Oregon Planning to Make Indoor Mask Mandate Permanent?

Over the last few days, it appears Oregon Health Authority (OHA) officials are trying to backpedal or play 'damage control' concerning the growing anger about their plans to make the state's indoor mask mandate "permanent."

OHA OFFICIAL SAYS IT'S INDEFINITE WHICH ISN'T PERMANENT

TV station KATU in Oregon and other sources say the OHA convened what's called a Rules Advisory Committee (RAC) meeting. During the session, they discussed what to do with the state's indoor mandate.

Oregon, along with Washington, CA, Hawaii and Nevada are the only states that still have indoor mandates. Oregon had an outdoor one until a few weeks ago. Yes, outdoor in crowded events.

According to information 'leaked' or released, the OHA wants to make the indoor mandate permanent.

According to state laws, by making the mandate permanent, they can keep it 'forever.'

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According to the state's medical director for communicable diseases, Dr. Paul Cieslak, making it permanent doesn't mean it will be in effect forever....Okay...

According to a quote from KATU, he said this:

"Permanent means indefinite. It doesn’t necessarily mean permanent. 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."

Supposedly public comment opportunities will be coming before this happens. Opponents say it's a flimsy excuse, blaming state laws and rules for not being able to find another way to extend the mandate without making it permanent.

   Opponents are already advising citizens to contact their legislators and the OHA and voice their opposition.

By the way, via various dictionaries, here's the definition of the word permanent:

"lasting or intended to last or remain unchanged indefinitely"

And, here's the definition of the word indefinite:

"lasting for an unknown or unstated length of time"

So Dr. Cieslak, they do NOT mean the same thing...