Covid-19 in OKC (coronavirus)

[Jersey Boss]

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.

[Pete]

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

[DowntownMan]

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

[gopokes88]

New 705
Deaths 11
Recovered 795

Hospital jumped by +81
ICU by +37

[jerrywall]

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.

[soonerguru]

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/statu...853523987?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.

[Bill Robertson]

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.

[soonerguru]

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.

[Dustin]

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!"

[Roger S]

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.

[Bill Robertson]

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

[FighttheGoodFight]

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.

[Pete]

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.

[mkjeeves]

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/king...own-cafeteria/

[soonerguru]

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.

[kukblue1]

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.

[Bill Robertson]

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.

[Pete]

794 new cases today, the most since Saturday.

6 more reported deaths.

[soonerguru]

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?

[Bill Robertson]

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.

[soonerguru]

Here is a list from today of known transmissions in schools. Add Kingfisher to the list as well.

13 Oklahoma School Districts with Covid-19 During First Week of Reopening‼
This is by no means a comprehensive list... just what we know so far. I'm sure there are more cases in Oklahoma schools, but I think it illustrates the volume we are dealing with before the school year really gets fully started. All but one of these districts have switched to virtual or delayed in-person school.
1- Kingston
2- Bennington
3- McAlester
4- Colbert
5- Hartshorne
6- Shawnee
7- Newcastle
8- Hulbert
9- Marietta
10- Tulsa, Bishop Kelley
11- Broken Arrow (33 employees)
12- Mid-Del (4 employees)
13- Boswell

[soonerguru]

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.

"Results." What does that mean? I'm not taking issue with your reporting it's just that we had a tremendous backlog of tests for several weeks, with tests pending. That number could have shrunk dramatically and not affect the number of "results."

[Bill Robertson]

"Results." What does that mean? I'm not taking issue with your reporting it's just that we had a tremendous backlog of tests for several weeks, with tests pending. That number could have shrunk dramatically and not affect the number of "results."

The EORs have a column of “Total Tests Reported” each day. Actually it should be titled “Total completed test results, positive and negative”. The only thing pending tests have to do with this is that they will eventually be completed and be in some day’s Total Tests Reported column.

[brian72]

I think all schools should be shut down till at least the end of this school year. Masking the kids will not work.

[David]

Mask requirements for the general community were also declared to not work right up until we tried them and have had (anecdotally speaking based on observations) nearly full compliance and what looks like the start of a downward slope to our community spread.

As people have been pointing out, if you can regulate skirt lengths and ban tank tops in schools you can mandate masks.