and faith sectors, joined in the meeting. People from the Seventh Day Adventists Church, the High Desert Museum, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and McMenamins were a part of the conversation.

This is the first step in making the rule permanent.

Dr. Paul Cieslak, the medical director for communicable diseases and immunizations with OHA, says making the rule permanent doesn't mean it'll be in place forever.

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"Permanent means indefinite. It doesn’t necessarily mean permanent," Dr. Cieslak said. "We can repeal it as well, but we are only allowed to have a temporary rule for 180 days, and anything that goes beyond 180 days, we cannot extend it."

Making the rule permanent allows the state to keep the mandate in place.

The RAC met with OHA for about two hours. That's the only time they'll be involved in the process, unless they choose to comment publicly.

When OHA proposes the rule formally, public comment opportunities will follow. When those will happen are still to be determined.