COVID-19 UPDATES 3/25/20

HEALTH DEPARTMENT STATUS

• As of this advisory, there are 164 positive cases of COVID-19 and five deaths in Oklahoma.
• The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) continues to support guidelines from the CDC related to social distancing and personal hygiene. OSDH encourages Oklahomans to stay home, reduce person-to-person contact, wash hands frequently, and avoid touching your face. If you develop symptoms such as fever, shortness of breath or cough, please contact your medical professional or call the COVID-19 call center at 877-215-8336 or 211 for assistance.
• For more information, visit coronavirus.health.ok.gov.

GOVERNOR’S “SAFER AT HOME” ORDER

• Governor Stitt announced a “Safer at Home” EXECUTIVE ORDER on Tuesday that has varying levels and locations of effect.
• STATEWIDE, the order:
  • Issues a “Safer at Home” order that requires adults over the age of 65 and vulnerable individuals with serious underlying medical conditions to stay home (essential errands by this population for work, groceries, medications and medical appointments are still allowed).
  • Limits social gatherings to no more than 10 people.
  • Prohibits visitations to nursing homes and long-term care facilities.
  • Postpones all elective surgeries, minor medical procedures and non-emergency dental procedures until April 7, 2020.
    
• In COUNTIES WITH CONFIRMED CASES of community spread, effective at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, the order:  
  • Requires restaurants to provide take-out and delivery options only and closes all bars.
  • Closes businesses through April 15 that are not identified within the extensive federal critical infrastructure sector listed here: 
    www.cisa.gov/publication/guidance-essential-critical-infrastructure-workforce.
  • Additions to the critical infrastructure list by the Governor can be found here: https://www.sos.ok.gov/documents/filelog/93400.pdf.
  • The Governor may make further additions to the critical infrastructure list and will reevaluate the order April 15.
• Several questions are UNANSWERED about the order at this point. The governor’s office is expected to release further details and answers to frequently asked questions today. Legislators have sent many constituent inquiries to the governor’s office for answers.

 
SCHOOLS

• The Board of Education met at 9:30 AM to approve Superintendent Joy Hofmeister’s recommendation to keep schools PHYSICALLY CLOSED the rest of the school year while launching a Continuous Learning Program on April 6. View the agenda here.
• The meeting was LIVESTREAMED on Facebook at: facebook.com/OklaSDE/
• Further details on how schools will provide CONTINUOUS LEARNING PROGRAMS without being physically open are expected to be released during the meeting and in the days following.

 
UNEMPLOYMENT CLARIFICATION
—INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS are not currently eligible for state unemployment benefits, but are EXPECTED to be eligible for federal disaster unemployment assistance through the coronavirus aid package Congress is preparing to approve.


As always, I can be reached via email at daniel.pae@okhouse.gov and phone at 405-557-7374.  ​