In the wake of two confirmed Kingfisher County COVID-19 cases, the city of Kingfisher took the Governor’s amended Executive Order one step further and imposed a stay-at-home order and curfew for all city residents Thursday afternoon.

At an emergency meeting conducted via videoconference, commissioners voted unanimously to approve an emergency declaration that contained those additional protective provisions after the Oklahoma State Health Department confirmed two county COVID-19 cases.

[By Friday, another confirmed county case was added to the State Health Department’s daily situation update, which also showed 988 confirmed cases statewide. Those numbers are expected to increase dramatically in the coming days as testing becomes more available.]

The stay-at-home order allows individuals to leave their residences only if working in an essential business as defined by the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, or to perform “essential activities.”

Those listed activities include:

•Tasks essential to the health and safety of the individual, household members or close acquaintances, such as obtaining medicine or supplies, visiting a health care professional or obtaining supplies to work from home.

•Obtaining needed supplies for the individual, household members or close acquaintances, or to deliver those supplies to others, such as groceries or household safety, sanitation or consumer products.

•Outdoor activities, provided that individuals comply with social distancing requirements.

•Caring for a family member, close personal acquaintance, livestock or pets.

•Weddings, funerals, wakes, memorial services, church services, live auctions or similar gatherings, as long as attendance is 10 or fewer people.

The emergency declaration also imposes a nightly curfew within the city limits of 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., except for emergencies or individuals working in essential businesses.

City Manager Dave Slezickey said the city was experiencing an uptick in nighttime crime, including reports of prowlers and auto burglaries.

“The less people we have out the safer we all are and the less extra strain we put on law enforcement,” he said. “There’s not going to be anything open, even Walmart’s closed by that time now. If there’s an emergency, they can get out.”

“Might have opened a can of worms,” Slezickey said of both the curfew and stay-athome order. “But if we want to get out in front of this and flatten the curve, we need to do this.”

Slezickey said one city employee was self-quarantined at home awaiting a COVID-19 test result and another employee was self-quarantined with a spouse who had been tested and was awaiting results.

Consistent with the Governor’s order yesterday, the city’s amended emergency declaration closes all nonessential businesses as they are currently defined by the Governor and incorporates any future changes he may make to that definition.

In addition to relying on state and federal guidelines as to what constitutes essential businesses, the Governor also has specifically named the following as nonessential: gyms, museums, tattoo and massage parlors, barber shops and hair salons and theaters.

Restaurants and bars also are closed, except for curbside and home delivery, drive-through and take-out services.

(Food trucks are permitted, as long as they don’t provide any outside seating or gathering area and are encouraging adequate distancing during ordering and pickup, Slezickey told the Times & Free Press after the meeting.)

After some discussion, commissioners decided to leave the decision whether to close the Kingfisher Golf Course to the discretion of the Kingfisher Golf Association, which manages the course.

Weekend crowds at the course, which included players from other areas of the state, “were concerning but have been addressed,” Slezickey said.

“This weekend was out of control and they’ve addressed that,” he said. “Now they are only allowing members to play.

“Gary (Wilson, golf course manager) is sensitive to the situation and I think he will shut it down if it looks like it’s creating a risk.”

City parks also will remain open to allow for families and individuals to spend time outside, but playgrounds will be closed and no group activities will be allowed.

Participants in the meeting included Mayor Steve Richards, Vice Mayor Roxie Alexander and commissioners Tammy Mueggenborg, Wendell Prim and Bill Tucker.

All voted unanimously for the emergency declaration.

While other municipalities have imposed so-called “stay-at-home” or “shelter-in-place” orders, Gov. Kevin Stitt has yet to impose a statewide order.

The full text of the city’s emergency declaration appears on the city’s Facebook page.

Kingfisher Police Chief David Catron said his officers also will carry copies of the proclamation to hand out to people who might be in violation, in lieu of writing citations.

“We are going to handle it for awhile as an educational tool,” Catron said. “If we see people just cruising around in circles we will engage them and let them know about the curfew.

“I have told my guys to run copies of the declaration and if they come in contact with people that are just out aimlessly to explain to them why the order has been placed.”

If compliance becomes an issue, then other enforcement steps will be considered, Catron said.