I'm cautiously optimistic that the mask mandate has at least slowed down some of the bleeding. It's still not a good thing that there are several hundred cases a day but at least the numbers aren't creeping higher and higher like they were before.

I'm glad the schools have at least paused the reopening but I do worry about what will happen once they do go back to in-person classes, especially now that they're saying that kids are now contracting this thing at higher rates than previously thought possible.

The cases are starting to lessen, due to mask mandates in major cities.

Hopefully, you are correct, but are we still doing same number of tests? I know that when they get backlogged, some physicians will tell you to just assume you have it if you're symptomatic and to not bother getting tested to help lessen the strain on the system. Unfortunately, we also have to wait about a week to find out what the testing done today will show.

I'm glad the schools have at least paused the reopening but I do worry about what will happen once they do go back to in-person classes, especially now that they're saying that kids are now contracting this thing at higher rates than previously thought possible.

A bunch of schools are restarting in-person classes this month. Just yesterday, there was a long pick-up line at Westminster on Shartel.

Almost all the outlying districts will be bringing kids and staff back to school in the next couple of weeks.

High school football practice started yesterday for virtually every school in Oklahoma.

Kids are already going back to college campuses.


None of things have been happening since March. There is simply no way it doesn't lead to more cases, and maybe even a ton more.

A bunch of schools are restarting in-person classes this month. Just yesterday, there was a long pick-up line at Westminster on Shartel.

Almost all the outlying districts will be bringing kids and staff back to school in the next couple of weeks.

High school football practice started yesterday for virtually every school in Oklahoma.

Kids are already going back to college campuses.


None of things have been happening since March. There is simply no way it doesn't lead to more cases, and maybe even a ton more.

Broken Arrow, which is always fighting with Yukon, Moore, Mustang, Owasso, and Bixby for "dumbest suburb in the state," announced that 33 staff in their schools have Covid-19. Then, they announced they would be having in-person classes. LOL you can't make this s--t up.

Broken Arrow, which is always fighting with Yukon, Moore, Mustang, Owasso, and Bixby for "dumbest suburb in the state," announced that 33 staff in their schools have Covid-19. Then, they announced they would be having in-person classes. LOL you can't make this s--t up.

interesting that you named 6 very prosperous growing cities

Hopefully, you are correct, but are we still doing same number of tests? I know that when they get backlogged, some physicians will tell you to just assume you have it if you're symptomatic and to not bother getting tested to help lessen the strain on the system. Unfortunately, we also have to wait about a week to find out what the testing done today will show.
Since yesterday was the last report with number of tests reported I’ll compare the last 4 Monday EORs. Yesterday was 5895, then in order backwards 5770, 5734 and 5912. So at least on that day’s reports the testing level has been pretty level for awhile. The last 4 weekly reports with the last ending 8/6 show 60,774, 106,640, 59,251 and 54,447. So those numbers aren’t dropping either.

Since yesterday was the last report with number of tests reported I’ll compare the last 4 Monday EORs. Yesterday was 5895, then in order backwards 5770, 5734 and 5912. So at least on that day’s reports the testing level has been pretty level for awhile. The last 4 weekly reports with the last ending 8/6 show 60,774, 106,640, 59,251 and 54,447. So those numbers aren’t dropping either.

That's good to hear. Thanks.

Hopefully the masks have helped but with schools restarting, we could easily start trending up again.


And, by the way, if the masks are helping then it really is an indictment on all the political leaders who not only didn't set these mandates earlier, they have actively worked against them both while this was really ramping up and currently.

Yes schools are restarting. However did we see a huge jump in numbers after the July 4th weekend. I guess we did see an increase but not sure we saw a huge spike.

I know many other people that have had COVID are way worse off so I apologize if I’m whining but when I read about people having heart attacks and such weeks after being “recovered” nights like this concern me a bit. I’m sitting here soaking a tee shirt. I can feel the heat radiating from me. I also feel like someone is pushing on my chest trying to keep me from breathing. My temperature is 97.7 so no real fever at all. My oxygen level is a bit low at 90. This feeling happens about three days a week and the worrying that something is really wrong sucks. And I had a mild case that I believe was 5 months ago. Everyone needs to wear a mask and help get this virus over with!

Bill, it is possible you may be a "long hauler." Have you had a negative test?

Yes schools are restarting. However did we see a huge jump in numbers after the July 4th weekend. I guess we did see an increase but not sure we saw a huge spike.

Yes we did see a spike that was our biggest since the start of the pandemic in the weeks after the Independence Day holiday. It is only now beginning to ebb, but just in time for school!

I haven't seen the hospitalizations posted in a couple of days.

What is the hospitalization rate?

I haven't seen the hospitalizations posted in a couple of days.

What is the hospitalization rate?
Yesterday had
530 hospitalized, down 31
218 in ICU, down 5

And, by the way, if the masks are helping then it really is an indictment on all the political leaders who not only didn't set these mandates earlier, they have actively worked against them both while this was really ramping up and currently.

But David Holt couldn't enforce them so what's the point? His delays and excuses are inexcusable.


High school football practice started yesterday for virtually every school in Oklahoma.

It's going to be wild seeing college program shut down and high schools playing if that ends up being the case.

But David Holt couldn't enforce them so what's the point? His delays and excuses are inexcusable.

Not just him but most other mayors and many governors.

Not just him but most other mayors and many governors.

Absolutely, but to be honest, I had higher expectations for him. It was disappointing to see.

Absolutely, but to be honest, I had higher expectations for him. It was disappointing to see.

This. OKC is the capital city, the largest city, and the largest metro in the state. Holt should be leading instead of putting his finger in the wind and following what Norman and Tulsa do.

Instead it's the Norman city council with their prompt action that is getting the pushback and violence from the nutzos. Oh, sorry, the violence was the neighbor who got raped, surely that had nothing to do with the doxing of the city council member who lives nearby.

Only the virus says when things open.
Two Days Into In-Person Start, Oklahoma School District Goes Virtual Due To Virus Exposure | Public Radio Tulsa
https://www.publicradiotulsa.org/post/two-days-person-start-oklahoma-school-district-goes-virtual-due-virus-exposure

Well. I guess antibodies really do wear off. Last week was my 4th time to donate plasma and it tested too low to use. At least I got to help some.

Hospitalizations down 11 to 519.
203 in ICU, down 9.

Hopefully this continues.

Well. I guess antibodies really do wear off. Last week was my 4th time to donate plasma and it tested too low to use. At least I got to help some.

T Cell memory does not though.

I'm cautiously optimistic that the mask mandate has at least slowed down some of the bleeding. It's still not a good thing that there are several hundred cases a day but at least the numbers aren't creeping higher and higher like they were before.


Graph by OU professor shows evidence that mandated mask wear in cities work when compared with cities without it. More details about it here: http://patricklivingood.oucreate.com/okcovid/mask-mandates/?fbclid=IwAR27GARw7q7tKgdPB-9Qx2dfWJB8Wc5NNkDpbAvC6YIy3yammAqiioe-I3o

http://okie.world/photos/maskswork.png

T Cell memory does not though.
Though it’s ability to help in this virus is still very much undetermined, and can be somewhat spotty anyway. It may be a component along with antibody stimulation in vaccines. There have been small inconclusive tests at this point and we do know that it’s effect in people varies with other viruses.

T Cell memory does not though.
I had gone to my Dr yesterday morning for something else and she brought T-cell memory up.

670 new cases today.

9 reported deaths.

Hospitalizations down by 11
815 recoveries

Is the location of a case reported by where the person lives or where the test was taken / processed?

Definitely not going to see many say or report on this because most just tout the new cases total.
But it appears we are heading in the right direction now. Hospital count is headed down. Still high but headed in right direction and well off the peaks.

Our new cases while still high are roughly half of the elevated peak numbers we had. Still high but we are trending down now. I was waiting for yesterday and today’s numbers to truly judge that. But this week shows that we are moving in correct direction.

If we can maintain this momentum. I suspect in a couple weeks we could be down to the 100-200 new cases again and get the hospitalization numbers back down under 200 again. Possibly. Just my guess. But then it’s also Labor Day weekend at that point.

The momentum is positive but we have some huge new variables being introduced, including schools restarting and then cooler weather.

And as history has already taught us, positive momentum can lead to relaxing restrictions and people generally not taking this as seriously as they should.

I won't feel better until we can get these numbers way down and keep them there for several months.

The momentum is positive but we have some huge new variables being introduced, including schools restarting and then cooler weather.

And as history has already taught us, positive momentum can lead to relaxing restrictions and people generally not taking this as seriously as they should.

I won't feel better until we can get these numbers way down and keep them there for several months.

Yep, past school starting and Labor Day, at the very least, so late September would be a good starting point to see if things are *truly* trending down.

The apparent reduction in new daily cases indicates the mask ordinances are paying off. Less casual transmission results, plus, people seeing the masks provides a reminder that we are in a pandemic and this isn't "over," as many people foolishly believed when Stitt "reopened" the state in late April.

Question for the data nerds: Are we seeing fewer tests performed overall? I read yesterday that our overall positive rate is still fairly high.

Speaking for myself, I was informed that I had to have a doctor visit before getting a test through my physician group. This was after easily getting a test three weeks prior. I realize that this is only my anecdotal experience. But I asked them why and they said, "the situation with tests changes constantly."

Also, I'm reading that it is taking forever to get tests scheduled in Tulsa.

There are some politicians who have advocated for reducing testing. I don't believe that is happening in Oklahoma but I have no idea. I am curious, though, if as many people are getting tested as there were two to three weeks ago.

Only the virus says when things open.
Two Days Into In-Person Start, Oklahoma School District Goes Virtual Due To Virus Exposure | Public Radio Tulsa
https://www.publicradiotulsa.org/post/two-days-person-start-oklahoma-school-district-goes-virtual-due-virus-exposure

Isn't anything you do outside the home, where you come in close contact with someone, an exposure to the Virus?

The apparent reduction in new daily cases indicates the mask ordinances are paying off. Less casual transmission results, plus, people seeing the masks provides a reminder that we are in a pandemic and this isn't "over," as many people foolishly believed when Stitt "reopened" the state in late April.

Question for the data nerds: Are we seeing fewer tests performed overall? I read yesterday that our overall positive rate is still fairly high.

Speaking for myself, I was informed that I had to have a doctor visit before getting a test through my physician group. This was after easily getting a test three weeks prior. I realize that this is only my anecdotal experience. But I asked them why and they said, "the situation with tests changes constantly."

Also, I'm reading that it is taking forever to get tests scheduled in Tulsa.

There are some politicians who have advocated for reducing testing. I don't believe that is happening in Oklahoma but I have no idea. I am curious, though, if as many people are getting tested as there were two to three weeks ago.

Testing is pretty much flat since Aug. 1 (8000 a day). You can follow KOCODillon who does a good job keeping track.
https://twitter.com/KOCODillon/status/1293587453853523987?s=20

After having relatively few cases until recently, Louisiana, Florida, Arizona and Mississippi have all passed New York as the states with most total cases per capita. Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina are coming up fast.

Oklahoma is now 27th in terms of per capita cases; we've jumped over 10 spots in just a few weeks.

Not bad. Thought we would be a lot worse off at this time.

Testing is pretty much flat since Aug. 1 (8000 a day). You can follow KOCODillon who does a good job keeping track.
https://twitter.com/KOCODillon/status/1293587453853523987?s=20

Can’t force people to get a test.

Can’t force people to get a test.
Yes. But It’s starting to make me wonder if the real problem isn’t people who are asymptomatic and therefore have no reason to be tested but are contagious. I have no idea how many people I might have given it to.

Can’t force people to get a test.

But it could be made a condition of employment.

But it could be made a condition of employment.

I think that will be a thing going forward. I am sure it will be highly contested in the courts, though.

But it could be made a condition of employment.

As stated by catch, it would be hard to mandate that.

As stated by catch, it would be hard to mandate that.

Not really. At will state. Not discriminating against a protected class. It is protecting the employer from liability issues and keeps group insurance rates lower.
Pre employment physicals to determine if you are fit for employment are already a thing. Adding a covid test is not an unreasonable burden, especially if the job interacts with the public.

You would think if you can have employess tested for drugs, you could have them tested for Covid-19.

You would think if you can have employess tested for drugs, you could have them tested for Covid-19.

I think that is because drugs aren’t a health condition. Drugs are something you are choosing. Covid is a health condition which is protected for employees. That’s where the legality would come into play and what makes Covid absolutely different than a drug test

New 705
Deaths 11
Recovered 795

Hospital jumped by +81
ICU by +37

I think that is because drugs aren’t a health condition. Drugs are something you are choosing. Covid is a health condition which is protected for employees. That’s where the legality would come into play and what makes Covid absolutely different than a drug test

The EEOC came out back in April IIRC with guidance that said that employers absolutely can require testing, and is not affected by the ADA.

Testing is pretty much flat since Aug. 1 (8000 a day). You can follow KOCODillon who does a good job keeping track.
https://twitter.com/KOCODillon/status/1293587453853523987?s=20

Thank you!

That dude deserves an emmy and some SPJ recognition. He is a damn good reporter. KOCO overall is just blowing everyone else away right now. Tight, professional newscast, good, solid reporting, minimal hokie Okie content.

It is reassuring that new cases appear to be going down. Both the Mayor and Dale Bratzler, whom I consider our Dr. Fauci, confirmed that the mask ordinances are working.

Unfortunately, as Pete points out, we have a lot of potential community spread events on the calendar, including in-person school. We will wait to see what happens with that. Also, the current OKC mask ordinance is due to sunset September 8. Hopefully it will be extended as it is already proving to be working.

I’m pretty sure it was on here some pages back that FB pages for both Oklahoma City Masked and Unmasked and Oklahoma Source were mentioned so I followed both. OKC M&UM is a great page. I had to unfollow Oklahoma Source because it’s almost all negative Nellies that see the daily stats and go on and on about how they’re manipulated or flat out lies. This virus is really bringing out the worst in a lot of people.

I’m pretty sure it was on here some pages back that FB pages for both Oklahoma City Masked and Unmasked and Oklahoma Source were mentioned so I followed both. OKC M&UM is a great page. I had to unfollow Oklahoma Source because it’s almost all negative Nellies that see the daily stats and go on and on about how they’re manipulated or flat out lies. This virus is really bringing out the worst in a lot of people.

The best is the Save our State page. The admins have really quality data analysis.

Stores are not doing a great job of enforcing the mask mandate. I'm gonna have to start shopping in nothing but my whitey tighties then when someone confronts me I'll just scream "It's my constitutional right! Clothes make me claustrophobic!"

This virus is really bringing out the worst in a lot of people.

Not sure we can blame it on the virus... I've been noticing more of the worst coming out in people for quite a few years before the virus.

Not sure we can blame it on the virus... I've been noticing more of the worst coming out in people for quite a few years before the virus.
That is true too

So we have a positive case in Oklahoma country school and one in Newcastle. As far as this being the first week I don't like these odds.

So we have a positive case in Oklahoma country school and one in Newcastle. As far as this being the first week I don't like these odds.

There have already been outbreaks at a bunch of schools around the country that opened last week.

It's just a matter if they can be controlled or will end up shutting down schools or at the very least, having a bunch of large groups that are being quarantined at any given point.

It will be interesting to see if schools can maintain staff. Below From a story a few days ago. Someone mentioned Georgia policies upthread. I have a niece teaching in Georgia. They were reminded if they quit their jobs, it’s breach of the contract they signed months ago and the penalty would be revocation of their teaching certification. First they were told all teachers would be required to teach remote students, but would be doing that from the classrooms. Then they decided to allow the kids to chose in class or distant, while the teachers will be required to teach both ways.

I wonder how deep the substitute roster is around the country?

KINGSTON, Okla. (KXII) - Just two days into their school year, Kingston Public Schools are temporarily moving to online-only learning due to a positive case of COVID-19 in the cafeteria.

Superintendent Brian Baster says the need to quarantine all child nutrition staff means food cannot be served at the schools, so they made the decision to move all classes online.

https://www.kxii.com/2020/08/07/kingston-schools-moving-online-after-positive-covid-19-case-shuts-down-cafeteria/

So we have a positive case in Oklahoma country school and one in Newcastle. As far as this being the first week I don't like these odds.

There are way more than that.

There are way more than that.

So now people are just noticing there is a virus out there cause it's hitting schools? Go to any Walmart or Target right now test everyone currently in the store shopping and working and I guarantee you there will be positive test.

So now people are just noticing there is a virus out there cause it's hitting schools? Go to any Walmart or Target right now test everyone currently in the store shopping and working and I guarantee you there will be positive test.
Absolutely certain. The school administrators had to know just by the numbers, known percentages, etc. that there are going to be positive students, teachers and staff. If they don’t then they are not living in the same world as everyone else.

794 new cases today, the most since Saturday.

6 more reported deaths.

I have seen conflicting information on testing in Oklahoma, with some saying "flat" to another source saying 40% fewer tests. In my own case, new hurdles were put up to get a swab test. The "rapid tests" are not counted in our case numbers. Could there be a political motive to pushing people toward the rapid testing?

I have seen conflicting information on testing in Oklahoma, with some saying "flat" to another source saying 40% fewer tests. In my own case, new hurdles were put up to get a swab test. The "rapid tests" are not counted in our case numbers. Could there be a political motive to pushing people toward the rapid testing?
By the last 5 EORs we’ve averaged a little over 8,500 test results per day. That’s as high as it’s ever been. I don’t know where to reports that testing rates are dropping are getting their data.