Watch: Gov. Stitt announces new state-wide COVID actions

Gov. Kevin Stitt announced a series of new actions to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in Oklahoma in a press briefing on Monday afternoon.

“As you are aware, our cases of COVID-19 continue to go up here in Oklahoma and they’re continuing to go up all across the country. The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in the state of Oklahoma has gone up 19% just in the last week. Throughout this entire battle, my first priority has always been to protect the health and lives of Oklahomans. That’s still true today and that’s always gonna be true,” he said.

Starting Tuesday, Stitt is requiring all state employees and visitors to wear a mask in common areas and near their coworkers in state buildings.

Effective Thursday, restaurants must ensure all tables are six feet apart. If they can’t stay six feet apart, they can install properly sanitized dividers to help keep groups separated.

Also starting on Thursday, the governor is requiring all bars and restaurants to close at 11 p.m. No in-person service of food or alcohol will be allowed after 11 p.m. except for curbside or drive-thru windows.

“These are our first actions but they will not be our last,” Stitt said.

For Logan County, 195 people confirmed people are active with the virus, which sets the highest point at any time. In total, 1,122 people in the county have tested positive for the virus with 924 recoveries and three deaths.

On Monday, the Oklahoma State Department of Health shows that the state has had 156,857 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since March.

There were 10 additional deaths caused by the virus, bringing the state’s total number of deaths to 1,538.

In a release following the governor’s briefing, House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, said House of Representatives space in the Capitol will have a mask policy consistent with the governor’s executive order concerning masks for state buildings and employees.

“The House has worked for weeks on plans to remain functional in session by putting proper precautions in place for everyone’s safety. Strong protocols that are based on the guidance of health professionals and scalable should pandemic conditions change will be announced before session,” McCall said.

Oklahoma Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, said, “The Senate will observe the governor’s executive order in an effort to protect the health and safety of those who work in the Capitol and those who may visit the People’s House.”