City of Sapulpa institutes a “catastrophic health emergency,” residents ordered to “shelter in place” until May 4th

“It’s going to get worse before it gets better,” City Manager Joan Riley said before an extremely sparse emergency city council meeting on Thursday, April 2nd; several City Councilors had opted to call into the meeting by phone. Aside from the Sapulpa Times and one couple in the back of the room, there was nobody in the audience to hear the discussion taking place.

It wasn’t a discussion as much as a mutual understanding that this is what needed to happen now. “There’s nothing wrong with people getting out and about,” Riley continued, “but they’re still congregating.” Speaking about the previous orders and CDC guidelines about practicing social distancing, Riley said that she doesn’t feel it’s being taken seriously enough. “They’re not taking it to the level they need to,” she said.