Oklahoma AG appeals ruling tossing mask ban

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma Attorney General John O’Connor is appealing a state judge’s temporary injunction that prohibits the state from banning mask mandates in public schools.

The appeal filed on Thursday says the state is immune from the lawsuit and that the Legislature may pass laws governing public schools while not regulating private schools.

District Judge Natalie Mai cited the fact that the law did not apply to private schools in approving the temporary injunction. Mai’s ruling allows for exemptions to mask requirements for medical or personal reasons.

The state health department on Friday reported a decline in the seven-day average of new coronavirus cases daily, from 2,507 on August 25th to 2,352. The seven-day average was reported at 196 on June 25th.