As of Monday, Just Over 100,000 Oregonians Still Need Vaccines to Reopen State, but Drive Is Stalling

Gov. Kate Brown has set a benchmark of 70% of adults age 18 and above vaccinated.

Damien Lillard Art by Portland artist and muralist Kyle Holbrook (WWeek Staff)
By Rachel Monahan

As of June 7, 106,671 Oregonians still need to get at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine before the vast majority of the state’s pandemic restrictions will come to an end. Specifically: Gov. Kate Brown will drop most of the state’s mask mandates as well as social distancing requirements.

Brown has set a benchmark of 70% of adults age 18 and above vaccinated. Currently, more than 66.8% of the state has been vaccinated.

Mask mandates will remain in place for airports, public transportation and health care. The state has said schools will return to full-time in-person instruction in the fall, but has yet to set specific safety protocols.

At the going rate, however, Oregonians might experience pure freedom by the Fourth of July fireworks. The average number of daily vaccine doses administered in the last week has fallen below 17,000, from a peak of 44,000 on April 11. If the rate remains steady, the state would cross the 70% threshold this week.

Correction: The print version of this story incorrectly stated the pace at which vaccinations are occurring. The state is administering vaccine doses at a rate of 17,000 per day, not per week.

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