TULSA, Okla. — Bars and clubs wrapped up the first official reopening night since the city of Tulsa shut down two months ago.
The Rodeo Nightclub’s parking lot started filling at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Their opening time was 8 p.m.
While Macy Parks waited in a packed line with friends, she said, “It’s been so boring in quarantine and stuff, so we’re ready to be back."
Rodeo’s security guard, Chris Pillars, said, “It’s pretty exciting to get back around all our fellow staff members.”
The club now operates at 35% capacity.
“We put tape on the floor for social distancing. We put signs up everywhere. We removed some of the stools, that way it limits where the people are sitting,” Pillars said.
Bars and clubs must have 36 square feet per person. Because of that guideline, Angie Green can only have 100 people inside the Unicorn Club, but that capacity cap does not matter because she has chosen to stay closed.
Green is the owner of Unicorn Club, Enso, and the IDL Ballroom. She said, “This is still just another prep-day for us. I, personally, based on the data, feel like it’s too soon.”
Green and her staff are getting ready to welcome people in June by deep cleaning, strategizing new bar setups, prepping sanitizing stations and even installing a hydrogen peroxide ionizer.
"‘When people are dancing, it gets stuffy in here. That’s just all the air of everybody breathing,” Green said.
The bulk of the state of Oklahoma’s recommendations on opening safely are on sanitation and disinfecting.
While out, the Tulsa Health Department advises residents to wear a cloth face covering, frequently wash hands, and avoid touching the face.
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