COVID-19 Update: Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt Issues New Restrictions
Against the backdrop of surging numbers of COVID-19 cases in Oklahoma, Governor Stitt recently announced the Seventh Amended Executive Order 2020-20. In addition to the protective measures afforded by the previous iterations of the Executive Order, this newest version adds restrictions to restaurants and bars and institutes a mask mandate for those in government-owned buildings.
Effective November 17, 2020, restaurants and bars across the state of Oklahoma are required to institute proper social distancing measures. Specifically, restaurants and bars are now required to ensure a minimum of six (6) feet of separation between parties or groups at different tables, booths, or bar tops, unless the tables are separated by properly sanitized glass or plexiglass. In addition, Effective November 19, 2020, food or beverages of any kind shall not be sold, dispensed, or served for on-premises consumption after 11:00 p.m. daily. This new restriction does not affect a restaurant’s ability to operate via drive-thru windows or by curbside pickup after the 11:00 p.m. cutoff. Sales and service of food and non-alcoholic beverages may resume at 5:00 a.m. the next day, and the sale and service of alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption may resume at 8:00am.
Effective November 17, 2020, all persons on property owned or leased by the State of Oklahoma—including both state employees and visitors to the property—are required to wear a mask or similar facial covering. Notable exceptions to this mask mandate are children under the age of ten (10), when a person is alone in an enclosed space, when an individual has a bona fide religious objections to wearing a mask or facial covering, and when an individual is eating or drinking.
U.S. Department of Labor Updates Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Cloth Face Coverings at Work
On the heels of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recently issued scientific brief regarding the use of cloth masks to control the spread of COVID-19, the United States Department of Labor (DOL) updated its Frequently Asked Questions regarding the same issue.
The CDC’s scientific brief states that masks are principally intended to reduce the spread of the virus from asymptomatic or presymptomatic infected wearers who may not know they can infect others with COVID-19. This type of protection is called “source control.” Additionally, masks help to reduce inhalation of the virus by the wearer, protection dubbed “filtration for personal protection.” Thus, based on these findings, the CDC recommends community use of non-valved multi-layer cloth masks.
Even still, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) stated that “not enough information is available to determine whether a particular cloth face covering provides sufficient protection from the hazard of COVID-19 to be personal protective equipment (PPE) under OSHA’s standard.” Thus, at this time, OSHA does not consider cloth face coverings to be PPE. OSHA’s update is consistent with the CDC’s scientific brief, which states more research is needed to ascertain the exact protective effects of cloth masks.
OSHA still strongly encourages employees to wear face coverings at work, especially when in close contact with others, in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
For more information on this alert and its impact on your business, please call:
Phoebe Mitchell is an Associate in the Oklahoma City office of the firm. (click name for profile page) Contact her by phone, 405.606.4711, or by email.
Phillips Murrah’s labor and employment attorneys continue to monitor developments to provide up-to-date advice to our clients during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Keep up with our ongoing COVID-19 resources, guidance and updates at our RESOURCE CENTER.
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