Oklahoma Democrats want governor to issue emergency order
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July 28, 2021
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Some Democrats in the Oklahoma House of Representatives want Gov. Kevin Stitt to reinstate an emergency declaration as COVID-19 cases rise in the state, something the Republican has said he will not do.
"Needs across Oklahoma are different, and one thing is clear - we need local control returned and we need it now," Rep. Melissa Provenzano, a Democrat from Tulsa, said in a statement Monday.
Stitt ended the state's emergency declaration in May and, during a news conference Friday, said he has no plans to issue another.
"This is about personal responsibility," Stitt said at a press conference in Tulsa. "This is about freedoms."
Health officials say an emergency order would give them flexibility, such as converting non-patient rooms into patient rooms.
An emergency order would also allow public schools to issue mask mandates.
Data from Johns Hopkins University on Tuesday shows the seven-day rolling average of new cases in Oklahoma has risen from 487.1 daily on July 11 to 1,158.9 on July 25. The state health department on Monday reported 519 COVID hospitalizations, topping 500 for the first time since late February.
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