Umatilla County is headed back to high risk status for COVID-19 a week earlier than expected after COVID-19 hospitalizations in the state surpassed 300.

Gov. Kate Brown announced on Tuesday, April 27, that counties were losing their two-week warning period out of concerns over hospital capacity and that the much more contagious B117 variant is now the dominant strain in the state.

“If we don’t act now, doctors, nurses, hospitals, and other health care providers in Oregon will be stretched to their limits treating severe cases of COVID-19,” Brown said in a statement. “Today’s announcement will save lives and help stop COVID-19 hospitalizations from spiking even higher.”

The decision moves 15 counties to extreme risk, and nine to high risk, including Umatilla County. Becky Hultberg, president and CEO of the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems, released a statement in support.

“Oregon has among the lowest overall case counts and deaths of all states, but our cases are now growing faster than almost any other state. We can’t let our guard down now. We support the Governor in making tough choices to control the virus in our communities and get us safely through this pandemic,” she said.

Moving from moderate to high risk means many Umatilla County establishments — including gyms, restaurants, museums, churches and indoor youth sporting events — will have to move from 50% capacity to 25% capacity. Indoor social gatherings are reduced from a maximum of eight to a maximum of six, and retail stores move from 75% capacity to 50%.

Morrow County will stay in low risk, although Commissioner Melissa Lindsay said she hopes that people in the county get vaccinated as soon as possible and remain vigilant about safety measures so the state’s “fourth wave” doesn’t reach Morrow County.

“It doesn’t take much to go backward,” she said.