State health officials announced Monday Oregon will remove general mask requirements for indoor public places no later than March 31.  By late March, health scientists expect that about 400 or fewer Oregonians would be hospitalized with COVID-19, the level of hospitalizations the state experienced before the Omicron variant began to spread.  Mask requirements for schools will be lifted on March 31.  However, Oregon state epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger said the mask requirements need to remain in place for now as COVID-19 hospitalizations crest and Oregon’s health care system strains to treat high numbers of severely ill patients.  Oregon has the third lowest cumulative COVID-19 case rate in the nation and the seventh lowest COVID-19 death rate since the start of the pandemic.  Health experts are strongly recommend high-risk individuals continue wearing masks in indoor public settings after mask requirements are lifted.  Once requirements are lifted, employers and businesses may continue to establish their own mask requirements to protect employees and customers.