Oregon’s indoor face mask mandate went into effect Friday.  North Central Public Health District Health Officer Dr. Mimi McDonell says masking is most effective when it comes to protecting others from virus transmission.  She adds a mask does provide some benefit to the wearer by decreasing the amount of viral load coming in to a person.  She says the transmissibility of the Delta variant is much greater that earlier forms of the COVID-19 virus.  McDonell also says masking does not cause problems with breathing, noting medical providers routinely wear face coverings for long periods of time.