Oregon drafting rule to make wearing masks permanent



There are six states — Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada (in substantial rates of COVID-19 transmission), New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington — that still require most people to wear face masks in indoor public places regardless of vaccination status. Oregon is taking it to another level by considering indefinite mask mandates.

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) met on Thursday for about two hours to begin the process of drafting an order to make the state’s indoor mask requirement permanent. The OHA's Rules Advisory Committee (RAC) discussed what the new indefinite face mask mandate would look like and the impact it could have on the public.

"Community stakeholders, including those from the hospitality and faith sectors, joined in the meeting," KOMO reported. "People from the Seventh Day Adventists Church, the High Desert Museum, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and McMenamins were a part of the conversation."

Some of the private business representatives expressed concerns about people not wanting to comply with mask mandates.

“Getting people to comply is getting harder,” said Paloma Sparks from the Oregon Business & Industry Association.

Dr. Paul Cieslak – the medical director for communicable diseases and immunizations with OHA – said just because the rule would be permanent doesn't mean it will be enacted forever.

"Permanent means indefinite. It doesn’t necessarily mean permanent," Dr. Cieslak told KATU. "We can repeal it as well, but we are only allowed to have a temporary rule for 180 days, and anything that goes beyond 180 days, we cannot extend it."

Yes -- that may sound alarming. Here's what you need to know about it:\n\n-The current rule is temporary. It can't be in place more than 180 days.\n-Making the rule permanent allows the state to keep the rule.\n-The rule can be repealed.\n\n#LiveOnK2pic.twitter.com/qEZAeExxu8
— Genevieve Reaume (@Genevieve Reaume) 1638495858

OHA policy specialist Ilana Kurtzig said the draft of the permanent mask mandate rule would be released publicly by mid-December. There will then be a public hearing from late December until mid-January.

The current mask mandate is in effect until February.

"Oregon’s first mask mandate was imposed in May 2020 and lifted in June 2021 once vaccines became widely available and COVID-19 case numbers fell," KGW reported. "The more-virulent delta variant arrived in late July and sent the state’s case numbers rocketing back up, threatening to overwhelm hospitals, prompting health leaders to reimpose the mask mandate in August."

Oregon's outdoor mask mandate expired last month.

Leftist militants have stockpiled weapons, spike strips, armed guards at Portland autonomous zone



Leftist militants on their third day of occupying several residential blocks in Portland, Oregon, over a foreclosed house have stockpiled weapons, homemade spike strips, and armed guards at the entrances of their autonomous zone.

But the city's police chief said cops will use force if necessary to end the occupation.

What's the background?

The autonomous zone was set up Tuesday — the same day leftists militants were caught on video chasing Portland police away from the foreclosed house. In fact, they kicked and threw rocks at retreating police vehicles and ran up on cops and appeared to try to steal their equipment while taunting and threatening them as they literally chased officers down a street.

"We ain't f***in' around!" one militant was heard yelling at cops while another leftist declared, "I'll knock you the f*** out, bitch!"

Here's the clip. Content warning: Language:

Full clip from outside the Red House as activists aggressively push police out of the area, halting the eviction of… https://t.co/quGitfNmdw
— Alex Milan Tracy (@Alex Milan Tracy)1607459788.0

And the leftists bullied, physically attacked, and forced a local TV reporter and videographer to leave the autonomous zone Tuesday soon after they entered in an attempt to interview occupiers:

Content warning: Language:

"We got [the] cameras we need." @GenevieveReaume and I were assaulted while walking into the barricaded area on N… https://t.co/vX84lgxLdW
— Ric Peavyhouse (@Ric Peavyhouse)1607465466.0
Sorry for the blood. Hand isn’t broken, thankfully! Wound was glued up at urgent care. https://t.co/YktY4XCrLC
— Genevieve Reaume (@Genevieve Reaume)1607480751.0

What did the police have to say?

"I certainly am respectful of the issue that people are there to address, but blocking streets and chasing police officers out of the neighborhood is still not OK and really contrary to our values as Portlanders," Deputy Police Chief Chris Davis told the Oregonian Tuesday evening.

Davis added that police "have to be thoughtful about" the situation and go about it "in the right way" and "consider all the angles and do our best to resolve the situation as safely as possible," the paper reported.

But Police Chief Chuck Lovell struck a different tone in a video message, saying he's aware of the leftists' weapons and threats they're making — and that officers will use force to end the occupation if necessary:

I wanted to say a few words to each of you about activity along North Mississippi. https://t.co/Icq4mpzTAL
— Chief Chuck Lovell (@Chief Chuck Lovell)1607547869.0

Lovell added in another Twitter post that police also are aware of "armed sentries, attacks on journalists & threats to kill officers in graffiti in this public space."

And as you can see from the below Twitter video, the leftists have installed homemade spike strips in front of one barricaded entrance:

Portland protesters have put up barricades on Mississippi Ave in an attempt to block an eviction of “The Red House”… https://t.co/POgmRK5zbC
— Independent Media PDX (@Independent Media PDX)1607473532.0

Leftist militants bully, physically attack Portland TV news reporter, videographer who dared to enter their 'autonomous zone'



A gang of militant leftists were caught on video descending upon a Portland TV news reporter and videographer who dared to enter their "autonomous zone" — and they proceeded to bully, physically attack, and force out the news team.

What's the background?

The "autonomous zone" was set up the same day leftists militants were caught on video chasing Portland police away from the foreclosed house. In fact, they kicked and threw rocks at retreating police vehicles and ran up on cops and appeared to try to steal their equipment while taunting and threatening them as they literally chased officers down a street.

"We ain't f***in' around!" one militant was heard yelling at cops while another leftist declared, "I'll knock you the f*** out, bitch!"

Here's the clip. Content warning: Language:

Full clip from outside the Red House as activists aggressively push police out of the area, halting the eviction of… https://t.co/quGitfNmdw
— Alex Milan Tracy (@Alex Milan Tracy)1607459788.0

What happened to the journalists?

With that, reporter Genevieve Reaume and videographer Ric Peavyhouse — both with KATU-TV News — on Tuesday walked past barricades set up around the foreclosed house on North Mississippi Avenue in an attempt to interview occupiers.

And that's when trouble immediately began for them.

"Film crew coming through," a leftist female was heard yelling to her comrades. "They're not our friends!"

As black umbrellas popped up and converged in front of Reaume and Peavyhouse, another militant barked, "Just get outta here, man!"

Soon Peavyhouse's video caught audio of Reaume screaming at the leftists to get away from her — and in fact, they knocked her cellphone from her hand and bloodied her finger.

Here's what Reaume's cellphone documented:

Sorry for the blood. Hand isn’t broken, thankfully! Wound was glued up at urgent care. https://t.co/YktY4XCrLC
— Genevieve Reaume (@Genevieve Reaume)1607480751.0

"That's some cold s***t!" one person can be heard saying after the attack.

As the pair were forced to walk out the autonomous zone, one of the militants can be heard threatening the Peavyhouse: "I'll break your f***in' camera, you realize that!"

The same leftist is heard adding, "Touch me one more time and see what happens to your f***in' camera!"

As the pair approach the barricade they earlier breached, the same militant is heard taunting them: "Call the cops! Go file a police report and see how useful they are!"

Here's the main clip of the incident from Peavyhouse. (Content warning: Language):

"We got [the] cameras we need." @GenevieveReaume and I were assaulted while walking into the barricaded area on N… https://t.co/vX84lgxLdW
— Ric Peavyhouse (@Ric Peavyhouse)1607465466.0

What did police have to say?

"I certainly am respectful of the issue that people are there to address, but blocking streets and chasing police officers out of the neighborhood is still not OK and really contrary to our values as Portlanders," Deputy Police Chief Chris Davis told the Oregonian Tuesday evening.

Davis added that police "have to be thoughtful about" the situation and go about it "in the right way" and "consider all the angles and do our best to resolve the situation as safely as possible," the paper reported.

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