Gov. Kate Brown reinstitutes mask mandate for Oregon

Going into effect on Friday, the new mandate states that adults and children older than five indoors. Face masks would also be required on public transportation for those ages 2 and older, according to Fox 12.

The mandate was issued to limit the the spread of the delta variant indoors, according to the governor's office.

"The emphasis of indoor mask requirement is on personal responsibility—we are asking Oregonians to make a commitment to protect those around you by wearing a mask. We are also asking Oregonians to be kind and considerate of others and to treat store employees and others with respect: they are asking you to wear a mask to save lives," the governor's office said in a statement.

"There are two keys to saving lives. Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and your family against severe illness, hospitalization, and death. And, by wearing masks, all of us—vaccinated and unvaccinated—can help ensure that a hospital bed staffed by health professionals is available for our loved ones in their time of need. If we all do our part, we can beat COVID-19 once and for all, keep our economy open and thriving, and return our kids to the classroom with minimal disruptions in a few weeks," said Brown in a Tuesday statement.

The mandate comes as the state recorded its higher number of COVID-19 hospitalized patients on Tuesday. 635 patients were recorded, breaking the previous record of 622 set in November of 2020. These are cases, not deaths.

According to the governor's office, some exemptions apply for activities that are impractical or impossible to do while wearing a mask, like swimming, eating and drinking, sports, singing, and public speaking.

The mask mandate was joined by the announcement that all state executive branch employees must be fully vaccinated on or before October 18, or six weeks after a COVID-19 vaccine receives full approval from the US Food and Drug Administration, whichever is later.

Those with certain disabilities and "sincerely held" religious beliefs may be able to receive an exemption.