Tulsa City Council unanimously passes resolution encouraging mask-wearing, vaccinations

TULSA, Okla. — The Tulsa City Council voted Wednesday night to unanimously approve a resolution encouraging mask-wearing in the city, and vaccinations for Tulsans ages 12 and up.

The resolution, which goes into effect immediately following Mayor G.T. Bynum’s signature, was passed 9-0 after a tense, hours-long meeting.

City councilors say the resolution encourages mask-wearing and vaccinations in accordance with the most recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In a news release, the City says they’re asking Tulsans to wear a mask in settings “such as restaurants, bars, places of worship, grocery stores, indoor venues, and other public indoor spaces where proper social and physical distancing cannot be maintained.”

The news release from the City also says there is no fine for violating the resolution, but “the City will enforce its trespassing and disturbing the peace laws for those who violate specific business requirements as it relates to masks.”

Mayor Bynum released a statement on the resolution, saying, “I am in complete agreement with my City Council colleagues on this resolution and will sign it when it reaches my desk. I hope my fellow Tulsans will take note of this unanimous, bipartisan call for all of us to do our part in slowing the spread of a lethal virus by getting vaccinated and wearing a mask in public places.”

Mayor Bynum and Tulsa City Councilors have also agreed to discuss an Employee Vaccine Stipend Program for City employees at next week’s Council meeting.

Under the proposal, employees that are fully vaccinated by Oct. 15 would receive a $250 stipend. If individual departments gain a 70 percent vaccination rate by Nov. 1, each vaccinated employee of that department would receive an additional $250 stipend. Funding for this program would be provided by recovery funds.

For the latest information on masks in Tulsa, click here. For the latest COVID-19 information in Tulsa, click here.

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