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For two years, we have all eagerly awaited a time when the worry about COVID-19 was in our rearview mirror. We have longed for things to return to the way they were in the pre-pandemic times. When families and friends could gather to celebrate milestones and events, large and small, without having to heavily weigh the risks and benefits. When a trip to the grocery store wasn’t complicated by a face mask. When trips, events, conferences, and school didn’t have to be canceled on short notice. When the most vulnerable of our community didn’t have to worry about whether they could safely leave home out of fear of catching the COVID-19 virus.

In the last several weeks, there has seemed to be a glimmer of hope on the horizon that we could be entering a new phase of the pandemic.

Infection rates from the most recent omicron variant have eased, the number of hospitalizations and COVID-19 patients in our intensive care units have gone down, and many COVID-19 restrictions are being eased, including here in Oregon.

COVID-19 is not over, and we continue to see patients who are becoming very ill from COVID in our community.

Mask mandates in our state will end Saturday, March 12, per direction from Gov. Kate Brown and the Oregon Health Authority. But the coronavirus is still present in our community and will continue to spread and infect people. And while fewer people are needing hospital care, COVID-19 is still a threat to a large number of Oregonians with underlying health issues. Those who are immunocompromised, have chronic lung diseases like asthma or COPD, diabetes, heart conditions or people who are overweight and obese all run a higher risk of getting severely ill from COVID-19. Many of those folks have been vaccinated and may have received their booster shots, which will help protect them. They may still get sick, but thanks to the vaccines, there is less of a chance they will need to be hospitalized or will die from COVID.

We can all still do our part to keep these family members, friends, and neighbors safe. The steps you can take to help protect our community include continuing to wear a mask when you’re gathering with someone in these vulnerable groups, staying home if you have any signs of illness (even if you don’t think it’s COVID), and getting vaccinated including with a booster if you are eligible. The vaccines available are safe and effective. Some people may choose to continue to wear masks at all times when they are out in public.

While the end of the mask mandate means we may no longer need to wear a mask when going to the store, to a movie or out to dinner, the OHA and governor’s order continues to require masks be worn in healthcare settings. This includes hospitals, doctor offices, dentist offices and nursing homes. We will continue to screen patients and visitors when they enter our facilities and require wearing of medical-grade masks. Cloth masks are less effective at preventing spread of the virus. If you don’t have a mask, we will provide one. If our doctors, nurses, or medical support colleagues get sick or exposed, they will be forced to miss work. That will impact the care you may receive when coming to our hospitals or clinics. It may take longer to see a provider, and scheduled appointments may be delayed or canceled. We’re trying our best to avoid impacting patient care, but if our people are out sick or are in quarantine, they can’t be caring for patients.

We applaud our state’s leaders and the OHA, for taking swift and decisive action over the past two years to slow the spread of COVID-19 and utilizing the best medical and scientific advice when setting public policy. These measures have protected vulnerable populations and have helped to minimize the toll of the pandemic.

Dr. Lily Wittich is the medical staff liaison at Saint Alphonsus Medical Center-Baker City.