Finally! Oregon Changes Policy On Outdoor HS Athletes Wearing Masks

Well, what do you know? The Oregon Health Association has decided to revise its rule on high school athletes wearing masks during competition. And all it took was a runner collapsing during a track meet for things to change.

Finally, athletes competing in outdoor sports will no longer have to don masks. This makes Oregon much like the rest of the United States -- at least in that regard.

The Oregon School Activities had been pushing for the change for months, noting that the majority of other states had already revised these type of bizarre mask policies for the spring season.

Just last week, Maggie Williams, a student who was running the 800-meter for Bend Summit High School, collapsed just ahead of the finish line while donning a mask. Before that, she appeared on her way to smashing to school record.

“I was pushing so hard and everything went blurry and I just fell,” Williams told the Bend Bulletin. “But luckily I fell at the right spot and crossed the line with my head.”

Of course, removing masks is just the first step for outdoor athletes in Oregon.

"Though masks are no longer mandatory, other COVID-19 safety guidelines are, such as maintaining 6 feet of distance, which could be potentially difficult to enforce in sports like track and field," reported KGW8 TV. "It is unclear how such rules will be enforced."