<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]-->
<title>Governor Kate Brown Announces 16 Counties Improve in Risk Level</title>
<style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Helvetica;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Calibri Light";
panose-1:2 15 3 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Georgia;
panose-1:2 4 5 2 5 4 5 2 3 3;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Helvetica Neue";}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;}
h1
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 1 Char";
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:7.5pt;
margin-left:0in;
text-align:center;
line-height:110%;
font-size:19.5pt;
font-family:"Georgia",serif;
color:#202020;}
h2
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 2 Char";
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:7.5pt;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:15.0pt;
font-family:"Georgia",serif;
color:#202020;
font-weight:normal;}
h3
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 3 Char";
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:7.5pt;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:19.5pt;
font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;
color:#202020;}
h4
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 4 Char";
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:7.5pt;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:16.5pt;
font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;
color:#202020;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.Heading1Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 1 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 1";
font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;
color:#2E74B5;}
span.Heading2Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 2 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 2";
font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;
color:#2E74B5;}
span.Heading3Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 3 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 3";
font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;
color:#1F4D78;}
span.Heading4Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 4 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 4";
font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;
color:#2E74B5;
font-style:italic;}
p.msonormal0, li.msonormal0, div.msonormal0
{mso-style-name:msonormal;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;}
p.readmsgbody, li.readmsgbody, div.readmsgbody
{mso-style-name:readmsgbody;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;}
p.externalclass, li.externalclass, div.externalclass
{mso-style-name:externalclass;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;}
p.h1, li.h1, div.h1
{mso-style-name:h1;
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:7.5pt;
margin-left:0in;
text-align:center;
line-height:110%;
font-size:19.5pt;
font-family:"Georgia",serif;
color:#202020;
font-weight:bold;}
p.h2, li.h2, div.h2
{mso-style-name:h2;
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:7.5pt;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:15.0pt;
font-family:"Georgia",serif;
color:#202020;}
p.h3, li.h3, div.h3
{mso-style-name:h3;
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:7.5pt;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:19.5pt;
font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;
color:#202020;
font-weight:bold;}
p.h4, li.h4, div.h4
{mso-style-name:h4;
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:7.5pt;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:16.5pt;
font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;
color:#202020;
font-weight:bold;}
p.headercontent, li.headercontent, div.headercontent
{mso-style-name:headercontent;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
text-align:center;
font-size:25.5pt;
font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;
color:#202020;
font-weight:bold;}
p.bodycontent, li.bodycontent, div.bodycontent
{mso-style-name:bodycontent;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
background:white;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;}
p.yshortcuts, li.yshortcuts, div.yshortcuts
{mso-style-name:yshortcuts;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;}
p.mcnpreviewtext, li.mcnpreviewtext, div.mcnpreviewtext
{mso-style-name:mcnpreviewtext;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;
display:none;}
p.yshortcuts1, li.yshortcuts1, div.yshortcuts1
{mso-style-name:yshortcuts1;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;
color:#336699;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.yshortcuts2, li.yshortcuts2, div.yshortcuts2
{mso-style-name:yshortcuts2;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;
color:#336699;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.yshortcuts3, li.yshortcuts3, div.yshortcuts3
{mso-style-name:yshortcuts3;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;
color:#336699;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.yshortcuts4, li.yshortcuts4, div.yshortcuts4
{mso-style-name:yshortcuts4;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;
color:#336699;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.yshortcuts5, li.yshortcuts5, div.yshortcuts5
{mso-style-name:yshortcuts5;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;
color:#336699;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.yshortcuts6, li.yshortcuts6, div.yshortcuts6
{mso-style-name:yshortcuts6;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;
color:#336699;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.yshortcuts7, li.yshortcuts7, div.yshortcuts7
{mso-style-name:yshortcuts7;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;
color:#336699;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.yshortcuts8, li.yshortcuts8, div.yshortcuts8
{mso-style-name:yshortcuts8;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;
color:#336699;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle40
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle43
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body bgcolor="#FAFAFA" lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">FYi…Sheri<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div align="center">
<table class="MsoNormalTable" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" style="width:100.0%;background:#FAFAFA">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top" style="padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">
<div align="center">
<table class="MsoNormalTable" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="600" style="width:6.25in;background:#FAFAFA">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top" style="padding:5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt">
<table class="MsoNormalTable" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" style="width:100.0%">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top" style="padding:5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#505050">Governor Kate Brown's Press Office<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td width="190" valign="top" style="width:142.5pt;padding:5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#505050">Is this email not displaying correctly?<br>
<a href="https://mailchi.mp/oregon/governor-kate-brown-announces-updates-to-county-risk-levels-1005710-rwuhocs8dq?e=de2a7ea0b2" target="_blank"><span style="color:#336699">View it in your browser</span></a>.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div align="center">
<table class="MsoNormalTable" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="600" style="width:6.25in;background:white;border:solid #DDDDDD 1.0pt" id="templateContainer">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">
<div align="center">
<table class="MsoNormalTable" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="600" style="width:6.25in;background:white" id="templateHeader">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:25.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#202020"><img border="0" id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/41b11f32beefba0380ee8ecb5/images/505d352e-4f45-4fe3-ad6b-b41a55024c80.png"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">
<div align="center">
<table class="MsoNormalTable" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="600" style="width:6.25in" id="templateBody">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top" style="background:white;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">
<table class="MsoNormalTable" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" style="width:100.0%">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top" style="padding:10.0pt 10.0pt 10.0pt 10.0pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:110%"><strong><u><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:110%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">NEWS RELEASE</span></u></strong><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:110%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><br>
<br>
<strong><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">February 23, 2021</span></strong><br>
<br>
<strong><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Media Contact:</span></strong></span></b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:110%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><br>
<a href="mailto:elizabeth.merah@oregon.gov" target="_blank"><span style="color:#336699">Liz Merah</span></a>, 503-877-8287</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:110%;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black"><br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h1><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Governor Kate Brown Announces 16 Counties Improve in Risk Level</span><o:p></o:p></h1>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:110%"><em><span style="font-size:13.5pt;line-height:110%;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";color:black">Updated county risk levels take effect February 26</span></em><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:110%;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:110%"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:110%;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:110%"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:110%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">(Salem, OR) — Governor Kate Brown today announced that 16 counties improved in risk level, with 10 of those improving from
Extreme Risk. County risk levels under the state's public health framework aim to reduce transmission and protect Oregonians from COVID-19. The framework uses four different risk levels for counties based on COVID-19 spread—Extreme Risk, High Risk, Moderate
Risk, and Lower Risk—and assigns health and safety measures for each level.<br>
<br>
Effective February 26 through March 11, there will be five counties in the Extreme Risk level, 11 at High Risk, 10 at Moderate Risk, and 10 at Lower Risk. A complete list of counties and their associated risk levels is available
<a href="https://oregon.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=41b11f32beefba0380ee8ecb5&id=7d896a48b5&e=de2a7ea0b2" target="_blank">
<span style="color:#336699">here</span></a>.<br>
<br>
“For the second time in a row, we are seeing great progress in stopping the spread of COVID-19 across Oregon and saving lives," said Governor Brown. "Oregonians continue to step up and make smart choices. While these county movements are welcome news, we must
continue to take seriously health and safety measures, especially as more businesses reopen and we start to get out more. As we see infection rates going down and vaccinations ramping up, now is not the time to let down our guard. Continue to wear your masks,
keep physical distance, and avoid indoor gatherings."<br>
<br>
The Oregon Health Authority will examine and publish county data weekly. County risk levels will be reassigned every two weeks. The first week's data will provide a "warning week" to prepare counties for potential risk level changes. The next assignment of
risk levels will be announced March 9 and take effect March 12. <br>
<br>
Updates to Warning Week data and county risk levels will be posted to <a href="https://oregon.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=41b11f32beefba0380ee8ecb5&id=721e49ef1e&e=de2a7ea0b2" target="_blank">
<span style="color:#336699">coronavirus.oregon.gov</span></a>. </span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:110%;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:110%"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:110%;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:110%"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:110%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">###</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:110%;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in" id="social">
<div align="center">
<table class="MsoNormalTable" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="600" style="width:6.25in;background:white" id="templateFooter">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top" style="padding:5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt">
<table class="MsoNormalTable" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" style="width:100.0%">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" style="background:white;padding:5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="350" valign="top" style="width:262.5pt;padding:5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt">
</td>
<td width="190" valign="top" style="width:142.5pt;padding:5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt" id="monkeyRewards">
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" style="background:white;padding:5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt" id="utility">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:125%"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:silver"><a href="https://oregon.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=41b11f32beefba0380ee8ecb5&id=7e96f9e5ca&e=de2a7ea0b2" target="_blank"><span style="color:#336699">www.governor.oregon.gov</span></a><br>
<a href="https://oregon.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=41b11f32beefba0380ee8ecb5&id=c7c3c59f7e&e=de2a7ea0b2" target="_blank"><span style="color:#336699">Previous Press Releases</span></a><br>
<a href="mailto:natalie.king@oregon.gov" target="_blank"><span style="color:#336699">Natalie King</span></a> • Communications Director, Office of Governor Kate Brown • (503) 378-5965<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:center">
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<div align="center">
<table class="MsoNormalTable" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" style="width:100.0%;background:white;border-collapse:collapse" id="canspamBarWrapper">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top" style="border:none;border-top:solid #E5E5E5 1.0pt;padding:15.0pt 0in 15.0pt 0in">
<div align="center">
<table class="MsoNormalTable" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse:collapse" id="canspamBar">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top" style="padding:0in 15.0pt 3.75pt 15.0pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:center;line-height:150%">
<span style="font-size:8.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#606060"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><img border="0" width="1" height="1" style="width:.0083in;height:.0083in" id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://oregon.us2.list-manage.com/track/open.php?u=41b11f32beefba0380ee8ecb5&id=95ea991e13&e=de2a7ea0b2"><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>