After update, 29 Oregon counties are in COVID-19 ‘Extreme Risk’ category

Six moved into that category, but others improved

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Gov. Kate Brown announced updates Tuesday to county risk levels under the state's new public health framework to reduce transmission and protect Oregonians from COVID-19, moving four counties to the "Extreme Risk" category.

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 Dec. 18 through Dec. 31, there will be 29 counties in the Extreme Risk level, none at High Risk, one county at Moderate Risk, and six counties at Lower Risk. A complete list of counties and their associated risk levels is available here.

Six counties were moved to the Extreme Risk category in the updated list: Benton, Clatsop, Coos, Curry, Lincoln and Tillamook. One, Lake County, dropped from Extreme to Moderate Risk, while Grant and Harney counties moved into the Lower Risk category.

"We continue to see community spread across Oregon to the point that the majority of the state needs to continue with strict health and safety measures," Brown said.

"Until we reduce the spread and have high participation in vaccination, all Oregonians need to follow the guidelines in place in their counties. I am also asking Oregonians to continue practicing the measures we know are effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19 — wear your mask, keep physical distance from others, avoid gatherings, wash your hands often, and stay home when you're sick." 

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 take effect Jan. 1. 

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