Nutrition Centers Switch to Meal Pick Up Only

Sallisaw Nutrition Center

Nutrition centers throughout Oklahoma, including the one in Sallisaw, will be closed to in-person diners as part of the efforts to control the spread of the coronavirus.

The centers, which help feed senior citizens, will still be cooking, but all meals must be picked up. Dining at the facilities will be prohibited until further notice, said Carol Thomas, director of the Sallisaw Nutrition Center.

Thomas said the announcement was made during a conference call for nutrition center staffs throughout the state. Centers are asked to immediately begin prohibiting diners inside their facilities. Meals are now going to be handed out via drive-through service.

“I’m sad, because this is often the only time our senior citizens can socialize," Thomas said, adding “(The closure) is good, though, because it will keep our senior citizens and our staff healthy. So it’s good and bad,” she said.

According to the CDC, the elderly are especially vulnerable to the coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, and closing the nutrition centers is vital to stopping the spread of the deadly illness, officials said.

Laura Brown, KXMX Staff Writer

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