MISSION, OR – The Board of Directors follows the recommendation of the Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center as the public health authority for the Confederate Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) and has approved a resolution mandating the use of masks in all indoor public places across the Umatilla Indian Reservation.
The indoor mask order will go into effect at 12:01 a.m. 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 board-approved resolution, everyone is required to wear a mask in indoor public places, regardless of their vaccination status.
“The highly contagious Delta variant is spreading rapidly among our community members within the boundaries of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, as it is throughout Umatilla County and much of the State of Oregon,” noted Kat Brigham, chair of the board. “We are currently seeing the highest number of 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, by continuing to wear a mask and socially distance as COVID-19 spreads through our community,” President Brigham added.
As additional safety precautions, CTUIR management asks everyone to limit gatherings to those in your immediate household. However, if you are meeting with people outside of your household, please do so outside and maintain physical or social distancing. If you are with people from another household and distancing is not possible, we strongly recommend that you wear a mask even outside. Finally, if you are sick even with very mild symptoms, please stay home.
According to CDC guidelines, if you have been vaccinated and have come into contact with someone known to have tested positive, you do not have to self-quarantine. However, you should continue to monitor your 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 as a whole. All available vaccines are safe and highly effective in protecting against serious illness and death from COVID-19.
