Here is a week over week comparison of new cases, current week first, last week second:

Tuesday: 295 vs. 228
Monday: 218 Vs. 186
Sunday: 478 vs. 158
Saturday: 331 vs. 225
Friday: 352 vs. 222
Thursday: 450 vs. 146
Wed: 259 vs. 117

Total: 2,383 vs. 1,282

So, almost double last week, which had been the highest week since this began.

do you have the # of tests given per day??

do you have the # of tests given per day??
The number of tests/day has no meaning unless the % of positives accompany the info.

I am still trying to dig up the actual text of the bill, but this is from an AP report.



I believe this bill is a response to the Norman Mayor making much more drastic changes regarding church re-openings, after stitt said they could re-open.

She did not take “more drastic actions.” She just tried to extend the closure of churches to in-person services a couple more weeks. That whole thing smacked of a political hit job against her by the AG.

do you have the # of tests given per day??

Dillon posts them daily. Tests staying pretty flat with positive rate increasing the last weeks.

https://twitter.com/kocodillon/status/1275460079848796161?s=21

https://i.imgur.com/hGGCjfy.jpg

https://coronavirus.1point3acres.com/

She did not take “more drastic actions.” She just tried to extend the closure of churches to in-person services a couple more weeks. That whole thing smacked of a political hit job against her by the AG.

This is true, "more drastic action" was a bad comment to make.

Just trying to write what the AP article said and added emphasis.

Holt transcript.
https://www.facebook.com/cityofokc/posts/10156992325802312

And the argument "we are just testing more" is false. We are also getting a higher percentage of positive results:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EbNYC3KUcAAmY5T?format=jpg&name=medium

For those asking about amount of testing and positive %, I posted this just a few hours ago.

This is true, "more drastic action" was a bad comment to make.

Just trying to write what the AP article said and added emphasis.

Gotcha. It seems like we are down to her and Holt as far as Oklahoma large city mayors who give a **** are concerned.

As a surgeon I have been wearing masks for 25 years and I would like to share a simple, inexpensive technique which I believe makes masks much more effective both for the person wearing them and those they are trying to protect by wearing a mask. A mask protects others by preventing horizontal spread of the droplets out of our mouths. However, look at the way the people around you are wearing their masks. Almost no one has adequate proximation of the mask with the skin of the nose. This allows air to move freely in a vertical fashion around our noses. Air will take the path of least resistance so it will not go through the mask but will enter vertically around the nose or at the bottom of the mask around the chin. To prevent this I like to go in front of a mirror and take transparent tape and apply it in a horizontal fashion across the top of the mask with half of the tape on the mask and half on my nose. This forces the air through the mask. Unfortunately, even in my clinic where my staff and I are essentially guaranteed to come into contact with Covid-19 patients, we cannot obtain supplies of N95 masks for our staff and patients which would filter out Covid-19. This makes it even more important to have an adequate seal around the masks that we do have in order to force the air through the mask. Sometimes I wear more than one mask at a time to increase the filtration.
I would also recommend an hospital grade air purifier for businesses. For our medical clinic, and in the operating room, we use the IQ Air Healthpro series. It is expensive (best one is about $850) but worth it IMO. Covid-19 is very small (one micron) but it must travel on a droplet which is about 3 microns. So if businesses like hair salons and gyms would simply buy an IQ Air machine (or equivalent) they could filter the supermajority of Covid-19 out of the air and probably protect their clients as much or more than masks particularly if the mask is not covering the nose etc...

The tape is a good tip. It also helps prevent glasses or face shields fogging up. It's really hard with a cloth mask to prevent fogging.

Because we are doing such a poor job of controlling the virus, the European Union is now considering closing its borders to Americans.

You can't blame them... We've now had 2.5 million cases -- more than double any other country -- and of course, our positives are rapidly ramping up.

The EU has done a very good job of flattening the curve and are trying to keep it that way. Nice to be treated like a 3rd world country because we have handled this whole thing so badly.

This is also from the OKCHD:
16183

Because we are doing such a poor job of controlling the virus, the European Union is now considering closing its borders to Americans.

You can't blame them... We've now had 2.5 million cases -- more than double any other country -- and of course, our positives are rapidly ramping up.

The EU has done a very good job of flattening the curve and are trying to keep it that way. Nice to be treated like a 3rd world country because we have handled this whole thing so badly.

EU countries other than Sweden have actually bent the curve impressively.

As a surgeon I have been wearing masks for 25 years and I would like to share a simple, inexpensive technique which I believe makes masks much more effective both for the person wearing them and those they are trying to protect by wearing a mask. A mask protects others by preventing horizontal spread of the droplets out of our mouths. However, look at the way the people around you are wearing their masks. Almost no one has adequate proximation of the mask with the skin of the nose. This allows air to move freely in a vertical fashion around our noses. Air will take the path of least resistance so it will not go through the mask but will enter vertically around the nose or at the bottom of the mask around the chin. To prevent this I like to go in front of a mirror and take transparent tape and apply it in a horizontal fashion across the top of the mask with half of the tape on the mask and half on my nose. This forces the air through the mask. Unfortunately, even in my clinic where my staff and I are essentially guaranteed to come into contact with Covid-19 patients, we cannot obtain supplies of N95 masks for our staff and patients which would filter out Covid-19. This makes it even more important to have an adequate seal around the masks that we do have in order to force the air through the mask. Sometimes I wear more than one mask at a time to increase the filtration.
I would also recommend an hospital grade air purifier for businesses. For our medical clinic, and in the operating room, we use the IQ Air Healthpro series. It is expensive (best one is about $850) but worth it IMO. Covid-19 is very small (one micron) but it must travel on a droplet which is about 3 microns. So if businesses like hair salons and gyms would simply buy an IQ Air machine (or equivalent) they could filter the supermajority of Covid-19 out of the air and probably protect their clients as much or more than masks particularly if the mask is not covering the nose etc...

Can you attest to the quality of KN95 masks?

This is also from the OKCHD:
16183

Where is the part that id's the seven places?

https://www.koco.com/article/watch-live-oklahoma-city-mayor-health-officials-provide-update-on-coronavirus-pandemic/32945698

16185

Looks like 3 more hospitalizations .

Oklahoma Citians - based upon the what you've seen out and about - what's your estimate for the % of folks wearing masks? My best guess is 10%. I ran a few errands and grabbed some to go food this weekend, the vast majority of people are not wearing masks.

I look around and try to find reasons to be optimistic, but I see:

-The first person I know personally - a very close friend of 15+ years was diagnosed positive yesterday. (Mid 30's)
-Every indicator in OK data that we are accelerating cases dramatically
-Complete lack of action/ignoring problem in state leadership
-Complete lack of action/ignoring problem by corporate executive leadership at local large (1,000+) employer
-Texas cities as a foreboding sign. Especially Houston. Texas Medical Center hospital system said publicly they will exceed their ICU capacity in 4 days (3 days as of writing this). Surge capacity gone in less than 2 weeks.
-Public attitudes about the pandemic have, somehow, managed to become polarized/political/divisive/conspiratorial
-The idea that "hot weather" will slow spread is obviously not the case
-It seems there is no plan at the federal level for how we get out of this

Thankfully, at least in the moment, it seems that deaths are still low. That's about the only optimistic metric I can find in this current situation. Sadly, this doesn't seem likely to hold.

So... am I missing something? Are there any reasons to remain optimistic at this point?

In The Oklahoman today the state health commissioner said he thinks that 4% of Oklahomans have or have had the virus. That would be about 160,000 people. We've only had 11,000+ diagnosed. That seems high, but even so it is something to take very seriously. Reported cases are increasing at the highest rate yet. Gov. Stitt needs to show some leadership and wear a mask in public and encourage all of to wear one too. He needs to affirm that wearing masks is not a political statement, but rather one of consideration for our fellow citizens.

Oklahoma Citians - based upon the what you've seen out and about - what's your estimate for the % of folks wearing masks? My best guess is 10%. I ran a few errands and grabbed some to go food this weekend, the vast majority of people are not wearing masks.

I look around and try to find reasons to be optimistic, but I see:

-The first person I know personally - a very close friend of 15+ years was diagnosed positive yesterday. (Mid 30's)
-Every indicator in OK data that we are accelerating cases dramatically
-Complete lack of action/ignoring problem in state leadership
-Complete lack of action/ignoring problem by corporate executive leadership at local large (1,000+) employer
-Texas cities as a foreboding sign. Especially Houston. Texas Medical Center hospital system said publicly they will exceed their ICU capacity in 4 days (3 days as of writing this). Surge capacity gone in less than 2 weeks.
-Public attitudes about the pandemic have, somehow, managed to become polarized/political/divisive/conspiratorial
-The idea that "hot weather" will slow spread is obviously not the case
-It seems there is no plan at the federal level for how we get out of this

Thankfully, at least in the moment, it seems that deaths are still low. That's about the only optimistic metric I can find in this current situation. Sadly, this doesn't seem likely to hold.

So... am I missing something? Are there any reasons to remain optimistic at this point?

Nope. I haven't been optimistic about this in OK, pretty much all my predictions for spikes caused by re-opening, Memorial Day, etc., have all come true, no reason to believe it won't continue that way unless a huge amount of citizens start getting their sh*t together and doing the right thing and I'm not optimistic about that happening in OK, at all, ever.

Leadership matters. Elections matter. Vote accordingly.

482

Definitely an interesting table. Even after accounting for CV deaths, Oklahoma had less total deaths than expected to occur from 2/1 to 6/20.


https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid19/minus_m.pngTable 2. Deaths involving coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), pneumonia, and influenza reported to NCHS by jurisdiction of occurrence, United States. Week ending 2/1/2020 to 6/20/2020.*

Updated June 24, 2020

Jurisdiction of Occurrence
All Deaths involving COVID-19 (U07.1)1
Deaths from All Causes
Percent of Expected Deaths2
Deaths involving Pneumonia, with or without COVID-19, excluding Influenza deaths
(J12.0–J18.9)3
Deaths involving COVID-19 and Pneumonia, excluding Influenza
(J12.0–J18.9 and U07.1)3
All Deaths involving Influenza, with or without COVID-19 or Pneumonia
(J09–J11)4
Deaths involving Pneumonia, Influenza, or COVID-19
(U07.1 or J09–J18.9)5


New York City
19,008
46,777
213
9,771
7,360
945
21,547


New Jersey
12,678
45,122
147
8,545
6,226
117
15,100


New York7
10,274
52,072
128
8,545
5,028
206
13,980


Massachusetts
7,106
31,112
127
4,461
2,572
161
9,148


District of Columbia
514
2,943
119
671
510
-
683


Maryland
3,052
23,843
117
2,588
1,147
125
4,602


Illinois
5,642
50,031
116
5,795
2,863
176
8,747


Michigan
5,078
44,322
112
4,909
2,522
237
7,698


Colorado
1,457
17,704
110
1,685
751
95
2,481


Arizona
1,125
26,690
108
2,123
586
112
2,774


Louisiana
2,509
19,892
107
1,981
1,163
71
3,393


Minnesota
1,239
19,006
106
1,483
359
121
2,483


Mississippi
825
13,655
106
1,362
388
51
1,850


New Hampshire
311
5,302
106
385
92
30
633


Rhode Island
760
4,525
106
496
295
25
986


United States6
107,997
1,215,516
105
117,814
46,726
6,444
184,593


Virginia
1,638
29,292
105
1,838
552
111
3,033


South Carolina
550
20,619
103
1,309
216
98
1,740


Vermont
53
2,421
103
143
12
16
200


Wisconsin
674
22,040
103
1,181
113
150
1,890


California
4,709
112,712
102
10,377
2,630
575
13,030


Florida
2,761
87,835
102
6,745
1,413
306
8,391


Utah
143
7,866
102
434
52
40
565


Georgia
1,921
34,308
100
2,613
868
109
3,774


Indiana
2,228
27,541
100
2,754
932
130
4,176


Maine
106
5,924
100
435
25
31
547


Nevada
430
10,596
100
962
317
39
1,114


Texas
1,951
81,958
100
6,239
859
339
7,667


Wyoming
16
1,818
100
116
-
-
135


Idaho
87
5,754
99
277
25
25
364


Iowa
628
12,180
99
894
175
84
1,431


Alabama
833
21,123
98
1,425
243
94
2,106


Arkansas
180
12,767
98
866
68
75
1,053


Delaware
441
3,649
98
325
165
16
617


Pennsylvania
6,437
54,354
98
4,976
2,375
190
9,225


Washington
1,070
22,848
98
1,846
569
110
2,452


Kansas
228
10,459
97
703
97
89
923


Missouri
803
25,256
96
1,616
274
175
2,320


Tennessee
409
29,548
96
2,167
172
126
2,530


New Mexico
361
7,254
95
559
148
29
801


Oregon
189
14,159
95
716
71
64
897


Hawaii
16
4,471
94
287
-
20
317


Nebraska
194
6,514
94
503
67
28
658


Ohio
2,103
47,318
93
3,200
887
253
4,668


Puerto Rico
136
10,461
93
1,374
72
61
1,498


Kentucky
485
18,158
92
1,684
245
96
2,019


Montana
17
3,981
92
208
-
34
256


Oklahoma
350
14,929
92
1,337
133
106
1,655


South Dakota
78
3,008
90
245
33
26
316


Alaska
-
1,533
89
70
-
-
81


Connecticut
3,452
10,768
83
1,253
791
66
3,978


North Dakota
65
2,286
79
200
22
19
262


West Virginia
91
7,157
77
532
29
58
652


North Carolina
713
28,116
72
1,979
267
222
2,645

482

That is the new record high.

New today:

482 cases
31 hospitalizations
1 death

I am genuinely worried about Oklahoma and the other states like Texas and Florida that are seeing these spikes.

This is the middle of the time of year where everyone is outside and of course most are still being pretty cautious.

If this momentum continues into the fall and winter, we could be headed for a full-on catastrophe.

I am watching the numbers daily for Edmond and Okc, Definitely going up Today 99active cases in Edmond. 6-13 39 active. Almost triple in 11 days.

New today:

482 cases
31 hospitalizations
1 death

Well I was all 4 just wearing a mask but now we need to shut things back down. what are we waiting on over 500 positives a day. Hell let's see if we can hit 1000 positives in a day? SHUT IT DOWN

From https://twitter.com/KassieMcClung:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EbSg-ZyXsAAoSMu?format=jpg&name=medium

Kinda hoped the past two days of 200+ cases was a sign that they were starting to plateau at least.

I hope they start going down soon.

I am watching the numbers daily for Edmond and Okc, Definitely going up Today 99active cases in Edmond. 6-13 39 active. Almost triple in 11 days.

Out of curiosity, how did you find the active cases for Edmond? I can find the total cases, the deaths, and recovered by I can't find anything else.

You have to compare same days of the week, due to the reporting flow.

And on that basis, things look particularly bad.

Last Wed we only had 259 new cases which was a new record at the time; this week 482.

It was Thursday right through the weekend when the numbers really started to take off. If that happens again this week, we are going to have out-right panic.

Well I was all 4 just wearing a mask but now we need to shut things back down. what are we waiting on over 500 positives a day. Hell let's see if we can hit 1000 positives in a day? SHUT IT DOWN

They are not going to do a complete shutdown again.

The Texas gov. is literally telling people to stay home, and isn't closing down things again.

Holt might have roll back some stuff but Stitt won't go back to what is was in March.

Jerry, I took the total number and subtracted deaths and "cured" to get my numbers. Maybe not real acurate but its the data that is up on the Okla health dept site. I am just trying to get an idea of day to day increases. That is the day that I decided to write it down to keep track. I just seeing the huge uptick so plan on going out a lot less. I am going back to watching church services on Youtube and doing as much curbside pickup as possible. I am not good on doing the interet ordering thing. I am too far out for instacart or other delivery stuff if I even knew how to do that. I am calling stores and giving them my order and then calling them when I am in their parking lot and I pay by credit card. maybe they don't like it but that is how I am doing some stuff. I try to grocery shop early but not able to alot of days. Grocery s are only 10% or less of what I need. I live on an acreage and always seem to need something to fix something. At least lows's and home depot have the curb side with the number to call. I get there and order what I need on the phone.

Anecdotally, I feel like I've heard of more people that I either know of or know personally that have tested positive. One works in a hair salon, one in a gym, and one is a girl who got it through her sister in law.

Going to Whole Foods, it seems like people are decent about wearing masks but not as good as they should be, considering they offer you freaking masks at the store before you go inside and yet some people still choose not to.

I don't see us going to a shutdown anytime soon in large part because people are already so worn out by all of this and there's been so much pushback from people now. Mayor Holt said he didn't want to do a mandatory mask order but I feel like we have to at least do that because this thing isn't going to slow down on its own if people are choosing to go out to bars, restaurants, gyms, hair salons, and church without wearing masks and staying away from each other.

I am genuinely worried about Oklahoma and the other states like Texas and Florida that are seeing these spikes.

This is the middle of the time of year where everyone is outside and of course most are still being pretty cautious.

If this momentum continues into the fall and winter, we could be headed for a full-on catastrophe.

That is what my doctor is expecting.

pete one of the problems I am seeing or I should say hearing is that people just don't believe the numbers. A number of people have told me that they think they are inflated and not true. If a lot of people are thinking the same way, we could be hiting 1500 cases a day they will still be in denial. Only if it hits them personally or a close friend or family member will they believe it. I am afraid we are in deep do do on this. I am trying as much as I can to stay at home, go when I think there are less people and try to avoid being around other people. Being runover or I should say plowed into by two ladies in Sam's club because I could not move out of their way fast sough with me bad knee. I think we are in trouble.

Anecdotally, I feel like I've heard of more people that I either know of or know personally that have tested positive. One works in a hair salon, one in a gym, and one is a girl who got it through her sister in law.

Going to Whole Foods, it seems like people are decent about wearing masks but not as good as they should be, considering they offer you freaking masks at the store before you go inside and yet some people still choose not to.

I don't see us going to a shutdown anytime soon in large part because people are already so worn out by all of this and there's been so much pushback from people now. Mayor Holt said he didn't want to do a mandatory mask order but I feel like we have to at least do that because this thing isn't going to slow down on its own if people are choosing to go out to bars, restaurants, gyms, hair salons, and church without wearing masks and staying away from each other.

My wife was informed yesterday that her hairdresser tested positive. She had gotten a hair cut there a week ago Saturday. She is getting tested today and was told it would be three to five days before she gets results.

The hairdresser didn't really want to go back to work, but once Stitt "opened" the salons and massage parlors in late April, she no longer qualified for unemployment and had to return to work or starve to death. She was very careful, wore a mask, sanitized everything; my wife wore a mask. Alas, she got Covid 19. She went to get tested at the onset of symptoms.

My opinion is that the state forced the hair and nail salons open because they didn't want to pay them unemployment.

Obviously those with authority do not have the interests of a healthy state as a priority. To just throw your hands in the air and say face mask requirement are unenforceable. How do other American cities enforce it? More cops? How is no shirts, no shoes, enforced?
Leadership lacking. As an aside I hold the Governor more to account than mayors. He grabbed the authority with SB 1102.

As an affluent country with great resources, this graph is completely embarrassing... Especially when you consider the population of the EU exceeds that of the U.S. by over 100 million.

And of course, the trend has only become much worse in the 3 days since the graph was last updated:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EbPTwlTUYAA-Oi-?format=png&name=small

Any talk of shutting down is overreacting. For all of the recent increases OK is still 42 in reported cases per 100k. That being said, I would like us to go back to Stage 2 of the reopening and make masks mandatory even if it wouldn't be enforceable. I think it would raise awareness and lead more people to wear masks.
It would help if our leaders would provide a good example. Looking at you, Stitt and Inhofe.

Kinda hoped the past two days of 200+ cases was a sign that they were starting to plateau at least.

I hope they start going down soon.

Plateau? Unfortunately, I don't think you've seen anything near how bad it can be. Hospitals and ICU's are starting to fear what's likely to come in Oklahoma.

Hope and pray I'm wrong, but I think we will see the price of denial. Unfortunately, that price will be the lives of many of our dear loved ones. If you speak to anyone in NYC that went through the last few months you will suddenly realize how unpolitical it is and how it is the farthest thing from a personal freedom issue. Us Okies often learn the hard way and late.

My wife was informed yesterday that her hairdresser tested positive. She had gotten a hair cut there a week ago Saturday. She is getting tested today and was told it would be three to five days before she gets results.

The hairdresser didn't really want to go back to work, but once Stitt "opened" the salons and massage parlors in late April, she no longer qualified for unemployment and had to return to work or starve to death. She was very careful, wore a mask, sanitized everything; my wife wore a mask. Alas, she got Covid 19. She went to get tested at the onset of symptoms.

My opinion is that the state forced the hair and nail salons open because they didn't want to pay them unemployment.

I know of someone else who got a call from their hairdresser over a week ago saying they had it so she and her husband had to go get tested as well. They tested negative thankfully.

Obviously those with authority do not have the interests of a healthy state as a priority. To just throw your hands in the air and say face mask requirement are unenforceable. How do other American cities enforce it? More cops? How is no shirts, no shoes, enforced?
Leadership lacking. As an aside I hold the Governor more to account than mayors. He grabbed the authority with SB 1102.

Wouldn't it be more say he was handed the authority by an overwhelming (and veto proof I believe) vote by the legislature?

I agree with the idea of doing a mandatory mask order even if they don't strictly enforce it. At the very least, it would encourage more people to wear a mask even if there's a percentage of people who still refuse to do it.

Stores can make it mandatory for shoppers (like Costco) no mask, no entry. Cities can make it mandatory by spot checks of stores. Not enforcing it then you are closed or fined. I am not talking one person in a huge store that takes it off but like 50% of people not wearing one and social distancing. I talked to a friend in Penn. he reported 2 people who refused to social distance in a store and the manager told them to leave.

Wouldn't it be more say he was handed the authority by an overwhelming (and veto proof I believe) vote by the legislature?

House vote was 53-44, neither overwhelming or veto proof. Governor could of vetoed, he wanted the authority.

I lived in California when they enacted the first no-smoking laws in bars and restaurants.

There was a long lead-in time after the measure passed and before it was to be implemented. And tons of people said it could never be enforced and after all, we are dealing with centuries of history and a group of addicts.

And yet, when Jan 1st rolled around, people just complied. Very, very few incidents of having to fine people or establishments. And the business actually went UP in bars and restaurants; most other states followed suit and even entire countries where smoking in public places was much more culturally entrenched, like Ireland and France.


And not coincidentally, Oklahoma still has not passed a similar law or allowed local municipalities to enforce their own non-smoking ordinances because the lobbying groups and aligned politicians have managed to keep forwarding the idea that it won't work and that business will suffer, no matter this has already been resolved in a very positive way almost everywhere else.

And here we are again with the mask issue, with the same approach and results.

From https://twitter.com/KassieMcClung:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EbSg-ZyXsAAoSMu?format=jpg&name=medium

I am guessing this is the tweet you were trying to send: https://twitter.com/KassieMcClung/status/1275821950439436290?s=20


Daily #COVID19 update via the Oklahoma State Department of Heath:

🚨
I sound like a broken record, but another record-breaking day.

- 11,510 cases (+482)
- 372 deaths (+1)
- 268 Hospitalizations (as of 6/23)
- 4.1% positive rate (as of 6/23)

7-day average:

16186

House vote was 53-44, neither overwhelming or veto proof. Governor could of vetoed, he wanted the authority.

Ah, I misremembered. My point remains. This power was handed to him by the legislature. (And to be clear, this isn't a defense of Stitt, it's a statement of the folks responsible for that bill.)

EDIT: Actually, it doesn't look like I remembered it completely wrong. This is neither here nor there though and I don't want to derail the thread too much.

http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf/2019-20%20SUPPORT%20DOCUMENTS/votes/House/SB1102_VOTES.HTM

I agree with the idea of doing a mandatory mask order even if they don't strictly enforce it. At the very least, it would encourage more people to wear a mask even if there's a percentage of people who still refuse to do it.

If I were Holt, I would let the businesses know that another shutdown is on the horizon if they don't immediately implement strong protocols including mask-wearing in their stores. I know that is tough to do in restaurants but all restaurant staff should wear masks, minimally, and perhaps we should just go back to outside, curbside and delivery. Okies just can't follow rules.

I have a large client group that interacts with the public and had their employees wearing masks. As soon as the governor "opened up" on May 1, they stopped wearing masks and taking any further precautions. Again, leadership matters.

I lived in California when they enacted the first no-smoking laws in bars and restaurants.

There was a long lead-in time after the measure passed and before it was to be implemented. And tons of people said it could never be enforced and after all, we are dealing with centuries of history and a group of addicts.

And yet, when Jan 1st rolled around, people just complied. Very, very few incidents of having to fine people or establishments. And the business actually went UP in bars and restaurants; most other states followed suit and even entire countries where smoking in public places was much more culturally entrenched, like Ireland and France.


And not coincidentally, Oklahoma still has not passed a similar law or allowed local municipalities to enforce their own non-smoking ordinances because the lobbying groups and aligned politicians have managed to keep forwarding the idea that it won't work and that business will suffer, no matter this has already been resolved in a very positive way almost everywhere else.

And here we are again with the mask issue, with the same approach and results.

I live in Denton, Texas and we instituted a no smoking law just a few years ago... lot of complaining leading up to it and then *crickets*. I have heard or seen no problems with compliance. Yes, laws work and the state should have a mask ordinance for all businesses and public places (unless physical distancing can be maintained outside).

House vote was 53-44, neither overwhelming or veto proof. Governor could of vetoed, he wanted the authority.

My Senator was excused for that vote, and my Representative voted Nay.

Sometimes you need laws to change social behavior.

The same thing happened in California when they banned using cell phones while driving. Almost instantly it stopped.

And over time, the same thing can be said about wearing seatbelts. Growing up, almost no one wore them and now it's a very rare thing to ever see someone not using a belt.

Covid19 is causing around twice the deaths in OK as automobile fatalities and look at how many rules and regulations we have to control that.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/new-york-new-jersey-connecticut-quarantine-visitors-coronavirus-hot-spots-n1231977?cid=sm_npd_nn_fb_ma&fbclid=IwAR2M7mxD-zn1qfZteOtdUKiJdvt-jolUYj0U4ea8k-6dBtqKhGUqg18SAos No Oklahoma Yet.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/new-york-new-jersey-connecticut-quarantine-visitors-coronavirus-hot-spots-n1231977?cid=sm_npd_nn_fb_ma&fbclid=IwAR2M7mxD-zn1qfZteOtdUKiJdvt-jolUYj0U4ea8k-6dBtqKhGUqg18SAos No Oklahoma Yet.

After seeing Texas jump 5000 new cases yesterday I'm ready to block the bridges across the Red River.

After seeing Texas jump 5000 new cases yesterday I'm ready to block the bridges across the Red River.

Don't a lot of Texas folks come up to Oklahoma or 4th of July at various lakes?

Don't a lot of Texas folks come up to Oklahoma or 4th of July at various lakes?

Yeah. A lot of people from Dallas go to broken bow.

However, I say screw them. Shut down the border and let us okies enjoy the lake over the holidays since we can’t go anywhere else (as other states are now shutting down).