Oregon
Why California and Oregon Broke With the CDC
Two blue states acknowledge that health precautions need to be balanced with other priorities.
Recently, California surprised the public-health world by easing the state’s recommendations for asymptomatic people who test positive for COVID. The state previously urged them to isolate for five days to avoid infecting others. In a January memo, though, California Public Health Officer Tomás Aragón declared that “there is no infectious period for the purpose of isolation or exclusion.”
This policy change in the nation’s most populous state—which followed a similar move by Oregon last year—represents a remarkable break from the CDC, the federal agency whose recommendations have guided public-health policies since the coronavirus first arrived in the United States. Four years after the pandemic began, three years after vaccines gave Americans the option of protecting themselves, and a year after the Biden administration let the official public-health emergency lapse, the CDC still calls for five days of isolation even in asymptomatic COVID cases.
The question now is whether the other 48 states and the CDC itself will follow California and Oregon. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, whose department oversees the CDC, defended the disease-control agency’s current guidelines last week, while also noting that they are not mandatory. Emergency measures are more easily imposed than rescinded. Public-health agencies are good at telling people what to avoid but not at giving them permission to return to normal lives.
California and Oregon, two reliably blue states, are in a good position to lead; they were among the more cautious states at the height of the pandemic, and they are right to acknowledge that coronavirus-safety rules need to be weighed against other priorities—such as the need to keep schools and workplaces functioning. Public health has to take account of how members of the general public typically interact with one another in the world, and officials in both California and Oregon have explicitly cited the need to ease social disruptions caused by isolation policies. As California’s new guidance points out, COVID rules have effects that are “disproportionate to recommendations for the prevention of other endemic respiratory viral infections” such as influenza or RSV.
Before the policy change, one Oregon public-health official told The New York Times, children who appeared well but tested positive for COVID were being deprived of “a solid week of school,” and some adults without sick leave were missing work despite feeling healthy. The consequences of testing positive have been far-reaching enough under CDC rules that people have a strong incentive not to get tested in the first place.
Strict isolation requirements made far more sense earlier in the pandemic. The overwhelming majority of Americans have acquired some protection against the virus, either through vaccination, previous infection, or both—and have the option of getting more, via new booster shots that most people have yet to receive.
The policy change in California and Oregon has prompted some reasonable objections: The disease has killed more than 1 million Americans and was the third-leading cause of death last year. The decision was worrisome to those who see rising infection numbers caused by the latest winter surge of a virus that keeps mutating and keeps showing up in wastewater. Still, Oregon officials say the state’s infection rates since easing its isolation guidelines are in sync with the rest of the country’s.
Other objections are harder to justify as a basis for keeping people away from work or school. Some commentators have speculated that the rollback of rules by two liberal states acting of their own volition will encourage partisan attacks on COVID precautions more generally. But public-health restrictions are likeliest to elicit compliance when they’re narrowly tailored to current conditions and when health officials acknowledge the necessity to balance disease control and other societal needs.
Perhaps the CDC will eventually come around to California’s point of view. Ending school disruptions should be among the government’s highest priorities. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona is worried about chronic post-pandemic absenteeism across the country and is eager to bring student attendance back to normal.
California and Oregon have hardly given up on all safety precautions. Both states tell people who are sick with COVID to stay home until they are fever-free and recovering from any other symptoms, and they encourage people who test positive to mask around others and avoid contact with vulnerable people. Employees of California hospitals and nursing homes and certain other settings are still subject to more stringent rules than the new state guidelines for the general public.
Instructing the public to relax but not totally relax requires a tricky balance, but that shouldn’t keep individual states from trying.
Packers.com has consulted more than two dozen mock drafts from reputable national outlets and compiled a list of players most frequently mocked as draft selections in the latter portion of the first round (picks 18-28) who could be available when the Packers are on the clock at No. 23 overall.
Between now and draft day, those players will be profiled with thumbnail sketches and videos known as “Prospect Primers.”
Josh Conerly Jr., OT, Oregon
Key stats: Started 28 games at left tackle over the past two seasons and allowed just two sacks in more than 1,000 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
College honors: Named honorable mention All-Pac-12 in 2023 and progressed to first-team All-Big Ten and third-team Associated Press All-America in 2024.
Background/other info: A native of Seattle, began his high school career as a running back, switched to offensive line as a sophomore, and won the Anthony Munoz award as a senior, given to the nation’s top lineman. Was the top offensive tackle recruit in the country and became a starter as Oregon’s left tackle in his second college season. Was flagged for eight penalties in 2023 but cut that number down in 2024 and allowed just nine pressures and one sack, according to PFF. Was part of an offensive line unit that was a finalist for the Joe Moore Award, given to the top O-line in the NCAA, as Oregon went undefeated in the regular season. Considered one of the top five offensive tackles in this draft.
Decimated by the transfer portal and carrying just eight scholarship players on its roster, Oregon State men’s basketball just missed, falling to Central Florida 76-75 Tuesday in the first round of the College Basketball Crown tournament in Las Vegas.
Knights forward Moustapha Thiam hit a free throw with 55.8 seconds remaining to break a 75-75 tie.
“It was something new, because we hadn’t been in this situation with so much time in between games,” Beavers coach Wayne Tinkle said. “It was a tough balancing act.”
The Beavers, whose season ended with the loss, were without their top three scorers, who were among four OSU players to enter the transfer portal since it opened March 24. Among those absent was leading scorer Michael Rataj, who committed to Baylor on Monday.
“I really credit these guys,” Tinkle said, pointing his thumbs at Liutauras Lelevicius and Damarco Minor. “These guys, especially the last couple days, for the leadership they provided on the court in practices to keep guys fresh, engaged, believing, excited.
“It was tough, because there were discussions about should we participate. I said, ‘This is gonna be a hell of an event, you guys have earned it, even if there’s only six guys we’re going to go down there and represent Oregon State and Beaver nation the right way.”
Oregon State took two cracks at the win during the final 10 seconds. Lelevicius was first, but his drive to the basket was blocked by Thiam. Minor collected the rebound, and hit a baseline jumper with 5.1 seconds left. But shortly before Minor took the shot, OSU coach Wayne Tinkle called a timeout, negating the basket.
Following the timeout, Lelevicius’ three-pointer clanked off the rim, the Beavers’ final scoring threat.
While the Knights (18-16) have dealt with portal departures of their own, they got big performances Tuesday from Tyler Hendricks, Darius Johnson and Nils Machowski with 15 points apiece.
Lelevicius ended with a career high 20 points, and Maxim Logue added 18 points and 10 rebounds to lead Oregon State (20-13). Logue’s points and rebounds were a career high. Minor poured in 16 points and had eight rebounds.
Oregon State thrived in the wicked pace early on, taking a 19-12 lead midway through the first half. But its depth and conditioning was tested as the half waned on, as UCF found a way to settle into the game and start hitting open looks.
Buoyed by eight three-pointers, the Knights took a 45-36 lead into halftime. The Beavers surrendered a 7-0 run heading into the break, appearing out of gas.
“We gave them a couple touchdown turnovers, silly passes that led to layups,” Tinkle told FS1 at the half, noting he expected his inexperienced group to come out in the second half “with their ears pinned back.”
Tinkle’s words came to fruition in the early minutes of the second stanza, as Oregon State rattled off an 8-2 run to cut the UCF lead to 47-44. Minor controlled the pace, and the Beavers’ collective effort ticked up a notch.
The Knights settled down once more, taking a 57-50 lead as the second half progressed, led by the shooting of Hendricks.
Oregon State retook the lead at 62-61 with 9:21 left on a three-point play by Logue, who during one stretch of the second half scored 10 consecutive points for the Beavers.
Dior Johnson’s fastbreak layup gave UCF a 69-66 lead with 5:34 to go, forcing a timeout by Tinkle to settle his group. The lead would change hands repeatedly in the ensuing minutes, leading into a basket by Josiah Lake II with 2:54 to go that put the Beavers up, 72-71.
UCF finished it out, sending the shorthanded Beavers packing. But those who stayed were proud of doing so.
“You’ve got to finish what you start,” Minor said. “No matter what guys try to do, that’s their journey. You’ve got to stick to the gameplan. I’m a loyal guy. Coach gave me this opportunity and I’m gonna bang out with him.”
— Ryan Clarke covers college sports for The Oregonian/OregonLive. Reach him at RClarke@Oregonian.com or on Twitter/X: @RyanTClarke. Find him on Bluesky: @ryantclarke.bsky.social.
Video: Free divers explore underwater forest at Oregon’s Clear Lake
Here are some things to know about Clear Lake in Willamette National Forest and why it’s a haven for West Coast free divers.
This coming summer will be the last chance to swim or take a boat tour in the waters of Crater Lake for an extended period.
Cleetwood Cove Trail, the only legal pathway to the shoreline of the United States’ deepest lake, will close in 2026 and stay closed for years due to a construction project, according to parks officials.
“The park is planning on starting construction in 2026,” a news release from Crater Lake National Park says. “Due to the extent work to be completed and short construction seasons, trail closures will be required and are expected during the duration of the 2027 and 2028 summer seasons.
“During this time, no boat tours will be provided and the trail will be closed due to construction and rockfall hazards. If construction goes as planned, the renovated trail will reopen in summer 2029.”
In an email to SF Gate, Crater Lake information officer Marsha McCabe confirmed that all access to the lake will be cut off and that visitors will only be able to enjoy views of the lake from above. Park scientists will be the only ones allowed the approach the lake, she said.
Although the news release says the trail will reopen in 2029, there appeared to be some chance it could reopen in 2028.
The Cleetwood Cove Trail is the most heavily used trail with thousands of park visitors hiking the trail to gain access to lakeshore each summer. At the bottom, there is a place to jump into the lake. The Cleetwood Cove Marina is the launch point for the concession-provided boat tours of Crater Lake and the park’s boats.
It’s not legal to access the lake by going down the lake’s cliffs into the caldera, and in fact there have been a number of rescues, deaths and accidents from people attempting to reach the lake through that method in the past.
“This project proposes to rehabilitate the trail and related infrastructure to ensure safe access to the lake, provide needed visitor services, and to protect the environment,” the news release said.
The work proposed includes:
- Rehabilitation of the entire 1.1 mile trail including improvements to trail tread and retaining walls.
- Rockfall scaling and mitigation along identified high risk zones.
- Removal and replacement of the failed bulkhead/dock with a structurally stable marina.
- Replacing the outdated and undersized composting toilets located near the marina.
The planning, design and compliance have been completed for the project, with the next step being solicitation of the construction contract.
Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 18 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on X at @ZachsORoutdoors and BlueSky at oregonoutdoors.bsky.social.
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