March 17, 2021

Oklahoma To Lift Covid-19 restrictions

Governor Kevin Stitt is  set to life Covid-19 restriction in Oklahoma in spite of rising cases and CDC warning according to a March 11 article from The Oklahoman. In it they say:

“Gov. Kevin Stitt announced Thursday he will roll back his few remaining COVID-19 restrictions, including limits on public gatherings and a mandate that masks be worn in state buildings.

Stitt will lift Oklahoma’s COVID-19 restrictions despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention saying it’s too soon for states to start undoing virus prevention measures.

The governor’s announcement came nearly one year after Stitt imposed his first COVID restrictions at the start of the pandemic. Stitt said he will issue a new executive order Friday to undo the restrictions.”

From the start, the governor seemed reluctant to put state-wide mandates into effect according to a March 11th article from Oklahoma Watch. In it they say:

“From the beginning, Stitt said a statewide order would be hard to enforce. But as cases spiked in summer, fall and winter, more cities put in their own mandates. The Trump administration’s White House Coronavirus Task Force recommended a statewide mandate week after week in the last few months of the year.

Stitt relented somewhat in mid-November with an executive order to wear masks for state employees and in state buildings. That was coupled with restrictions on indoor dining and bars.

Stitt on Thursday said wearing a mask should be a personal choice, but advised Oklahomans to continue to be wary of the coronavirus. He said the state’s goal was never to get to zero cases and was focused mostly on reducing hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19. ”

The governor has said that this move will let Oklahomans “get their summer back.”