OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – As Governor Kevin Stitt announced plans to reopen non-essential businesses across the state in a matter of days, some residents and business are expressing concerns and confusion about the reopening process.
On Wednesday, officials with the Oklahoma State Department of Health announced a three percent increase in confirmed coronavirus cases, totaling 2,894 patients. At the same time, deaths connected to COVID-19 have reached 170 in the Sooner State.
Although the number of cases are still rising, hospitalizations have remained low and are actually declining in many areas of the state.
Gov. Stitt announced his plan to reopen the state and non-essential businesses in three phases, with the first phase beginning on April 24.
Under the guidelines of the first phase of the plan, personal care businesses like hair salons and spas could open while following strict sanitation and social distancing rules.
Restaurants, movie theaters, and sporting venues could open to the public on May 1.
Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt was one of the first city leaders in the state to enact shelter-in-place orders, which closed some non-essential businesses and ordered Oklahoma City residents to stay at home as much as possible until April 30.
Holt told KFOR that his shelter-in-place order remains in effect until the end of the month.
“Mayor Bynum and I, as well as the Oklahoma Municipal League, have been in constant communication with the Governor this last week as he has developed a statewide vision for a new phase in pandemic response. We are very appreciative for that line of communication with the Governor.
As was announced three weeks ago, and in the interest of public health, our city’s shelter in place proclamation lasts through April 30th, as does the closure of personal care services.
On the advice of our local public health experts, it is our intent to follow the spirit of the White House criteria for potentially entering a new phase after April 30th. We dearly hope that public health data allows Oklahoma City to consider entering that new phase on May 1st as the Governor has envisioned. We will continue to monitor public health data and will provide updates on our local plans as we have them.”
OKLAHOMA CITY MAYOR DAVID HOLT
On Thursday, Holt said he wanted to clarify that Gov. Stitt’s order does not supersede city proclamations that are already in effect.
“If you’re a resident of a city, you’re subject to your local laws, then you’re subject to your state laws. For example, where this has come into an issue is virtually all of Oklahoma cities across the state have prohibited personal care services already through the end of the month. I mean, that’s been in place since April 2nd, and the governor knew that. When he made that pronouncement yesterday about hair salons and nail salons, and he said that at his press conference that this doesn’t take effect in cities that already have a proclamation in place. So, it really only affects maybe hair salons and nail salons that are in unincorporated areas, perhaps outside of a city. So it’s not very far reaching,” Holt said.
Holt added that besides the part of the plan that takes effect on April 24th, the rest of the governor’s plan will likely be put in place in cities across the state.
“On May 1st, all of our proclamations in our cities will have expired unless we did something proactive in the meantime. So we’re gonna be having those conversations in the days ahead as we compare our public health data locally with what the White House criteria is for opening,” he said.