Oregon Gov Kate Brown in September 2020.

Gov. Kate Brown has expanded a mandatory mask order to include large outdoor gatherings as well as indoor gatherings.

The new rule will go into effect Friday and includes everyone 5 and up regardless of whether they are vaccinated. Masks will be required in outdoor public situations. Brown also is recommending outdoor masks for private gatherings, though they are not mandatory.

“The delta variant is spreading fast and wide, throwing our state into a level of crisis we have not yet seen in the pandemic,” Brown said in a Tuesday afternoon announcement. “Cases and hospitalizations are at a record high.”

The immediate impact will be on people going to outdoor sporting events, fairs and large gatherings. The new rule will be in effect for the Oregon State Fair in Salem that begins Friday and for the Pendleton Round-Up on Sept. 11. Masks will be required for any college football game as well.

In Bend, concert organizers at the Les Schwab Amphitheater will meet in the next few days to discuss what to tell concertgoers with tickets for Sunday’s performance of Modest Mouse and shows in the coming weeks, said Beau Eastes, marketing director for the Old Mill District. No changes are expected for the Dirty Heads concert Thursday because it takes place before Brown’s new mandate is to take effect.

“We’ll figure out what we can do to put on shows safely while following all state and federal guidelines,” Eastes said.

Morgan Emerson, Deschutes County Health Services spokeswoman, said masks are the best tool to combat the spread of COVID-19.

“The delta variant is more than twice as contagious as the original strain of COVID-19, so it’s more important than ever to be vigilant about taking precautions,” Emerson said. “Getting your COVID-19 vaccine is the best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19.”

Deschutes County Public Health is offering vaccinations at pop-up clinics across the county. To get vaccinated go to www.deschutes.org/covid-19vaccine.

Vicky Ryan, emergency preparedness coordinator for Crook County Health Department, said it was too soon to know how the community would respond to the mask order. But Brown’s order comes as Crook County is trying to expand its vaccination outreach to battle the COVID-19 surge.

“Our vaccination numbers are up with more appointments and walk-ins,” Ryan said. “Our cases have increased, and our case count is the highest it has ever been for Crook County right now. We are continuing to do outreach to the entire community and not just target specific groups.”

Oregon’s hospitals continue to head toward unknown medical territory as the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients hit 1,000 on Tuesday. There are 283 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit beds.

The Oregon Health Authority reported 2,804 new cases and 30 deaths Tuesday. Oregon Health & Science University forecast last week that the highly contagious delta variant would lead to skyrocketing case rates that won’t peak until early next month.

Epidemiologists around the nation have noted an increase in infections that cannot be traced to an indoor spread.

“We are starting to see instances where cases are clustering around events, like outdoor music festivals, that happen outdoors,” Dr. Dean Sidelinger, the state epidemiologist, said in the statement.

A sharp spike in COVID-19 infections driven by the highly contagious delta variant has swept Oregon since July, with increased infection and hospitalization rates. Unvaccinated Oregonians have become sicker longer when infected.

The Oregon Health Authority reported just 7% of adult staffed hospital beds and 8% of adult staffed ICU beds in the state were available Monday. OHA has forecast it will be 500 beds short at the peak of the spike, when daily cases rates could top 5,000 under some scenarios.

Deaths have also been rising, with 159 so far this month, putting it on pace to be the fourth- or fifth-worst level of fatalities since the pandemic hit Oregon in February 2020. Because early vaccination efforts centered on older and medically fragile people, OHA has said the state will not near the 603 deaths reported in December. But the spread of the delta variant is increasing the overall population of those infected, which will lead to an upturn in deaths.

Monday’s totals brought the state to 257,644 cases. The death total stands at 3,036.

The extension of the rules to outdoors mirrors many of the exceptions of the existing indoor mandate.

People do not need to wear masks while drinking, eating or sleeping. Masks are not required for those singing, speaking or otherwise performing in a public setting, during sports games or training. It also has an exception for the homeless.

Because of the speed of the spread of the delta variant, health officials say it is too late for the two-shot Moderna or Pfizer vaccinations to have full effect before the current spike spreads throughout communities.

The only way to partially blunt the expected peak of infections and hospitalizations is by expanded masking at least until the spike levels out and drops dramatically.

“Masks are a quick and simple tool we can immediately deploy to protect ourselves and our families, and quickly help stop further spread of COVID-19,” Brown said.