OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahomans have flattened the curve in their fight against the Covid-19 pandemic and the state will start slowing reopening its business sector, Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt said Wednesday.
And some of those businesses, the governor said, could begin reopening Friday.
Speaking at a press conference at the state Capitol, Stitt said personal care business such as nail salons, hair salons, barbershops, spas and pet groomers could begin reopening on Friday, April 24 as long as they enforce social distancing policies, use strict sanitation protocols and open for appointments only.
The ease of restrictions, however, applies only to businesses in communities that don’t have more restrictive policies in place.
“Oklahomans, you have done a fantastic job,” Stitt said. “We have flattened our curve and we have developed a plan to increase the hospital surge capacity.”
Stitt said he was following a plan, developed by the White House, to reopen business in Oklahoma. He said the three-phase plan will allow more businesses to open statewide beginning May 1. Those businesses would include restaurants – for in person dining – movie theaters, gyms, sporting venues and churches.
The Minority Leader of the Oklahoma House of Representatives criticized the governor’s action, calling it a reaction to fear in a media statement issued shortly after the governor’s press conference.
“The governor’s decision to re-open Oklahoma businesses early comes from a place of fear, and it is understandable for him to be worried about the long-term economic effects of this pandemic,” state Rep. Emily Virgin, D-Norman said. “However, in this time of uncertainty, it is crucial not to make decisions hastily and out of fear but out of fact.”
The Centers for Disease Control has issued clear guidelines on when states should begin reopening, and at this moment, Oklahoma does not meet those criteria, Virgin said.
“Furthermore, since the beginning of this crisis, we have failed to administer proper testing or tracing that is needed to ensure Oklahoma meets the CDC guidelines. Reopening without proper data and against the scientific community puts Oklahoma workers in a dangerous position to have to choose between their safety and their job. We urge the governor to reconsider until better data is available,” she said.
Stitt said total hospitalizations from the coronavirus peaked at 560 on March 30 and have continued to trend down since then.
“We will use data to make decisions on when and how to safely reopen responsibly.,” he said. “Our plan to open up and recover safely includes a significant focus on testing and tracing.”
Stitt said churches will need to follow addition restrictions such as keeping in-house nurseries closed, avoiding touching, and not being able to serve food or drinks.
Social distancing measures, he said, would continue.
On Wednesday, the Oklahoma State Department of Health reported 2,894 confirmed cases of Covid-19, an increase of 87. The department also reported 170 residents had died from the disease and 1,773 had recovered.
Nationwide, 823,786 cases of Covid-19 have been reported along with 44,845 deaths. Data from Johns Hopkins University indicated that, as of Wednesday, 75,204 Americans had recovered from the virus.
Stitt said the state could move to the second phase of its reopening plan if hospital and incident rates remain manageable for 14 days. That phase would allow some non-essential travel to resume, organized sports activities to open, bars would be allowed to open and funeral and weddings would be allowed to resume.
“We are making decisions for Oklahomans that are based on the data in our state and to protect the health of Oklahomans,” the governor said.