Gov. Brown announces COVID-19 risk levels update; three counties improve status

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — Gov. Kate Brown on Tuesday announced updates to county risk levels under the state's public health framework to reduce transmission and protect Oregonians from COVID-19, with three counties improving but Crook and Jefferson counties remaining at the High Risk level.

Effective Friday, June 4, through Thursday, June 10, there will be 13 counties in the High Risk level, four at Moderate Risk, and 19 at Lower Risk. Lane and Polk counties move from High to Moderate Risk, while Clatsop moves from Moderate to Lower Risk.

A complete list of counties and their associated risk levels is available here.

"The science is clear: vaccines are very effective in keeping people safe from COVID-19, and they are the key to returning to normal life and lifting health and safety restrictions statewide," Brown said. "Thanks to all the Oregonians who have been vaccinated so far, Oregon’s case rates have continued to decline.

“But COVID-19 remains a serious threat to unvaccinated individuals and communities with low vaccination rates. If you have been waiting to get vaccinated, go get your shot today. It's never been easier to get vaccinated, and you may just win $1 million through the Take Your Shot, Oregon campaign."

On May 11, Governor Brown announced that counties that vaccinate at least 65% of their adult residents with at least one dose and submit documentation on how they will close equity gaps in their vaccination efforts are eligible to move to the Lower Risk level. A county vaccination data dashboard is available on OHA's website.

Please note that the dashboard displays state vaccine allocations only, and does not track federally administered vaccine doses. While additional counties submitted equity plans this week, none of those counties achieved the 65% threshold needed to move to Lower Risk this week. Complete equity plans are available here.

For the latest county sector risk level guidance chart: https://sharedsystems.dhsoha.state.or.us/DHSForms/Served/le3461.pdf

Weekly County Movements

As case rates continue to decline, county risk level changes will be announced every week. Counties can move to lower risk levels based either on vaccination rates and the submission of an equity plan, or declining case rates and positivity rates. The next risk level changes will be announced on Tuesday, June 8, to take effect on Friday, June 11.

Counties facing moves back up to higher risk levels this week are in a warning week only, giving county health partners an additional week to focus efforts on driving case numbers back down before additional health and safety restrictions are renewed.

When Oregon achieves a first dose 70% statewide vaccination rate for residents 18 or older, Oregon will lift all risk level health and safety restrictions. Some restrictions based on CDC guidance for use of masks and physical distancing may remain in place. 

[Note: Previous announcements had based the 70% vaccination metric on residents 16 or older, however, in order to align state data with CDC data, the Oregon Health Authority is tracking adult vaccination rates for residents 18 and older.]