TULSA, Okla. — Tulsa’s downtown restaurant community is getting high marks for COVID-19 safety from the Tulsa Health Department.
This, despite Tulsa’s COVID-19 map showing downtown’s zip code, and one other Tulsa County, in the severe risk category.
READ MORE: Tulsa Health Department launches new map to track COVID-19 cases by Zip code
Staff at Andolini’s Pizzeria and other downtown Tulsa restaurants are adjusting to a new normal for safety. Whether it’s wearing face coverings, sanitizing more frequently, or having customers wait outside before seating them at a table.
Mike Bausch, owner of Andolini’s restaurant, has several locations in Tulsa County. While different locations allow for different rules, he’s not taking any risks.
“We want to have the most safe environment possible,” Bausch said.
Tulsa Health Department’s COVID-19 risk map shows three severe risk zip codes in or near Tulsa County: 74134, just north of Broken Arrow, 74131, just north of Sapulpa in Creek County and 74103, downtown Tulsa.
The new map tracks the daily active COVID-19 case rate per 1,000 residents and it is updated weekly.
Dr. Bruce Dart with the Tulsa Health Departent said he and his team are looking into high risk areas to find out why some are severe risk and others are not.
“Hopefully over the next few days as we go through all the material on the cases, we’ll have a better answer for people,” Dart said.
While restaurants and other gathering places pose a high risk for virus spread, Dr. Dart said the Tulsa restaurant community’s efforts helped prevent the spreading of the virus. He said people disregarding health recommendations and private events often pose a greater risk because guidelines may not be not followed.
“This virus is a hitchhiker and any opportunity it can hitchhike from them to other people, it’s going to take it and that’s why these precautions are so important.”
These are precautions Bausch said will remain a part of his new normal “until this finally resolves itself.”
CLICK HERE to access Tulsa Health Department's new COVID-19 Zip code map
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