Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt announced Thursday that he is extending the city's "shelter-in-place" order through April 30. City residents are asked to only leave their homes for essential reasons during that time period.
At a press briefing Friday, Holt stressed that the order's end date could change again.
"I don't think you should assume that April 30th will be the end of it," Holt said. "In fact, you should know that other states have begun to extend their restrictions all the way into June."
Holt also addressed how some businesses owners in the city have asked him to make exceptions to allow them to continue to operate.
"Please understand that I derive no more please from this situation than you do," Holt said. "But, stop trying to find loopholes. What that tells me is that you do not value the lives of the people at your company, your business, your organization, or just the lives of those around you."
As of Friday afternoon, the Oklahoma City metro area has reported 396 cases of COVID-19 and 18 deaths.
