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On Thursday, May 13th, the CDC announced that fully vaccinated people could go maskless indoors and outdoors, except in certain situations. This is great news as it relates to a return to some level of pre-pandemic normalcy, but has caused some confusion as well. Please note that the guidance for educational institutions in Oregon has not changed, meaning masks must be worn both inside and outside in school settings. Here is an excerpt from statements made by Governor Kate Brown Thursday evening: “Today the CDC issued new guidance for lifting mask and social distancing requirements for fully-vaccinated individuals...Starting today, Oregon will be following this guidance, which only applies to fully-vaccinated individuals...Nothing is changing for schools this school year, and I expect education staff and students to continue to wear masks and physically distance, as outlined in our Ready Schools, Safe Learners guidance…” We greatly appreciate everyone’s continued adherence to this guidance through the end of the 2020-21 school year. And speaking of being vaccinated, it’s getting easier to find vaccination opportunities around the Portland-metro area for people as young as 12 years old. Please make sure you look for clinics offering the Pfizer vaccine if you are planning to vaccinate someone under 18, and know that there are special steps that need to be followed for anyone under 15, which is the age of self-consent for medical treatment in Oregon. Young people between the ages of 12 and 14 will need to have permission from a parent or guardian to get vaccinated, and will need to be accompanied by an adult. Additional information can be found at All4Oregon.org, Vaccinefinder.org, and Washington County’s Health and Human Services website.