Earlier this week, Governor Kate Brown announced updates to county risk levels under the state’s new public health framework to reduce transmission and protect Oregonians from COVID-19. This new framework goes into effect today, December 3 thru December 17.

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.

For the next two weeks, 25 counties will be in the Extreme Risk level, five counties will be High Risk, two counties will be Moderate Risk, and four counties will be Lower Risk.

All four of the counties that Cascadia serves are in the Extreme Risk category.

This means that due to the extreme risk of virus spread, we will need to continue with strict health and safety measures that were implemented as part of the “Two-Week Freeze” announced before Thanksgiving. Cascadia’s practices are designed to address the health and safety of our clients and teams and are aligned with these measures.

Cascadia is in agreement with the Governor’s approach, and recognizes that until COVID-19 vaccines are widely available and we have high participation in receiving those vaccines, public health and safety precautions will remain in place so that schools, businesses, and communities can reopen—and stay open. Cascadia joins the Governor in asking all of us to take these measures seriously.

Remember: Wear a mask, wash your hands, and watch your distance. And always follow our PPE protocol at work.

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 on Dececember 18.

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