Umatilla Indian Reservation Imposes the Use of Masks in Indoor Public Places | Coronavirus

MISSION, OR – The Board is following the recommendation of the Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center as the Public Health Authority for Confederate Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) and has approved a resolution to mandate the use mask in all indoor public places of the Umatilla Indian Reserve.

The order for indoor masks will go into effect at 12:01 am on Friday August 13, 2021.

Yellowhawk’s recommendation aligns with new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Oregon Health Authority. Under the resolution approved by the board of directors, everyone is required to wear a mask in indoor public places, regardless of their immunization status.

“The highly contagious Delta variant is spreading rapidly among members of our community within the boundaries of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, such as throughout Umatilla County and much of the state of Oregon,” noted Kat Brigham, Chair of the Board of Directors. “We are currently seeing the most positive tests we have had since the start of the pandemic in early 2020. We want our community to be able to attend events and functions, but we strongly recommend that you protect yourself, you and your community, continuing to wear a mask and socially distance yourself as COVID-19 spreads in our community, ”added President Brigham.

As additional safety precautions, CTUIR management asks everyone to limit gatherings to those in your immediate household. However, if you are meeting with people other than those in your household, please do so outside and maintain a physical or social distance. If you are with people from a different household and distancing is not possible, we strongly recommend that you wear a mask even outdoors. Finally, if you are sick even with very mild symptoms, please stay home.

According to CDC guidelines, if you’ve been vaccinated and come in contact with someone who is known to have tested positive, you don’t need to quarantine. However, you should continue to monitor yourself for symptoms and get tested if you start to develop symptoms or feel sick. Finally, if you have not yet been vaccinated, please consider getting vaccinated to protect yourself, your family and loved ones, and the community at large. All available vaccines are safe and highly effective in protecting against serious illness and death from COVID-19.