December 31, 2020 3:55 a.m.

Baker County will move from Extreme to High Risk status for COVID-19 when the updated risk levels take effect on Friday.

Governor Kate Brown said Baker County was added due to a corrected oversight in the initial risk level calculations. Baker joins Douglas, Coos, Clatsop, Lincoln and Morrow counties that will move down to high risk. Brown said the move allows some businesses and facilities to begin offering indoor services with health and safety measures, and capacity limits in place.

An update from Brown said the original data calculating Baker County’s risk level included nine cases from adults in custody at the Powder River Correctional Facility in Baker City, which should not have been included in the county’s risk level metrics. As adults in custody do not interact with members of the broader community, the Oregon Health Authority is subtracting those cases from Baker County’s risk level calculation, as they do with all other counties with correctional facilities. That reduction in cases will allow Baker County to be moved down on the risk level list.