Oregon will lift a mask mandate for indoor public places after health leaders determined that hospitalizations from COVID-19 will significantly decline by late March.

The announcement by the Oregon Health Authority on Monday came as the state issued a new rule extending the indoor mask mandate that was set to expire on Tuesday.

According to the state, the extension will run no later than March 31. The mask requirement at schools will be lifted on March 31.

Health experts project that about 400 people would be hospitalized with COVID-19 by late March, roughly the same level as before the omicron variant led to a surge of new virus cases across the state.

“The evidence from Oregon and around the country is clear: masks save lives by slowing the spread of COVID-19,” Dr. Dean Sidelinger, the state’s health officer and state epidemiologist, said in a statement. “We should see COVID-19 hospitalizations drop by the end of March because so many Oregonians are wearing masks and taking other steps to protect themselves and each other, such as getting a booster shot or vaccinating their children. At that point, it will be safer to lift mask requirements.”

Clatsop County recorded more than 1,200 new virus cases in January, the most of any month so far in the pandemic. But the virus cases tied to the omicron variant have so far not led to the same levels of hospitalizations and deaths in the county as a summer surge linked to the delta variant.

Businesses and others will have the discretion to continue indoor mask requirements after the state mandate is lifted.

The Oregon Department of Education will likely issue new virus protocols for schools to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 once the state mandate ends.

School districts, in particular, have been under pressure from parents and others over the indoor mask requirement.

“I will talk to my board Wednesday night – but we’ll go through a process with our community and our parents and our staff and students to get their input and move forward with that,” said Craig Hoppes, the superintendent of the Astoria School District.