Gov. Kevin Stitt announced during a news conference Thursday that he will issue an executive order to remove all COVID-19 restrictions on events statewide, as well as removing the requirement to wear masks in state buildings.Stitt said he will issue the new executive order Friday. Municipal restrictions, such as Oklahoma City's mask mandate, will stay in place.“Because of the progress we have made, I will be issuing a new executive order tomorrow. There will be no statewide restrictions on events, or Oklahomans. I’m also removing the requirements to wear a mask in state buildings. More Oklahomans are getting vaccines each day, and the CDC's new guidelines mean wearing a mask should be a personal decision based on your circumstances,” Stitt said.Stitt stressed that COVID-19 is still in Oklahoma and Oklahomans should still do their part to help prevent the spread of the virus. He encouraged people to wear a mask depending on their circumstances. "The standard for normal cannot be zero cases. In Oklahoma, the standard for normal is freedom. The freedom to worship, the freedom to go to work and earn a paycheck, the freedom to visit your loved ones in nursing homes, the freedom to send your kids to school in person, and the freedom to protect your family however you see fit," Stitt said. "As long as I'm governor, I will protect the freedoms of Oklahomans." Stitt, Commissioner of Health Dr. Lance Frye and Secretary of Health and Mental Health Kevin Corbett held a news conference to review Oklahoma’s approach to COVID-19 over the last year and announce next steps to, “get our summer back.” KOCO 5’s Dillon Richards asked Stitt why this is the right time to drop restrictions, and he pointed to declining hospitalizations and case counts. “Oklahoma has been fully reopened since last June. We are watching these cases. You just saw the graphs. The numbers are lower today than they were last summer on a 7-day average before some of the municipalities put in more restrictions,” Stitt said. “We look at hospitalizations very closely. That was the whole goal when we thought about flattening the curve, 15 days to flatten the curve last spring. Now we have less than 300 people in the hospitals statewide. We want to get our summer back. But also at the same time, we are telling Oklahomans to take personal responsibility, continue to be vigilant. And I think Oklahomans will do the right thing.” Before this announcement, COVID-19 restrictions in Oklahoma include:Attendance at youth indoor sporting events are limited to four spectators per participant or 50% of the building’s capacity, whichever is lower. Public gatherings are limited to 50% capacity unless the local health department has granted an exception. Examples of public gatherings include weddings, funerals and holiday parties at event centers. This doesn’t apply to churches, but Stitt said he wants church leaders to continue to innovate in their ways to prevent the spread of the virus. Restaurants must ensure all tables are 6 feet apart. If they can’t stay 6 feet apart, they can install properly sanitized dividers to help keep groups separated. All state employees and visitors to wear a mask in common areas and near their coworkers in state buildings.