By TRACY LOEW/Salem Statesman Journal
Oregon businesses and workplaces will need to verify workers’ and customers’ vaccine status before letting them take off masks, state epidemiologist Dean Sidelinger said during a news conference Friday.
That could mean requiring people to show a vaccination card or a picture of the card on a smartphone, Sidelinger said.
“It will require people who choose to not wear their mask in the business, and not to keep their distance, that they will have to disclose their vaccine status and show that to the business,” he said.
On Thursday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidance saying fully vaccinated people can stop wearing masks and socially distancing in most situations.
Shortly after, Gov. Kate Brown said Oregon will follow that recommendation, staring immediately. She said the Oregon Health Authority would provide specific guidance in the next few days.
“Some businesses may prefer to simply continue operating under the current guidance for now, rather than worrying about verifying vaccination status, and that’s fine,” Brown said in a statement.
The turnabout came just a week after Oregon indefinitely extended a workplace rule requiring employers to ensure employees wear masks and physically distance. State officials said they expected the rule to remain in place until it was no longer needed to address the spread of COVID-19.
Sidelinger said requiring people to disclose their vaccination status does not violate health privacy laws because people have the option of leaving their masks on.
“We need to know they’re vaccinated so that business knows their employees and their other customers are protected,” he said.
The Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association, which has pushed back against Brown’s virus restrictions, declined to comment until specific guidance is released.
Some local businesses already have dropped their mask requirements, while others say they’ll continue to require masks and distancing for the time being.