Governor Kevin Stitt is telling Oklahomans to stay vigilant, but is starting to plan on how to safely "reopen" the state.
In a press conference Wednesday, Stitt said he is extending his "Safer At Home" executive order until May 6. The order requires adults over the age of 65 and vulnerable individuals with serious underlying medical conditions to stay inside except for essential trips to the grocery store or pharmacy.
Stitt says the number of COVID-19 cases is leveling off in Oklahoma and the state will likely see a peak on April 30th.
"What we do over the next two weeks will significantly impact what we can do after April 30, and we need to continue to practice physical distancing, washing our hands frequently and limiting trips to the grocery store and pharmacy," Stitt said.
Stitt said that even under the worst case scenarios in the state's modeling, Oklahoma is in good shape with enough hospital beds, ICU beds and ventilators to handle the peak hospital demand.
Stitt and members of his team feel good about the state's hospital numbers and PPE, and because of that, he will lift his order suspending elective surgeries on April 24, six days earlier than what was originally ordered.
Because Oklahoma will likely continue to see more cases and deaths, Stitt won’t lift every restriction immediately. That includes the suspension of visitations to nursing homes and long term care facilities, the limiting of gatherings of 10 or more people and the closure of non-essential businesses.
But, he is beginning to work on what comes next.
"We are working on plans to re-open our state," Stitt said. "But let me be clear, we’re not out of the woods yet."
The state is currently working on statewide guidelines for re-opening non-essential businesses, including restaurants, barbershops, museums and more. Stitt stressed that he is making decisions based on data and advice from health professionals.
Stitt reiterated his call for anyone with a fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, cough or shortness or breath, or who has been in close contact with someone infected with COVID-19, to get tested as soon as possible.
There are now nearly 90 drive-thru testing sites in Oklahoma, as the State Department of Health has partnered with The Chickasaw Nation to add three additional sites at tribal clinics in Purcell, Ada and Ardmore.
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