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Gov. Stitt announces plan to reopen businesses in phases starting Friday Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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INCREASE THE HOSPITAL SURGE CAPACITY. AND WE HAVE MADE TREMENDOUS PROGRESS ON PPE. THE WHITE HOUSE GUIDELINES HAVE FOUR MAIN GATES THAT WE HAD TO GET THROUGH BEFORE WE COULD START OPENING UP OUR ECONOMY. I WANT TO SHOW YOU SOME GRASS ON HOW WE’RE DOING ON EACH ONE OF THEM. WHAT ARE THE GATES IS TREATING ALL PATIENTS WITHOUT CRISIS CARE IN OUR HOSPITALS? OUR TOTAL HOSPITALIZATIONS PEAKED AT 560 BACK ON MARCH 30TH AND HAS CONTINUED TO DIDN’T TREND DOWN FOR THE ENTIRE MONTH. OF APR TO BE CLEAR. THE GRAPH IS TRACKING PEOPLE IN THE HOSPITAL. WITH CONFIRM COVID-19 OR PEOPLE IN THE HOSPITAL THAT ARE BEING TREATED FOR COVID LIKE SYMPTOMS. WE CURRENTLY HAVE 298 PEOPLE IN HOSPITALS. COVID ACROSS OUR STATE BUT WE HAVE MORE THAN 15 TIMES THOSE AMOUNT OF BEDS AVAILABLE ACROSS OUR STATE. GATE, NUMBER TWO I WAS DESIGNED BY THE WHITE HOUSE IS A DOWNWARD OF DOCUMENTED CASES. IN OUR NEW CASES ARE CONTINUING TO DECLINE. DAILY REPORTING VARIES BECAUSE OF TESTING ON THE WEEKENDS. SO WE TRACK THESE ON A SEVEN-DAY ROLLING AVERAGE. YOU CAN YOU CAN SEE HOW THESE ARE TRENDING DOWN. THES NUMBERS ARE TRENDING DOWN. THESE NUMBERS ARE TRENDING DOWN EVEN AS WE CONTINUE TO TEST MORE AND MORE MORE PEOPLE ACROSS OUR STATE. THE WHITE HOUSE ALSO HAS TO OTHER GATES. WE ARE TRACKING THEM AS WELL INFLUENZA, LIKE ILLNESS HAS AND COVID LIKE SYNDROMIC CASES ARE ALSO THE DOWNWARD TREND. AS I MENTIONED BEFORE WE WILL USE DATA TO MAKE DECISIONS ON WHEN AND HOW TO SAFELY REOPEN RESPONSIBLY. OUR PLAN TO OPEN UP AND RECOVER SAFELY INTO INCLUDES A SIGNIFICANT FOCUS ON TESTING AND TRACING. WE KNOW THAT THIS VIRUS WILL CONTINUE TO BE AROUND FOR A LONG TIME. WE’RE NOT OUT OF THE WOODS YET. THIS VIRUS IS STILL IN THE UNITED STATES. IT’S STILL AN OKLAHOMA. PEOPLE WILL STILL COME IN CONTACT WITH THIS VIRUS. THAT IS WHY SOCIAL DISTANCING AND TAKING PRECAUTIONS LIKE WEARING A MASK. IS STILL REALLY IMPORTANT AS WE CONTINUE TO TAKE A MEASURED APPROACH. ENHANCED TESTING AND TRACING ALLOWS US TO BETTER RESPOND TO PEOPLE WHO GET SICK AND QUICKLY IDENTIFY WHO NEEDS TO BE ISOLATED SO WE CAN CONTROL THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS. I WANT TO BE CLEAR WHEN IT COMES TO REOPEN IN OUR ECONOMY. PROTECTING THE HEALTH OF OKLAHOMANS REMAINS MY TOP PRIORITY WE PUT TOGETHER A GROUP OF INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS FROM ACROSS OUR STATE. AND THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH MY GOVERNOR SOLUTIONS TASK FORCE AND OUR HEALTH ADVISORS TO DEVELOP A WAY TO GET BACK OPEN SAFELY. I’D LIKE TO INVITE CHAD WARMINGTON TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THIS PROCESS AS HE’S BEEN OUR CHAIRMAN OF THIS COMMITTEE CHAD. THANK YOU GOVERNOR. IT’S WAS AN HONOR TO SERVE AS THE CHAIR AND CONTINUE TO SERVE AS THE CHAIR OF THIS GROUP. THE GOVERNOR GAVE US A VERY NARROW FOCUS AT FIRST THE NARROW FOCUS WAS GET OKLAHOMA, OKLAHOMA OPENED SAFELY PRIORITY. NUMBER ONE ONCE WE GET HELP GO OKLAHOMA OPEN SAFELY. WE CAN START TALKING ABOUT RESTORATION IN RESTORING THE ECONOMY. AND THAT IS OBVIOUSLY A BIG IMPORTANCE TO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY OF OKLAHOMA. HE IDENTIFIED SOME STRONG BUSINESS LEADERS THAT WE PUT ON THIS ACROSS THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA CROSSED INDUSTRY SECTORS. THEY ASKED A L OF GOOD QUESTIONS. THEY WANTED TO KNOW RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING TALK TO US ABOUT THE HEALTH METRICS. ARE WE ON PAYS FOR ALL THOSE THINGS? AND HOW DOES HOW IS THE STATE MEASURING THOSE OUTCOMES? WE WERE VERY SATISFIED WITH THE ANSWERS THAT WE GOT AND WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE ON TO NOW DO WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT PHASING IN THE OPENING OF THE OKLAHOMA ECONOMY? AND I THINK WE’RE STILL READY NOW TO REALLY READY TO MOVE ON TO THE RESTORATION PART ONCE WE GET OPEN FOR FOR BUSINESS YOU CAN’T OPEN IF YOU CAN’T OPEN SAFELY WE CAN’T GET OUT OF THE RESTORATION PORTION AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT THIS GROUP IS FOCUSED ON AND WE WERE PROUD TO SERVE THE GOVERNOR AND WE’RE PROUD TO CONTINUE TO SERVE THE GOVERNOR AND TALK ABOUT THE NEXT PHASE WHICH WILL BE RESTORATION AS WELL. THANK YOU SO MUCH CHAD. THANKS FOR ALL YOUR EFFORTS AND ALL OF YOUR OTHER MEMBERS ON THAT COMMITTEE. THAT’S VERY VERY HELPFUL FOR ALL OF US IN THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA LIKE THE WHITE HOUSE GUIDELINES. OKLAHOMA’S PLAN TO OPEN UP AND RECOVER SAFELY HAS THREE PHASES. WE WILL NOT MOVE TO THE NEXT PHASE UNTIL THE DATA TELLS US THAT IT’S SAFE TO DO SO. I WANT OKLAHOMANS TO KNOW THAT EVEN AS THINGS BEGIN TO OPEN. IT IS SO IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING. KEEP WASHING YOUR HANDS STAY AT HOME IF YOU’RE FEELING SICK. THIS IS A CAREFUL AND MEASURED APPROACH DESIGNED TO PROTECT OUR MOST VULNERABLE WILL SAFELY EASING OKLAHOMANS BACK TO WORK. WITH THAT BEING SAID, LET’S TALK ABOUT PHASE ONE. BASED ON THE DATA OKLAHOMA SHOULD CONTINUE TO FOLLOW SAFER AT HOME. GUIDELINES IF THEY ARE 65 OR PART OF A VULNERABLE POPULATION CONTINUE TO MAXIMIZE OUR PHYSICAL DISTANCE FROM OTHERS WHILE IN PUBLIC. AVOID SOCIAL GATHERINGS IN GROUPS OR FACILITIES THAT DO NOT READILY ALLOW FOR APPROPRIATE PHYSICAL DISTANCING AND MINIMIZE NON-ESSENTIAL TRAVEL BASED ON THE DATA EMPLOYERS SHOULD CREATE PLANS TO ALLOW EMPLOYEES TO RETURN TO WORK IN PHASES. COMMON AREAS LIKE BREAK ROOM SHOULD CLOSED WHEN POSSIBLE. IT’S ALSO IMPORTANT BUSINESSES HONOR REQUESTS OF EMPLOYEES WHO ARE PART OF THAT VULNERABLE POPULATION FOR SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS. STARTING ON FRIDAY PERSONAL CARE BUSINESSES CAN REOPEN FOR APPOINTMENTS ONLY IF THEY ADHERE TO STRICT SANITATION PROTOCOLS AND ARE IN COMMUNICATION COMMUNITIES THAT DO NOT HAVE MORE RESTRICTIONS IN PLACE. THIS INCLUDES HAIR SALONS BARBERSHOPS SPAS NAIL SALONS AND PET GROOMERS. THESE BUSINESSES MUST MAINTAIN DISTANCE BETWEEN CUSTOMERS AND ENCOURAGE CUSTOMERS TO WAIT IN THEIR CAR UNTIL IT’S TIME FOR THEIR EMPLOYMENT TO AVOID CONGESTION IN THE LOBBIES OR THEIR ENTRANCES GROCERY STORES SHOULD CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN SPECIAL HOURS TO OUR MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. THEY HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB AND IT’S SO IMPORTANT THAT THEY KEEP KEEP THOSE SPECIAL HOURS FOR OUR MOST VULNERABLE OR ELDERLY POPULATIONS. STARTING ON ME FIRST THE FOLLOWING BUSINESSES CAN OPEN STATEWIDE IF THEY ADHERE TO STRICT SOCIAL DISTANCING AND SANITATION PROTOCOLS RESTAURANTS DINING ROOMS. MOVIE THEATERS IN SPORTING VENUES AND JIM’S PLACES OF WORSHIP CAN REOPEN FOR IN-PERSON MEETINGS OR WORSHIP PROVIDED THAT STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS WEAR MASKS WHEN INTERACTING WITH THE PUBLIC THEY ABSTAIN FROM SERVING FOOD OR COFFEE. SAINT A TIES BETWEEN SERVICES AND KEEP THEIR NURSERY AREAS CLOSED DURING PHASE ONE. BARS NEED TO REMAIN CLOSED. MORE SPECIFIC GUIDANCE WILL BE AVAILABLE ON THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE WEBSITE. THIS IS IMPORTANT IF OUR HOSPITAL IN OUR INCIDENT RATES REMAIN MANAGEABLE FOR 14 DAYS, WE WILL THEN MOVE TO PHASE TWO. BUT ONLY IF OUR DATA TELLS US IT’S TIME. PHASE TW ELDERLY AND VULNERABLE OKLAHOMANS SHOULD STILL FOLLOW SAFER AT HOME GUIDELINES NON-ESSENTIAL TRAVEL CAN START RESUMING EMPLOYERS SHOULD STILL CLOSED COMMON AREAS AND GATHERING PLACES. PHASE 2 ALLOWS FOR ORGANIZED SPORTS ACTIVITIES TO REOPEN UNDER SOCIAL DISTANCING AND SANITATION PROTOCOLS. BARS CAN OPERATE WITH DIMINISHED STANDING ROOM OCCUPANCY WITH SOCIAL DISTANCING AND SANITATION. FUNERALS AND WEDDINGS CAN RESUME WITH MORE THAN 10 PEOP CHILDREN’S AREAS AND NURSERIES AND PLACES OF WORSHIP CAN REOPEN A PHASE 3 IF OUR HOSPITAL IF OUR HOSPITALS AND INCIDENT RATES ALSO CONTINUE TO REMAIN MANAGEABLE FOR ANOTHER 14 DAYS, THEN WE’LL MOVE INTO PHASE 3. WE WILL PROVIDE MORE DETAILED GUIDANCE OF PHASE 3 WHEN IT WHEN WE ARE IN TO PHASE TWO. AGAIN, WE ARE MAKING DECISIONS FOR OKLAHOMANS THAT ARE BASED ON THE DATA IN OUR STATE. IN TO PROTECT THE HEALTH OF OKLAHOMANS I’VE BEEN IN THE CALLS WITH DR. FOUCH E FROM THE WHITE HOUSE TASK FORCE. AND HE HAS TAUGHT ABOUT HOW REOPENING WILL NOT BE LIKE FLIPPING A LIGHT SWITCH ON AND GOING BACK TO NORMAL. OUR PLAN IS A MEASURED APPROACH AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO WATCH THE DATA EACH DAY AND WE’LL PULL BACK IF WE NEED TO. LET ME BE CLEAR. WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING. AND KEEP DOING OUR PART WEAR A MASK IF YOU’RE IN PUBLIC. WE WILL CONTINUE TO WATCH THE DAY TO EVERY DAY AND WHAT WE WILL PULL BACK IF WE SEE OUR SPIKE OR HOSPITALIZATIONS INCREASE. THERE IS LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL AND IT’S STARTING TO GET BRIGHTER EVERY SINGLE DAY AS WE DO MORE TESTING AND WE CONTINUE TO WATCH THOSE CURVES FLATTENED. SO, THANK YOU OKLAHOMA FOR TAKING THIS SERIOUSLY AND DOING YOUR PART TO GET IT TO THIS POINT. GOD B