Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt made the announcement Dec. 10. He said churches were not part of public gatherings executive order.
"The end is coming," Gov. Kevin Stitt said in his message to Oklahomans on Thursday. "We can see the light at the end of the tunnel."
Stitt and Col. Lance Frye, Oklahoma health commissioner, offered a COVID-19 update Thursday afternoon from the Capitol.
State health officials earlier Thursday reported 2,460 new cases and 35 more deaths related to the virus, with the seven-day rolling average of new cases again surpassing 3,000.
"These cases and these numbers are still too high, but what Oklahomans are doing is making an impact," Stitt said.
"Now is the time to do more in our fight against COVID-19," he said, explaining a new executive order to curb virus spread.
Public gatherings will be limited to 50% capacity, but that doesn't apply to churches, Stitt said. Youth sports also will see some added safety measures.
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He said the order for bars and restaurants will be extended, including the 11 p.m. curfew.
"I don't take any of these decisions lightly," Stitt said.
Of the 1,709 patients hospitalized across the state, 459 were in ICU beds, according to a Wednesday survey of hospitals. Forty-two adult ICU beds were available, as of the most recent report.
Stitt thanked the health care professionals he met with on a recent tour and said 166,000 doses of COVID-19 will arrive in Oklahoma within three weeks.
"Our nurses, our doctors — they're exhausted. They need our help more than ever right now," the governor said.
He said he's heard from many who want a statewide mask mandate but "many many more Oklahomans who don't want me to."
Stitt cited data from Carnegie Mellon that found 87% of Oklahomans are currently wearing masks compared to 79% on Nov. 1, saying that "closed the gap" with states that have had mandates since summer.
"It's not about magic words," he said again. "It's about Oklahomans doing their part."
Watch the full video via Stitt's YouTube channel:
