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Tulsa City and County, River Parks, Broken Arrow Close Park Facilities

Tulsa County

Updated March 27, 11:50 a.m.

City of Tulsa, Tulsa County, River Parks and Broken Arrow park facilities are closed.

In a COVID-19 briefing Thursday, Tulsa officials said people continue to gather at them in large groups despite the pandemic and bans on gatherings of 10 or more people.

City of Tulsa and River Parks dog parks, skate parks and sports courts closed Thursday. Broken Arrow closed the same facilities Friday morning.

Tulsa County closed playgrounds Thursday, but county commissioners decided to close sports courts, including tennis courts, in an emergency meeting Friday morning. The vote on closing them was 2–1, with Commissioner Ron Peters opposed. The county's indoor tennis courts were already closed.

In the same emergency meeting, Tulsa County commissioners authorized the use of the Family Center for Juvenile Justice parking lot as a potential staging area for temporary tents and the use of the old justice center as a potential staging area for people experiencing homelessness in case the COVID-19 outbreak worsens.

City and county golf courses remain open, including Broken Arrow's disc golf course.

Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum said residents can still visit open spaces at parks, but they should avoid large groups and stay six feet away from others.

"We want you to utilize the park system that you, the citizens of Tulsa, pay for at this time, but we have to be smart about it. Getting in giant groups of people and playing volleyball and basketball is not a smart thing to be doing," Bynum said.

The City of Tulsa cannot assign police officers to enforce the closures.

"But what I would ask all parents to be aware of is that the City of Tulsa does not have the ability to go out and sanitize every playground and piece of equipment with the frequency that would be needed to keep it safe. And so, if you’re letting your kid play on that equipment, you are allowing your child to play in an unsafe environment," Bynum said.

Broken Arrow Police will monitor parks and encourage visitors to adhere to guidelines.

Facilities are closed until further notice. People wanting to report violations of gathering or business restrictions in the City of Tulsa can call 918-596-9222.

Matt Trotter joined KWGS as a reporter in 2013. Before coming to Public Radio Tulsa, he was the investigative producer at KJRH. His freelance work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times and on MSNBC and CNN.
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