Tulsa Area Officials Give COVID-19 Update; Mask Ordinance To Expire April 30 If COVID-19 Cases Remain Low

Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum said the city is still on track to have its mask mandate expire at the end of the month.

The Mayor and Health Department released the latest numbers and data on Thursday.

The city of Tulsa's mask mandate is set to expire on April 30th and Mayor GT Bynum says there are several reasons for that.

Bynum said 40 percent of people who live in Tulsa County have now received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine which is above the state average.

Mayor Bynum encouraged everyone who wants a COVID-19 vaccine to get one.

He also said hospital capacity is no longer a concern, one of the main reasons they initiated the mask mandate in the first place last summer. Tulsa’s mask ordinance was first signed on July 19, 2020. Since January, hospital numbers have dropped dramatically in the county, and right now only 40 people are in the hospital with COVID-19.

That number was more than 450 in early January.

Related Story: Tulsa Mayor Supports Letting Mask Mandate Expire If COVID-19 Numbers Remain Low

“Our trends remain in a very good place,” Bynum said Thursday. “The recommendation of the Tulsa Health Department is to allow [the city’s] mask ordinance to laps on April 30th.”

Bynum said it’s important that Tulsans understand the pandemic is not over even if the mandate expires.

“Tulsans should continue to proceed with caution,” Bynum said.

He said he's making decisions based on suggestions and data from the Tulsa Health Department.

"Today, with COVID hospitalizations at record lows and vaccinations available to everyone who wants them, its’ no longer necessary to invoke the city's police powers as it relates to a mask ordinance," said Bynum.

Mayor Bynum stated that any event over 500 people will still be required to have an approved safety plan, and all restaurant and bar employees are still required wear masks at work.