If you’re vaccinated and looking for a smooch, now might be the time to visit Oregon.
The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) on Wednesday revised its position on safe-dating practices during the COVID-19 pandemic and now says it is OK to get intimate with your date–as long as you’ve both been vaccinated.
“If you’re both vaccinated and taking COVID-19 precautions, intimacy is likely to be safe,” OHA wrote on Facebook.
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It was a striking change to the beginning of the pandemic last year when OHA released previous advice for daters in the time of COVID-19.
“You are your safest sex partner,” OHA wrote at the time. “Kissing can easily pass COVID-19. Avoid kissing anyone who is not part of your small circle of close contacts.”
Experts had also suggested virtual dating during the early stages of the outbreak.
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Other dating tips by OHA include meeting your love interest outdoors and wearing a mask in crowded public spaces. If your date has potential coronavirus symptoms, the date should be postponed for 10 days.
The message was relayed as more than 76% of the 11,994 reported COVID-19 cases in the week ending Sept. 18 in Oregon occurred in people who were unvaccinated, officials said.
At least 2.5 million Oregonians are fully vaccinated, while just under 22,900 have contracted the virus, the Oregonian reported. To date, at least 204 people in Oregon have died after getting the coronavirus despite being vaccinated against the disease. Their median age was 81.
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“Cases of COVID-19 are far more common in unvaccinated people,” state health officials added. “Vaccination remains the most effective tool to reduce the spread of COVID-19.”