Thread by @CathJSweeney

Gov. Kevin Stitt is kicking off today's Oklahoma coronavirus update. He has Commissioner of Health Lance Frye and Oklahoma Restaurant Association President Jim Hopper. I'll be tweeting here.

Stitt: My first priority throughout the pandemic has been protecting health and lives. I've had two others. "We're going to keep our businesses open safely. And we're going to get all kids back in school at the end of Christmas break."

Stitt: I am implementing the following new rules. Starting Thursday, all restaurants must be six feet apart or have dividers. All restaurants and bars will all be closing by 11 p.m.

Stitt: Starting this week, everyone in state buildings will have to wear masks inside.

Stitt: I've promised from day one to make the right decisions based on the data. We've been completely open for six months now, but recently our numbers, especially hospitalizations, are going up. "Now is the time to do more."

Stitt: Today is Oklahoma's 113th birthday. In that time, we've pulled together through hardship. And it's time to keep doing so.

Jim Hopper, president and CEO of Oklahoma Restaurant Association: Our industry supports the actions announced today. "We're committed to doing our part as an industry while continuing to operate our businesses safely."

Hopper: We'll be asking all restaurant workers to wear masks on their premises.

Frye: This virus is everywhere in the U.S. and in Oklahoma. "If you think it isn't in your community, you're wrong." The governor has asked countless times to wear a mask. "We can't just anchor on masks."

Frye on Thanksgiving: "If we don't adjust how we gather safely next week, Christmas could be much worse." Get tested, spread out tables around your house, eat outside if it's nice.

Stitt: "These aren't our first actions. They won't be our last." We're continuing to work with our hospitals every day. We're getting rid of red tape to make sure hospitals can treat people.

Stitt: "Unfortunately, I can't mandate every school to be back in person."

Stitt: I can't require the Capitol and lawmakers to mandate masks. I can control regulations in executive buildings. A mandate in the Capitol is up to the Legislature. "I'm 99 percent sure they're going to be with us on it." #okleg

Stitt: We're not worried about compliance. "We're all Oklahomans. We're all trying to flatten the curve together." We discussed limiting capacity, but all buildings are different. We decided 6 feet was the right thing to do.

Stitt: "We've said wear a mask since March." We've taken our foot off the gas a little bit. For five months, the curve was flat. "We have to take it more seriously."

Frye: "When we talk about capacity, we're talking about staffed capacity." It changes every hour. Staff comes in and out, there are new discharges. We have patients waiting for ICU capacity outside of a covid pandemic.

Frye: "We're also working on selective surgical reductions." Hospitals are already sending their own internal plans using reduction to OSDH.

Frye on whether people who have gotten covid and have antibodies should have to wear a mask: CDC says you're immune for about 3 months. White House says that's conservative. But there are different strains. "It's easier for everybody to wear a mask."

Hopper: We put out a daily update and have since march. One of our biggest messages is to wear a mask even when it's not mandated to keep your employees safe.

Hopper: "People need those jobs. Restaurants need to serve people." We all need the sales tax. "It's just so very, very important for this industry to survive." These rules will hurt sales, but we've seen restrictive measures in other states. "We don't want that to happen."

Stitt on whether he's talked with OK's congressional delegation about stimulus funding: We had dinner with them a few weeks back. "We'll be in DC with them tomorrow and Wednesday." They're waiting to see how Senate elections go and what developments take place.

That’s a wrap