PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Governor Kate Brown has changed the guidelines to help keep counties out of the ‘extreme risk’ level for COVID.

Counties that face being moved back to ‘extreme risk’ will get a two week extension to get case numbers back down.

Brown said in a news release Thursday the pause on rolling back to the extreme level will allow businesses to avoid abrupt closures and other major changes. Brown says if case numbers don’t improve in those two weeks, however, a county will move backward.

She says she recognizes the challenges businesses encounter when facing a switch back and forth between extreme risk and other risk levels.

Currently there are only five counties still at the ‘extreme risk’ level: Benton, Jefferson, Douglas, Coos, and Josephine.

The next changes to the risk categories will be announced Tuesday.