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In this phase of the COVID-19 pandemic it’s important to consider the level of COVID-19 transmission in your community so you can make decisions about masking, attending social gatherings and other activities. You may be accustomed to considering your health and vaccination status (and the health of vaccination status of the people you live and work with), but there are additional ways to help you decide which situations are safe.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Oregon Health Authority show COVID-19 spread in your community, another indicator that can help you make personal decisions about your risk of COVID-19. Read on to learn more about how to use data to navigate day-to-day life.
  
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This week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) restated their recommendation that individuals older than 2 years old continue to wear masks in airports, planes, trains and public transportation systems. The CDC’s guidelines for domestic travel can be found here.
Masks remain an important tool in our efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and protect those who are most vulnerable. “It is important for all of us to protect not only ourselves, but also to be considerate of others at increased risk for severe COVID-19 and those who are not yet able to be vaccinated,” said CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH. “Wearing a mask in indoor public transportation settings will provide protection for the individual and the community.”
Last month a federal judge lifted the federal mandate that required masks be worn in such transportation settings, but airlines and local transit systems may set their own rules. For those details, please check with your airline or local transit system before traveling.
- The COVID-19 Biweekly Data Report, released yesterday shows an increase in cases and disease-related hospitalizations since the previous biweekly period. It shows a decrease in COVID-19-related deaths.
“If you’re vaccinated and boosted, you’re well protected against having a severe case. Get yourself vaccinated to protect yourself and your family with as much immunity as you can,” said Dr. Paul Cieslak, medical director for communicable diseases and immunizations at OHA.
Here are links to three other reports published this week.
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Updated 2020 COVID-19-year-in-review includes additional information on hospitalizations and deaths since its initial publication in Dec. 2021. The report serves as a summary of trends and key statistics from the first calendar year of the COVID-19 pandemic response in Oregon. By breaking down COVID-19 data for 2020 by race, ethnicity, sex, age and geography, the report helps Oregon’s public health system respond to health inequities in Oregon.
Due to technical issues, we were unable to receive your questions when we posted this message last week, and we apologize for the inconvenience.
Whether you want to know more about COVID-19, the virus that causes it, vaccines, safety guidelines or something else, Oregon Health Authority has you covered. We have a wide variety of scientists, health care professionals and public health experts who can answer your questions about COVID-19 related to:
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The virus (SARS-CoV-2) or the illness it causes (COVID-19)
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Testing
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Treatments
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Vaccines and boosters
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Variants and how they’re monitored, or genetic sequencing
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Masks
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Quarantine, isolation and other social guidance
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Mental health
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School safety
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Culturally specific issues
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Hospitals and health care workers
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And more
Submit your question here, and we’ll publish questions and answers in upcoming newsletters.
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