The Oregon Health Authority announced Thursday that it’ll end statewide mask mandates on K-12 schools and indoor public spaces March 19, days earlier than originally planned for school children on March 31 but likely days or even weeks after state leaders previously indicated they’d consider removing the mandate for indoor public spaces.

The timing of ending the indoor mask mandate may roil some mask-weary residents who are eager to do away with face coverings as cases and hospitalizations tumble. Oregon is set to become one of the last states to lift its masking rules.

Earlier this month, the Oregon Health Authority said it would end school masking requirements March 31 and the requirement on indoor public spaces no later than March 31 – with the option that the state “would consider” eliminating the indoor public spaces mandate when the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 statewide dropped to 400, a number officials said would no longer overwhelm the health care system.

At the time, officials projected that would be no later than March 31. But hospitalizations in the past two weeks have dropped more swiftly, and it now looks as if the state’s hospitalizations may decline to 400 by the first week of March if the current pace continues.

In a news release Thursday, state officials didn’t directly address why they are no longer tying the removal of the indoor mandate directly to hospitalizations, but did say that setting March 19 as the date would give local and state governments time to prepare for the transition. State epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger described the March 19 timeline as the state acting “earlier than anticipated.”

“We are able to take this important step, earlier than anticipated, because of the collective diligence and the shared sacrifice that people in Oregon have demonstrated in getting vaccinated, wearing masks and limiting their gatherings,” Sidelinger said in a statement.

The end date for the mandate in schools indeed amounts to moving up the timeline, but only by three school days. Although the state said it’ll remove K-12 masking requirements on March 19, that’s a Saturday and the first day of Spring Break. Students return to the classroom on Monday, March 28 – meaning that will be the first day the state will no longer require them to wear masks in the classroom. The state had previously said March 31 would be the first mask-free day.

Just like businesses, individual school districts still have the option of requiring masks. Some, including Tigard-Tualatin in the Portland area, have said they’ll go masks-optional. But the two biggest in the metro area – Portland and Beaverton – have yet to announce their decisions. Hillsboro posted news to its website Thursday that it intends to make masks optional in most settings, with exceptions that could include classrooms with students with medical conditions that put them at high COVID-19 risk. District spokesperson Beth Graser said the decision isn’t yet final.

The state has been under immense pressure to end its mask mandates, particularly in schools. Some districts – including Alsea, Redmond and Molalla – have already done away with them or announced early March dates to do so, in defiance of state rules, according to the Oregon Capital Chronicle.

State schools chief Colt Gill said the Oregon Department of Education is planning early next week to release new guidelines for contact tracing and testing, as well as for when students and staff need to quarantine after COVID-19 exposures. Current guidelines are based partially on whether students and staff were wearing masks at the time of exposure.

Gill added that after March 19, anyone who wants to wear a mask on school grounds will still be welcome to.

“Every individual has the right to make that decision and our schools will support the continued use of face coverings by individuals,” Gill said in a video statement.

Also Thursday, Gov. Kate Brown announced she’ll remove the state’s COVID-19 emergency declaration, which allowed the state flexibility in fighting the pandemic, including by accessing some federal disaster relief funds and enlisting the help of medically trained volunteers in hospitals.

“Lifting Oregon’s COVID-19 emergency declaration today does not mean that the pandemic is over, or that COVID-19 is no longer a significant concern,” Brown said in a written statement. “But, as we have shown through the Delta and Omicron surges, as we learn to live with this virus, and with so many Oregonians protected by safe and effective vaccines, we can now protect ourselves, our friends, and our families without invoking the extraordinary emergency authorities that were necessary at the beginning of the pandemic.”

Oregon last attempted to lift its statewide mask mandate in summer 2021 only to be hit by back-to-back variants. But infections and hospitalizations have plummeted, with Oregon as of Thursday averaging about 1,000 daily cases over the past week — down from a peak of more than 8,200 in January. Hospitalizations on Thursday declined to 528, less than half the 1,130 omicron peak.

The question of whether to keep or eliminate mask mandates remains unsettled among medical experts. Some say vaccinations and improving medical treatments mean it’s safe for the majority of people to go maskless, especially as omicron recedes.

Other experts support the protective benefits of continued masking for all as a simple and effective precaution against the virus, noting the pandemic is not over yet and future variants could flare. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still recommends masking in areas of “substantial” or “high” transmission, which currently amounts to 96% of counties and every county in Oregon except for Wheeler. The CDC, however, is expected to update its guidance soon based on factors such as hospitalizations, not just case rates.

Sidelinger, the state epidemiologist, said in a video message to residents Thursday that after March 19 the state will still recommend certain groups wear masks in crowded indoor settings. That includes Oregonians who are unvaccinated or are immunocompromised, have health conditions that put them at greater risk or are 65 years or older.

“We appreciate and acknowledge that lifting the mask requirement will cause anxiety for some people,” Sidelinger said. “Many people are at higher risk for COVID or live with someone who is at higher risk.”

Oregon is one of only several that still have mask mandates in place. Notably, Washington has said it’ll lift its school and indoor mask requirements March 21, and California and New York have yet to set firm end dates for their school mandates. Hawaii appears poised to be the last state in the nation with indoor and school mandates, with Gov. David Ige saying he’s not yet ready to talk about when he’ll remove them.

Oregon will still require masks in health care settings after March 19. Also unaffected by Thursday’s announcement are federal masking requirements on public transportation, including on transit systems such as TriMet, on school buses and on airplanes as well as at airports. A federal transportation mask mandate is in place until March 18, but President Biden has the option of extending it. He hasn’t said yet what he’ll do.

— Aimee Green; agreen@oregonian.com; @o_aimee