Covid-19 in OKC (coronavirus)

[Bill Robertson]

That has been something that seems to have been overlooked - OKC can do all it wants, but if Yukon, Shawnee, Moore, Del City, MWC, Bethany, Edmond, The Village, Nichols Hills, Arcadia, Piedmont, Luther, Forest Park, Spencer, Nicoma Park, Norman, et al don't do their part, a mask mandate isn't going to be nearly as effective. "1492 in Automobile Alley requires masks, let's go to the one in Casady Square, they're in The Village, which doesn't". This is why we need some kind of state-level mandate, for maybe counties over a certain number of cases.

At least limiting the restaurants on NW Exp, I240, Memorial, Bricktown and Deep Duece would affect a lot of restaurant seating. And in March it seemed that Yukon followed pretty closely to OKC. And I could be wrong but I think MWC did too. That would be a lot more restaurant seating being limited.

[SEMIweather]

Limiting capacity all the time would be the more responsible move, IMO.

Based on everything I've read about indoor vs. outdoor transmission, the best move is really to shut down all indoor dining and focus on expanding outdoor dining as much as possible. Let restaurants set up extra tables in their parking lots, maybe close down some streets with a high concentration of restaurants (thinking that 16th Street in the Plaza would be a perfect example of this).

[TheTravellers]

This is an interesting read on the history of anti-maskers (I'm especially amused by the used of "sanitary spartacans").

https://untappedcities.com/2020/07/1...7-k9zElFApZT8U

And sadly, history repeats itself. Found this line interesting, wonder why OKC was among those mentioned (were there few enough cities implementing an ordinance that OKC got on it, did OKC's stand out in some way from the others, ...?) - "Similar mask ordinances were created throughout the country, including Washington D.C., Phoenix, and Oklahoma City."

[TheTravellers]

Based on everything I've read about indoor vs. outdoor transmission, the best move is really to shut down all indoor dining and focus on expanding outdoor dining as much as possible. Let restaurants set up extra tables in their parking lots, maybe close down some streets with a high concentration of restaurants (thinking that 16th Street in the Plaza would be a perfect example of this).

Absolutely that would be the best idea, but there are tons of people that will not eat outside in July/August in OKC (me included).

[Pete]

Has anyone been to a busy restaurant in the last few weeks?

I've only dined out 3 times in the last several months, all at very popular places, and none were more than half full at peak times.

[Martin]

Has anyone been to a busy restaurant in the last few weeks?

yep. we've been back in the office since the first of may. there's a certain place on 23rd that we've eaten lunch at a few times since everything has started to reopen and they have gradually gotten busier. we ate there for lunch last week and noted the crowd and that pretty much all of the distancing precautions had been removed. almost every table was occupied and none of the tables were closed to facilitate distanced seating. they have also returned to using traditional plates instead of serving everything out of closed to-go containers. employees were wearing masks, though.

[TheTravellers]

yep. we've been back in the office since the first of may. there's a certain place on 23rd that we've eaten lunch at a few times since everything has started to reopen and they have gradually gotten busier. we ate there for lunch last week and noted the crowd and that pretty much all of the distancing precautions had been removed. almost every table was occupied and none of the tables were closed to facilitate distanced seating. they have also returned to using traditional plates instead of serving everything out of closed to-go containers. employees were wearing masks, though.

You stayed and ate that time? Are you going to go back and eat there again if their environment stays the same?

We haven't eaten indoors at a restaurant at all in months, we just get takeout via drive-through and curbside (and go inside to get takeout if absolutely necessary, but most places we've patronized are doing curbside). Missing Jimmy's omelettes, but there's no way their hash browns would be in decent shape by the time we got them home...

[Bill Robertson]

Has anyone been to a busy restaurant in the last few weeks?

I've only dined out 3 times in the last several months, all at very popular places, and none were more than half full at peak times.

I haven’t eaten but I’ve been in BWW on NW Exp to the pick up counter one Saturday night and Clark Crew on another Saturday night. Both were pretty full. At least well over 50%. And one of my favorite hang outs, don’t judge, is Twin Peaks. They have been almost normally busy. No way I’m going to be around that many people until this crap is over.

[Bill Robertson]

This is most assuredly faked but I like it anyway.

[Martin]

You stayed and ate that time? Are you going to go back and eat there again if their environment stays the same?

we did stay, but i'll probably think twice before returning until the epidemic returns to safer levels.

[soonerguru]

Has anyone been to a busy restaurant in the last few weeks?

I've only dined out 3 times in the last several months, all at very popular places, and none were more than half full at peak times.

I have not dined out or had takeout since March 13, but I want to relate a story a friend told me. She and her husband had not dined in a restaurant until last week. She was craving one of the salads at Redrock Canyon in Norman.

They looked and it was basically empty when they were seated. Shortly thereafter, another party arrived and the hostess seated the other party right next to them in an empty restaurant! So they politely asked their server if they could move a few tables down.

Nobody else showed up until they were awaiting their check but then the hostess seated a newly arriving party at the adjacent booth right behind them!

If that’s how a Hal Smith joint rolls there is no hope for dine-in restaurant safety. I cannot get over how freaking oblivious people are to the world around them.

[kukblue1]

Has anyone been to a busy restaurant in the last few weeks?

I've only dined out 3 times in the last several months, all at very popular places, and none were more than half full at peak times.

Go to a busy Braums during lunch you will see people on top of one another. Also take it from someone that has worked in food service for over 25 years they not very clean to begin with. You also have to think about other things also. Your putting silverware in your mouth then that gets on the plates the plates gets touched by the hands of the server. Even with a straw your mouth is coming in close contact with the cup. Your touching the table with your hands that depending on what you were eating were close or in your mouth. Nope too many germs going around that table would have to be scrubbed down to make sure it was 100 percent clean and if you think that is happening it's not. People talking. Even if it's just a few people in the restaurant I really can see how it can spread in that setting. I know I know you can get it at Walmart or a Target but you not doing a lot with your mouth other than talking. Easier to wear a mask it's impossible when eating.

[BoulderSooner]

I've never agreed with this logic. I don't think MORE people will eat out in certain areas to offset the areas where less folks are. If you have 100 restaurants across the metro and 70 of them are covered by a mandate to close, there's still going to be a SIGNIFICANT reduction in transmission and exposure. Fine, we may not see a full 70% drop (although I'd argue that the action of closing the businesses will work as a deterrent for many people going out), it would still be a fairly large drop. Any reduction is certainly better than nothing.

Also, considering that the restaurant and bar industry is our (I think) second largest employer sector in the the state, it's a lot of employees getting a little more protection if their employer is forced to close.

i think what you saw previously is that the bars and restaurants that didn't close became packed ..

[BoulderSooner]

Has anyone been to a busy restaurant in the last few weeks?

I've only dined out 3 times in the last several months, all at very popular places, and none were more than half full at peak times.

yes lots of the places we have been to in the last month have been very full ..

[Bill Robertson]

Also, didn’t look inside but every time I go by BJs on Memorial or the Chili’s on Rockwell the parking lots are full. Must be pretty full inside with that many cars.

[AP]

FYI:

I've been looking at that number for a while and it keeps getting smaller. Is this not a concern? Haven't seen many people talking about it.

[LocoAko]

Why has our new color-coded county "alert system" not been updated in over a week? What use is that?

Edit: Apparently it is going to be updated at 11AM every Friday. I guess they didn't update it the first week since it had just been released. Gonna be a lot more orange and red...

[Bill Robertson]

Arkansas is requiring masks statewide starting Monday

[Canoe]

Based on everything I've read about indoor vs. outdoor transmission, the best move is really to shut down all indoor dining and focus on expanding outdoor dining as much as possible. Let restaurants set up extra tables in their parking lots, maybe close down some streets with a high concentration of restaurants (thinking that 16th Street in the Plaza would be a perfect example of this).

I would support doing this on 16th

[Canoe]

Absolutely that would be the best idea, but there are tons of people that will not eat outside in July/August in OKC (me included).

String some lights across 16th and eat dinner with your date at 900 pm. I believe eating later is common in other parts of the world.

[RustytheBailiff]

I've been looking at that number for a while and it keeps getting smaller. Is this not a concern? Haven't seen many people talking about it.

Very big concern -- and we haven't done anything about setting up emergency hospital beds. I guess we don't plan for that until it hits zero first.


WEAR MASKS SAVE LIVES

[jedicurt]

Has anyone been to a busy restaurant in the last few weeks?

I've only dined out 3 times in the last several months, all at very popular places, and none were more than half full at peak times.

the places i have been to in norman have not been busy, except for patios and post church brunch on sundays

[Pete]

My point is that there may be some busy restaurants here and there but generally speaking business is way, way down.

And I know this because everyone in the industry is saying so.

Bars are a bigger issue because they tend to be more crowded and tightly-grouped in general and people drinking alcohol are not inclined toward good judgment.

This includes places like Kong's which is supposed to be generating at least 50% of its revenue from food, although absolutely everyone knows they come nowhere close to that threshhold.

[Ronnie Jackson]

I broke one of my Cardinal Rules and ate at Uncle Julio’s.

It was the slowest I’ve ever seen it, but I’m not sure if it’s a function of the market figuring out it sucks or the pandemic. Probably some combination.

[FighttheGoodFight]

Tweet from CathSweeny https://twitter.com/CathJSweeney/sta...992013826?s=20

"A White House coronavirus task force document obtained by @publicintegrity
shows officials recommending more stringent control measures Oklahoma, Tulsa and Miami counties, such as shutting down bars, restaurants and gyms and making businesses require masks."