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Oklahoma Medical Group Leader Renews Call For Mask Mandate Amid Record-Breaking Hospitalizations

Got Mask? Oklahoma / Healthier Oklahoma Coalition

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The president of the Oklahoma State Medical Association is renewing the group’s call for a statewide mask mandate as the number of people hospitalized due to the coronavirus has reached record levels.

OSMA President George Monks said in a tweet Sunday that cities in Oklahoma that have adopted mask ordinances have seen lower rates of infection.

“We need face mask mandates to protect more of our Oklahoma citizens,” Monks tweeted.

The association has been calling for a statewide mask mandate since the summer, but Gov. Kevin Stitt has repeatedly said he has no plans to do so, citing concerns about how such a mandate would be enforced.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health reported there were a record-high 821 people hospitalized on Monday, the most recent data available. Monks said many Oklahoma hospitals and their staffs are strained as a result.

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