COVID-19 has forced another shut-down of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission’s headquarters at the state capitol after it was opened only for employees.
The latest shutdown occurred Friday when a second employee who works at the Jim Thorpe building tested positive for COVID according to an announcement by Tim Rhodes, Director of Administration for the Commission.
He explained the employee had last been in the building on Tuesday and the Commission was carrying out tracing to determine who might have had contact with the worker.
“At this time I need you to direct any of your staff currently at JTB to leave the building until further notice. Later today, we’ll issue and ALL JTB email advising employees not to come to JTB until further notice. After sanitizing, we’ll issue an OK to return notification. Please have staff leave interior and entry doors unlocked to better facilitate the contractor’s access,” said Rhodes in his announcement Friday morning.
Rhodes also announced on Friday the adoption of a mandated regulation that employees in the Commission’s facilities will wear facial masks because of the COVID-19. He said the policy took effect immediately and “will be in effect until further notice.”
“Employees are required to wear face masks at all times when in public and shared areas of an OCC facility, as well as in personal workspace and meeting rooms when unable to maintain appropriate social distancing from others,” wrote Rhodes in his memo.
The memo also encouraged employees to travel by themselves in state-issued vehicles or personal vehicles used for state business.
“When entering or leaving an OCC facility, such as going to or from a vehicle, you must wear a face mask; this includes time walking through the parking lot,” he added. “If you are working in the field, you must wear a face mask any time you are in the presence of another person outdoors while during work hours.”
Click below to see the memo. file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/20200717113425763.pdf to
