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May 13 was a notable date in the waning days of the pandemic: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shifted its guidance, abruptly advising everyone who had been vaccinated that they didn’t need to wear a mask except in a few high-risk circumstances.
That announcement caught Oregon officials flatfooted. And they’ve passed along their confusion to citizens.
“The CDC issued their new guidance for fully vaccinated individuals last week with no advance warning to states,” says Charles Boyle, a spokesman for Gov. Kate Brown. “Since then, the CDC has offered no additional guidance around implementation.”
The questions left unanswered: What would happen at the grocery store? At the ballgame? At the bookstore?
In the five days since, retailers and their employees have waited anxiously to learn how they are supposed to verify who has received a shot and can enter a business without a face covering.
On May 18, Oregon Health Authority said businesses would need to examine vaccination cards or similar proof at the door in order to allow people inside without masks.
The governor had previously been reluctant to use verification of vaccination as a pass to freedom, given the inequitable rollout of vaccines.
Some states and industries have worked out the logistics already. The NBA uses a private company to verify vaccination status or a negative COVID-19 test result, while New York was the first state to set up a system for people to provide evidence of vaccination.
Retail workers now face irate and confused customers. “These last few days have been incredibly stressful with masked customers confronting maskless customers,” says Portland grocery worker Alex Aldridge, “creating a tense working environment that already gave many of us the feeling that we are walking on eggshells every day we come to work.”
Brown’s message for businesses and their customers was confusing when it came to when, where and whether masks would no longer be required for the fully vaccinated. Here’s how the mask came off. RACHEL MONAHAN.
May 11: More than four months after vaccines first arrived in Oregon, Gov. Kate Brown joined other states in tying the state’s reopening to how many people get vaccinated—70% statewide and 65% for a county.
The state warned that masks could stick around as a component of everyday life. The guidance from the CDC at the time was that even vaccinated people should wear masks outside in crowds, and inside when not at home.
May 13: The CDC changed its position: Masks weren’t necessary for vaccinated people in most settings. Gov. Brown, in a video statement, celebrated the news of the CDC guidance.
“The pandemic is coming closer to an end. Starting today, Oregon will be following this guidance, which only applies to fully vaccinated individuals. That means Oregonians who are fully vaccinated no longer need to wear masks or social distance in most public spaces.” She also said that guidance for businesses would be issued in the “coming days.”
May 14: Brown sought to clarify, via Twitter: The rules hadn’t officially changed. “Yesterday’s @CDCgov announcement left many unanswered questions for states to sort out,” she wrote. “While @OHAOregon updates guidance, everyone should follow posted mask and physical distancing requirements in businesses this weekend.”
May 18: Oregon Health Authority released guidelines that require businesses to ask customers for proof of vaccination if customers and employees aren’t going to wear masks. (It won’t impact how many people can come in.) Some iconic Portland retailers, including Powell’s Books, tell WW they intend to keep a mask requirement at this time. The Salem amusement park Enchanted Forest postponed its summer opening because it received threats for requiring masks.
