Covid-19 in OKC (coronavirus)

[RustytheBailiff]

Just got an email from Costco and it sounds like they will require all customers and employees to wear masks for the foreseeable future.

Mike Pence will have to go to Sam's I guess...

[Edmond Hausfrau]

Went to the Costco webpage to get the specifics:

This is a good rule. I still can't believe how few people are wearing masks in public.

[Pete]

Press release:

*************

New proclamation issued in Oklahoma City’s COVID-19 response; addresses distancing, sanitizing requirements for new phase beginning May 1
04/29/2020

Mayor David Holt signed a new emergency proclamation for Oklahoma City’s COVID-19 response that includes required conditions on high-risk activities that are intended to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

This proclamation follows Mayor Holt’s announcement last Friday that he will largely align this new phase of Oklahoma City’s COVID-19 response with the State of Oklahoma’s OURS Plan.

The proclamation takes effect May 1. Its provisions will be re-evaluated no later than May 15. White House and State of Oklahoma guidelines require this phase to last at least two weeks. Based on public health data, it could potentially enter another phase at the conclusion of that two-week period.

“If we are to move into a new phase of our pandemic response, we should resolve to do so with conditions in place that limit the spread of this virus,” said Mayor Holt. “These social distancing and sanitizing protocols for the highest-risk activities have been vetted by our local public health officials and they represent common sense. There are many other best practices in state and national guidelines that we also encourage businesses to adopt, but the ones in the proclamations are not suggestions, they are requirements. Meanwhile, we continue to urge all residents to social distance, wash hands and wear masks in public to protect yourself and others.”

Visit covid19.okc.gov for the latest local COVID-19 news, guidance and City services updates.


General information
All social gatherings of more than 10 people are still prohibited, in keeping with White House guidelines.

A social gathering is defined as people coming together for socialization at a central point with specific people who don’t live in their household. The definition of a gathering does not include people in a location independently performing work as part of employment, people independently or in groups of 10 or fewer patronizing a business or open facility, or performing disaster relief work.

City-owned and publicly accessible playgrounds, basketball courts and outdoor exercise stations are still closed. People using other City-owned sports fields and courts must stay at least 6 feet away from people outside their household.

Mayor Holt and public health officials strongly encourage everyone to stay home when they can, and encourage employers to continue teleworking where possible. Without a vaccine or proven treatment, COVID-19 still presents a danger to our community. Residents are asked to wash your hands often, keep your distance, and wear a cloth face covering when in public, like when shopping for groceries and engaging in other critical errands. Click here for a guide on how to make a mask at home.

Most businesses, including places of worship, may open their doors on May 1, if they choose. Certain high-risk activities must adopt social distancing and sanitizing requirements.

Bars without on-premises food service, night clubs, hookah bars, cigar bars, vaping lounges and the Remington Park gaming area will remain closed to the public.



Food service
Restaurants, bars with on-premises food service, breweries, wineries, taverns, shopping mall food courts, food halls, cafeterias and similar food service establishments are required to maintain at least the following standards to limit the spread of the virus:

• Employees’ temperatures should be checked each day either by the employee or their employer. Employees with a fever of 100.4 degrees or should not be at the facility.
• Servers and staff interacting with customers must wear a face mask or covering.
• Tables for seating must be at least 6 feet apart.
• Menus must be single-use or capable of being sanitized with antimicrobial disinfectants after each use.
• Condiment bottles must be sanitized after each table change, or served in a single-use packet, disposable container or washable dish.
• Service at buffets and salad bars must be provided by an employee only.
• Tables, chairs and objects needed to complete a purchase must be sanitized with antimicrobial disinfectants after each use.
• No parties of 10 or more are allowed at one table in the dining area, unless they are household family members.

Personal care services
Hair and nail salons, barber shops, cosmetology facilities, esthetician facilities, laser hair removal facilities, spas, massage facilities, tattoo parlors and piercing facilities must follow U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sanitizing protocols and comply with at least the following standards:

• Customers may be seen by appointment only.
• Employees’ temperatures should be checked each day either by the employee or their employer. Employees with a fever of 100.4 degrees or should not be at the facility.
• Employees must use face masks or coverings.
• Disposable face masks must be offered to all customers who don’t have their own mask.
• All chairs and tools must be sanitized using antimicrobial disinfectants between customers.
• While receiving services, customers must remain at least 6 feet away from other customers.

Gyms and other athletic facilities
All athletic gyms, recreation centers, exercise facilities, indoor sports facilities, indoor climbing facilities, bowling alleys, skating rinks, trampoline parks and similar facilities must maintain strict social distancing, CDC sanitizing protocols and maintain these standards:

• Employees’ temperatures should be checked each day either by the employee or their employer. Employees with a fever of 100.4 degrees or should not be at the facility.
• Employees that have contact with the public must wear face masks or coverings.
• Doorknobs, gates, counters and other high-touch surfaces should be regularly cleaned and sanitized with antimicrobial disinfectants.
• Locker rooms and bathrooms, particularly high-touch surfaces, must be cleaned and sanitized regularly and have hand-washing supplies.
• Hand-washing or hand sanitizing supplies must be available for employees and customers.
• Rental and shared equipment must be cleaned and sanitized by the customer or an employee between each use using antimicrobial disinfectants.

Entertainment and places of worship
Movie and live theaters, concert halls, bingo halls, sporting venues, amusement parks, places of worship and other businesses where people gather for presentation or entertainment must maintain strict social distancing, CDC sanitizing protocols and comply with at least the following standards:

• Employees’ temperatures should be checked each day either by the employee or their employer. Employees with a fever of 100.4 degrees or should not be at the facility.
• Offer seating in a staggered manner with at least two seats between customer groups in the same row. Every other row must be closed.
• Customer groups must be limited to no more than 10 people, unless they’re household family members.
• All food service must comply with the requirements for food service, which are listed above.

[brunnesa]

Mike Pence will have to go to Sam's I guess...

My rule moving forward will be to not frequent a place if they require face masks. I also will not allow contact tracing on my phone. I’m good with just staying home.

[jccouger]

My rule moving forward will be to not frequent a place if they require face masks. I also will not allow contact tracing on my phone. I’m good with just staying home.

May I ask why you won't go someplace if they require face coverings?

[Bunty]

This is a good rule. I still can't believe how few people are wearing masks in public.

I'm most surprised some of the older people aren't wearing masks.

[Edmond Hausfrau]

I'm most surprised some of the older people aren't wearing masks.

The reason to wear a mask is to prevent YOU from spreading a virus. It's why we put masks on suspected TB patients, to protect others.
Not wearing a mask essentially says "I don't care about anybody else on the planet".

[brunnesa]

May I ask why you won't go someplace if they require face coverings?

Because I find them a hassle to deal with. If it is not safe enough to go places without them, then I will just stay home.

[dankrutka]

Because I find them a hassle to deal with. If it is not safe enough to go places without them, then I will just stay home.

Well, staying home is the safest thing you can do so I can’t argue with that. Having said that, we’ve made masks and, like most things, it’s more a hassle at first. You get used to it.

[Bunty]

Well, staying home is the safest thing you can do so I can’t argue with that. Having said that, we’ve made masks and, like most things, it’s more a hassle at first. You get used to it.

The city of Stillwater was giving away homemade masks outside in front of the police station. They were voluntarily make with sewing machines.

[jerrywall]

Speaking of masks. So my wife and I have absolutely no sewing skills, but a few folks have made us some cloth masks and dropped them off. However, none of them fit very well. They're way too large for my wife to wear comfortable and too small for my fat head. Anyone seen any good designs that have some adjustability or might be more comfortable they could recommend?

[TheTravellers]

In short, I believe so.

"Why Telling People They Don’t Need Masks Backfired" by Zeynep Tufekci



She provides a lot more reasons and hyperlinks in the article, but the short answer seems to be, yes. Masks help at least some if you going to be around other people.

Ed Yong argues that it's more complex and sites numerous studies. I've found Tufekci's arguments sound from the beginning.

Finally got time to read some more and here's what I've found.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/17/o...ace-masks.html - "surgical" below does not mean "homemade"

It is of course true that masks don’t work perfectly, that they don’t replace hand-washing and social distancing, and that they work better if they fit properly. And of course, surgical masks (the disposable type that surgeons wear) don’t filter out small viral particles the way medical-grade respirator masks rated N95 and above do. However, even surgical masks protect a bit more than not wearing masks at all.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/scienc...95670113000698 - ditto

Live influenza virus was measurable from the air behind all surgical masks tested. The data indicate that a surgical mask will reduce exposure to aerosolised infectious influenza virus; reductions ranged from 1.1- to 55-fold (average 6-fold), depending on the design of the mask.

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/a...-masks/609235/

A few studies suggest that homemade cloth masks are less effective than proper medical ones, but are still better than nothing. In one experiment, a surgical mask filtered 89 percent of viral particles from volunteers’ coughs, a tea towel blocked 72 percent, and a cotton T-shirt blocked 50 percent.** In general, thicker materials are better than thinner ones, Marr said, and a tight fit across the face is important. If people use makeshift masks, they should thoroughly wash them afterward. And most of all, they should remember that homemade masks are not fully protective. They’re a last-ditch measure to be used in situations when social distancing isn’t possible. “It’s not like ‘I’m wearing [a mask] and now I can talk to everyone,’” Bourouiba said.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journ...2FA2F35F819D55

Our findings suggest that a homemade mask should only be considered as a last resort to prevent droplet transmission from infected individuals, but it would be better than no protection.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18612429/

All types of masks reduced aerosol exposure, relatively stable over time, unaffected by duration of wear or type of activity, but with a high degree of individual variation. Personal respirators were more efficient than surgical masks, which were more efficient than home-made masks. Regardless of mask type, children were less well protected. Outward protection (mask wearing by a mechanical head) was less effective than inward protection (mask wearing by healthy volunteers).

https://maskfaq.com/ lists many materials that have been tested.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/best-...b6a92100e63129 does the same.

From what I'm getting, homemade masks just don't do much at all, last resort, better than nothing, that sort of thing. Some of the links above list surgical masks, but those aren't the homemade ones that just look like official surgical masks. I still think that we don't know enough to know if homemade masks are truly effective at preventing the spread of this virus. Official surgical masks, yes, to a good degree. N95 masks, absolutely.

My huge problem with homemade-mask-wearers is that they now seem to think they're invulnerable and not subject to social distancing. Most homemade masks don't have a tight enough fit, may not be worn properly, may be adjusted by hand while wearing them (therefore possibly contaminating them), etc. I personally saw idiots wearing thin scarves tied around their heads (of course, it was open from where they tied it downwards, and with no nose wire, it wasn't tight there either) getting up almost next to other people in the grocery store.

[mkjeeves]

TLDR question..., since I have read a number of articles about masks, Don’t all of these approach mask effectiveness from protecting the wearer from outside airborne contamination as opposed to the current purpose stated time and time again, preventing the wearer from contaminating others, particularly with sneezes and coughs? I have to believe coughing and sneezing into just about any material is vastly more effective than blowing germs straight out into air.

[TheTravellers]

TLDR question..., since I have read a number of articles about masks, Don’t all of these approach mask effectiveness from protecting the wearer from outside airborne contamination as opposed to the current purpose stated time and time again, preventing the wearer from contaminating others, particularly with sneezes and coughs? I have to believe coughing and sneezing into just about any material is vastly more effective than blowing germs straight out into air.

A lot of studies consider both - some of the links I posted do tests both ways. And yes, if you sneeze or cough into any material (including your elbow or shoulder if you're not wearing a mask), there will be less aerosol and droplets. If you're not sneezing or coughing and breathing normally, the efficacy of homemade masks seems to be pretty low.

[mkjeeves]

A lot of studies consider both - some of the links I posted do tests both ways. And yes, if you sneeze or cough into any material (including your elbow or shoulder if you're not wearing a mask), there will be less aerosol and droplets. If you're not sneezing or coughing and breathing normally, the efficacy of homemade masks seems to be pretty low.

Long story short, we’re much better off being in public where everyone wears a mask made out of just about anything than otherwise.

[Pete]

Numbers just updated for Thursday:

[TheTravellers]

Long story short, we’re much better off being in public where everyone wears a mask made out of just about anything than otherwise.

If people were wearing masks made out of materials that do decent filtering, fit properly, are not adjusted while wearing them, and adhering to social distancing, yes. Otherwise, maybe, maybe not. As I said in my earlier post:

My huge problem with homemade-mask-wearers is that they now seem to think they're invulnerable and not subject to social distancing. Most homemade masks don't have a tight enough fit, may not be worn properly, may be adjusted by hand while wearing them (therefore possibly contaminating them), etc. I personally saw idiots wearing thin scarves tied around their heads (of course, it was open from where they tied it downwards, and with no nose wire, it wasn't tight there either) getting up almost next to other people in the grocery store.

[mugofbeer]

If people were wearing masks made out of materials that do decent filtering, fit properly, are not adjusted while wearing them, and adhering to social distancing, yes. Otherwise, maybe, maybe not. As I said in my earlier post:

My huge problem with homemade-mask-wearers is that they now seem to think they're invulnerable and not subject to social distancing. Most homemade masks don't have a tight enough fit, may not be worn properly, may be adjusted by hand while wearing them (therefore possibly contaminating them), etc. I personally saw idiots wearing thin scarves tied around their heads (of course, it was open from where they tied it downwards, and with no nose wire, it wasn't tight there either) getting up almost next to other people in the grocery store.

Are they idiots because that is all they have? At least they are making an effort and aren't the actual idiots who aren't wearing anything at all.

[mkjeeves]

If people were wearing masks made out of materials that do decent filtering, fit properly, are not adjusted while wearing them, and adhering to social distancing, yes. Otherwise, maybe, maybe not. As I said in my earlier post:

My huge problem with homemade-mask-wearers is that they now seem to think they're invulnerable and not subject to social distancing. Most homemade masks don't have a tight enough fit, may not be worn properly, may be adjusted by hand while wearing them (therefore possibly contaminating them), etc. I personally saw idiots wearing thin scarves tied around their heads (of course, it was open from where they tied it downwards, and with no nose wire, it wasn't tight there either) getting up almost next to other people in the grocery store.

Still better than them doing that without masks of any kind, which they are and will continue to do. Since we’re sharing anecdotes, here’s one. I went to Best Buy parking lot pick up a couple of weeks ago. Checked in on the app. Popped my trunk. Never got out of the car, expect they would put my item in the trunk. I did not have a mask on. A worker came out without a mask, came to my window, which I rolled down. She stepped in way too close to ask my name since their system was down. She told me to pull up to the curb and they would bring it out.

After I moved, still in my car, I put on my mask. They loaded the item and she again came to my window but stood back 15’ the second time because, duh, masks and social distancing.

[G.Walker]

Another big spike, largest spike in 3 weeks (145), that is not good. Stitt might of jumped the gun, lifting the shelter in place order. More cases will result in more deaths.

[jerrywall]

Another big spike, largest spike in 3 weeks (145), that is not good. Stitt might of jumped the gun, lifting the shelter in place order. More cases will result in more deaths.

We'll have to see how it holds day to day. Just quickly putting together 7 day totals over the past month I got the following.

4/24 - 4/30
Positive 601 (85 per day)
Hospitalized 93
Deaths 43

4/17 - 4/23
Positive 660 (94 per day)
Hospitalized 94
Deaths 48

4/10 - 4/16
Positive 673 (96 per day)
Hospitalized 113
Deaths 51

4/3 - 4/9
Positive 805 (115 per day)
Hospitalized 158
Deaths 46

My fat fingers could have missed something so I'm sure someone will correct me if my counts are off. Even with expanded testing I'm not seeing any sort of course correction yet. Another week or two we'll have more data to see if it's going to change direction much.

[Bill Robertson]

We'll have to see how it holds day to day. Just quickly putting together 7 day totals over the past month I got the following.

4/24 - 4/30
Positive 601 (85 per day)
Hospitalized 93
Deaths 43

4/17 - 4/23
Positive 660 (94 per day)
Hospitalized 94
Deaths 48

4/10 - 4/16
Positive 673 (96 per day)
Hospitalized 113
Deaths 51

4/3 - 4/9
Positive 805 (115 per day)
Hospitalized 158
Deaths 46

My fat fingers could have missed something so I'm sure someone will correct me if my counts are off. Even with expanded testing I'm not seeing any sort of course correction yet. Another week or two we'll have more data to see if it's going to change direction much.

I’m sure it’s somewhere but I can’t find stats for number of tests per day. I’d be curious how many more rests were done during 4/24 to 4/30 than there were on 4/3 to 4/9 or more so for weeks in March. If they’re doing say, 20 percent more testing than a month ago and the average numbers are still going down then somethings going right.

[dankrutka]

My huge problem with homemade-mask-wearers is that they now seem to think they're invulnerable and not subject to social distancing.

In other words, people should wear masks and continue practice social distancing whenever possible. The latter is not a mask problem, but an education problem. We need more education on proper mask wearing and what mask wearing does/does NOT do.

[dankrutka]

Another big spike, largest spike in 3 weeks (145), that is not good. Stitt might of jumped the gun, lifting the shelter in place order. More cases will result in more deaths.

Of course, the point experts have been making is that in addition to more suffering and deaths, opening too quickly could backfire and actually cause more economic harm long term. That's the question I've been asking, are you sure opening sooner is good for the economy?

[TheTravellers]

In other words, people should wear masks and continue practice social distancing whenever possible. The latter is not a mask problem, but an education problem. We need more education on proper mask wearing and what mask wearing does/does NOT do.

Yes, absolutely, that was my main point. ALONG WITH doing all the other right things, homemade masks *might* help. But having lived in for over half a century, I don't put much trust in most people getting educated or doing the right thing.