Mayor revises OKC emergency orders

Social gatherings of 10 or more people are still prohibited in Oklahoma City under revised COVID- 1 9 em ergency orders taking effect Friday.

Mayor David Holt issued a new emergency proclamation late Wednesday.

Restaurants are free to open for inside dining as long as tables are six feet apart and staff follows strict social distancing and sanitizing guidelines, Holt said.

Movie theaters and churches can open as well but must follow guidelines intended to keep groups separated in rows and pews.

"These social distancing and sanitizing protocols for the highest- risk activities have been vetted by our local public health officials and they represent common sense," said Holt.

"There are many other best practices in state and national guidelines that we also encourage businesses to adopt, but the ones in the proclamations are not suggestions, they are requirements," he said in a written statement ." Meanwhile, we continue to urge all residents to social distance, wash hands and wear mask sin public to protect yourself and others.”

Bars with no on-site food service are still closed. Requirements include:

• Restaurants' servers must wear a face mask, menus must be single-use or disinfected after each use, and condiment bottles must be sanitized after each table change.

• Employees of salons, barbershops and similar personal care businesses must wear face masks and offer disposable face masks to customers. Customers may be seen by appointment only.

• At gyms, bowling alleys and similar recreational facilities, locker rooms and bathrooms must be cleaned and sanitized regularly and have hand-washing supplies.

• Movie theaters, churches and concert halls must offer seating in a staggered manner with at least two seats between customer groups in the same row. Every other row must be closed.

Guidelines include checking the temperature of employees before they are allowed to begin work.

Look for full details at the city of Oklahoma City's website, okc.gov.

Holt said last week it was his intent to let Oklahoma City' s shelter-in-place order expire at midnight Thursday. He said he expected his revised orders to align with st ate guidelines f or a phased unwinding of coronavirus- related emergency directives.

Oklahoma City met White House criteria for entering the first phase, he said.