Tulsa City Council Passes Additional COVID-19 Measures; Tulsa Health Department to Enforce New Ordinances

(TULSA, Okla.) Tuesday evening, the Tulsa City Council passed additional COVID-19 measures, which: Require a COVID-19 Safety Plan for events of 150 people or more (previously 500) – safety plans must be submitted to the Tulsa Health Department (THD) 14 calendar days before the event Give THD authority to enforce the City’s COVID-19 ordinances in places of public accommodation, public settings, restaurants and bars – City code enforcement will assist Require separation or distance provisions in use at restaurants, bars and other places of public accommodation and public settings Require entities to consistently make adequate efforts to have patrons and attendees comply with face covering requirements and to implement a sanitation protocol to protect employees and customers THD will work with entities of public accommodation to ensure compliance with City ordinances. Businesses that do not take measures to comply with face covering, social distance, separation, or event requirements can be declared a public nuisance and will be subject to abatement and penalties. The mask ordinance in the City remains the same. These newly passed ordinances build upon the City’s existing mask mandate, which requires a mask for all persons 10 years old and older in public settings and in places of public accommodation. To report non-compliance with existing City ordinances regarding COVID-19 measures, visit www.tulsa-health.org/COVIDcomplaint. Residents should only call 911 for life-threatening emergencies. Updated ordinances will be made available at www.cityoftulsa.org/COVID19. Additionally, a detailed list of FAQs and background on places of public accommodation will also be made available on that webpage. “I want to thank leadership from so many of our surrounding communities and especially my colleagues on the Tulsa City Council for stepping up to help save lives and assist our strained healthcare system,” Mayor G.T. Bynum said. “I fully support these increased mitigation efforts for Tulsa and strongly encourage Tulsans to stay vigilant as we navigate through one of the most testing times of this pandemic. I will sign these measures into law at 11:30 a.m. tomorrow, and am grateful for all the businesses and individuals who are doing their part to help mitigate the spread of this disease.” “Many thanks to my colleagues on the Council, the Mayor and City/Health Department staff for their efforts in crafting regulations to protect our community,” Council Chair Ben Kimbro said. “Local government is responsible for ensuring public safety. These ordinances were passed in the interest of saving lives; period. I ask the community to partner with the City and the Health Department to help stop the spread of this virus. We all need to work together to preserve the health of our fellow citizens, especially our most vulnerable.”

“I appreciate the City of Tulsa’s efforts to strengthen existing ordinances to slow the spread of COVID-19 and protect our community, particularly our most vulnerable,” THD Executive Director Dr. Dart said. “The Tulsa Health Department remains committed to protecting the health and well-being of Tulsa County residents as well. Just as THD staff inspect local food establishments to ensure they are operating safely to prevent foodborne illnesses; our staff will now also help local businesses keep their employees and customers safe.” 10 Days: Say Yes to the Rest COVID-19 numbers in the Tulsa metro are headed in the wrong direction. Our healthcare system is experiencing a significant strain ahead of Thanksgiving. To better encourage countywide mitigation efforts, the Tulsa Health Department has launched a new graphics campaign to encourage Tulsans to practice enhanced vigilance between now and the end of the month. Anyone can download and use these graphics, which can be downloaded online: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/f2r4l40268dicuv/AAB8A3qzjePRH2O5PXherV5oa/10%20Days Ahead of Thanksgiving, THD asks Tulsa area residents to: Avoid gatherings Take precautions at Thanksgiving (give thanks only with those in your household or do a videoconference Thanksgiving) Stay safe while shopping (shop online, if possible) Wash your hands Wear your mask Watch your distance Order take-out Work from home, if possible In response to the 10-day challenge, Tulsa Area Attraction has issued a united response. Below are some of their mitigation efforts: Tulsa Ballet - reduced capacity to below 10 percent in all operations and let administrative staff work from home the week after Thanksgiving Tulsa Zoo - continues to cap capacity and sanitize all high-touch surfaces every few hours Philbrook Museum - changed operating hours and is strictly enforcing the mask mandate with no medical exemptions allowed BOK Center - delayed the start of Arvest Winterfest to November 30 ahha Tulsa - continuing to let staff work from home, when possible, and is imposing quarantine for staff members who celebrate with people outside of their household Gilcrease Museum - continuing to enforce Tulsa’s mask mandate and is capping capacity Gathering Place - in addition to its enhanced sanitation efforts, is reducing its operating hours and will close buildings should Thanksgiving crowds warrant Discovery Lab - continues to enforce the mask mandate, check temperatures and limit guest sizes Tulsa Performing Arts Center - moved its planned indoor concert for November 21 to a livestream event with no audience Situation Update To date, the Tulsa Health Department (THD) has confirmed 30,917 positive COVID-19 cases in Tulsa County. 25,651 residents have recovered and 258 have died. Test results are updated daily at www.tulsa-health.org/COVID19. For the most up-to-date news, information and business resources in Tulsa, visit www.cityoftulsa.org/COVID19.