Statewide Lockdown Oklahoma

What is the spread?

On May 2, Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin followed through on the mandate of executive order 815 signed Dec. 28 by Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels: Oklahoma will self-declare a statewide lockdown until 6 p.m. Friday, April 30.

"Given that these are still early days in our response to COVID-19, it is most difficult to predict exactly a timeline of when the virus will disappear," Fallin said. "We are working quickly, and we’ll communicate widely throughout the state of Oklahoma to reiterate the urgency of this critical stay at home order."

Oklahomans can travel and work to anywhere in the state in which health officials determine that “as far as practicable” that isolation and social distancing practices be implemented.

Oklahoma has had a statewide lockdown since August 20, 2019. Gov. Fallin declared an emergency situation on that date because of the COVID-19 spread in the Oklahoma City area.

Spokespersons with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other public health agencies have said they do not anticipate that the nation's second largest state will be at-risk for the pandemic. The largest area at risk for spread is Oklahoma City’s east side and portions of southeast Oklahoma City, as well as the state’s eastward fringes, including the western part of Oklahoma County and the cities of Tulsa and Oklahoma City.

Since that declaration, Fallin has said she has been ordering Oklahoma State Patrol officers to enforce temporary rules under which all other cities are considered high-risk areas, including Okmulgee, Stillwater and northern Oklahoma City. The policy of order 815 was put in place on Dec. 28.

The order allows local governments to take a few measures of their own. However, not all such measures are allowed.

Between March 7 and April 8, police in Franklin County in southwest Oklahoma were directed to enforce the ban by issuing tickets to drivers for speeding and to individuals caught violating the ban.

The law also allows enforcement to be directed by the local police chief, who must certify to his discretion that there is no federal order of closure in place.