Oregon will scrap its mask mandate for indoor public places and schools by March 31, the Oregon Health Authority announced on Monday. Citing declining COVID-19 infections in the state, health officials said it is expected that by late March, 400 or fewer Oregonians would be hospitalized with COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. “The evidence from Oregon and around the country is clear: masks save lives by slowing the spread of COVID-19,” state epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger 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.” Health officials forecast that by late March, the level of COVID-19 hospitalizations would return to what the state experienced before the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus began to spread. The Oregon Health Authority and Department …