Tulsa City Council votes to extend mask mandate through April

TULSA, Okla. — The Tulsa City Council voted unanimously to extend the mask ordinance in the city.

A mask ordinance has been in place in Tulsa since July 2020. This new extension will be in place until midnight, April 30th, 2021.

This is the third time a mask ordinance has been approved by the council and the second extension.

“When the Council originally approved the mask requirement in July, we made a commitment to citizens that we would publicly re-evaluate this ordinance every 90 days to see if an extension was needed,” Council Chair Vanessa Hall-Harper said. “Dr. Bruce Dart, the Executive Director of the Tulsa Health Department, recommended that the mandate and other COVID-19 mitigation efforts should continue until the end of summer. This extension will give the time needed for more people to get vaccinated.”

The revised ordinance mandates face coverings be worn inside public spaces and outside where social distancing isn’t possible. Masks are required for anyone 10+ years old.

The amendment includes the current mask mandate and the additional virus mitigation measures approved in November:

• Requiring a COVID-19 Safety Plan for events of 150 people or more – safety plans must be submitted to the Tulsa Health Department 14 calendar days before the event• Requiring separation or distance provisions in use at restaurants, bars, and other places of public accommodation and public settings

• Requiring 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

• Giving the Tulsa Health Department authority to enforce the City’s COVID-19 ordinances in places of public accommodation, public settings, restaurants, and bars – with City code enforcement assisting

“The reality is that our hospitals have never been under greater pressure at any point of this pandemic than they are right now,” Tulsa Mayor GT Bynum said via social media. “The men and women working to save the lives of our neighbors need our help, and wearing a mask is one way every single Tulsan can give them that help. We shouldn’t have to mandate it like this, but unfortunately, that has become necessary.”

A detailed list of FAQs, background on places of public accommodation, and other information and resources are available here.

To view information on how to operate a business or organization safely, visit this link.

Cox Media Group