From Mayor Holy
Today, I joined Dr. Patrick McGough of the Oklahoma City-County Health Department so that we could update the people of Oklahoma City on the COVID-19 situation in our community. My remarks are below. Be well, OKC. Wear your mask.
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At our press conference eight days ago, I pledged we would continue to monitor the recent spike in new COVID-19 cases. Since so many of our June cases were occurring among younger people, who generally do not have as severe a reaction to the virus, we said we would also be closely monitoring hospitalizations and deaths. Here is what has happened over the last week in those key categories. Please keep in mind, when I talk about data, my focus is on the Oklahoma City metro, not statewide.
Blessedly, deaths have not increased in any significant way. We mourn every one of our residents lost to this virus, and we send our deepest condolences to the families of those we have lost. Over the last five weeks, we have lost six of our metro residents to COVID-19. In the same length of time in April, we lost 62. Deaths remain relatively low in June.
Regarding new case numbers and positive testing percentages, both categories went into a mild decline for a full week. However, those declines have now stalled and the numbers look to be heading up once again. And though we did experience some decline, it wasn’t as dramatic as the rise, so new cases still remain at an elevated level compared to the rest of the pandemic.
Regarding hospitalizations, after the increase that was in many ways the cause of last week’s press conference, total hospitalizations for the OKC metro have remained almost perfectly flat for a full week now. We are very glad they have not risen further but they also have not dropped at all and remain at an elevated level compared to the rest of the pandemic.
You may also recall that last week we shared the seven activities that were contributing to the case rise in June. That list was based on the investigations conducted by our City-County Health Department. This is information we didn’t have in the early days of this pandemic. We no longer have to speculate about what activities might spread the virus. We now have thousands of cases we can look at and know exactly how the virus is spreading. Last week we talked about weddings, funerals, house parties, bars, churches, gyms and small gatherings. Since that time, two sources of outbreak in particular have really stood out to our epidemiologists – restaurant & bar workers and bar patrons. This new information is perhaps no surprise, based on the younger demographics of our cases this month.
So, we sit here now with this as the overall situation: Escalation that we feared a week ago has not materialized, but neither has the depth of decline that would cause us to breathe a sigh of relief. We are stuck at an elevated level that in and of itself is manageable, but puts us right on the edge of an unmanageable situation. And with a holiday weekend looming, that precipice is an uncomfortable place to be. Thanks to data, however, we believe we see some simple interventions that could help us bring the numbers back down.
As such, we are going to use the dimmer switch, and I will be issuing a new proclamation that incorporates some measures that are targeted and tailored to the situation as we find it today. These measures will commence Friday morning and will last for two weeks. Here are the provisions:
All employees of restaurants and bars shall wear masks. This effects a finite number of actors in static locations, and so it can and will be enforced when we receive reports of systemic violations.
Bar capacities shall be lowered to 50 percent. A bar will be defined as those who hold a Type I license. This effects an even more finite number of actors in static locations, and so it can and will be enforced when we receive reports of systemic violations.
Any venue with theater-style seating shall return to staggered seating. This means either the closure of every other row or the functional equivalent, with at least two seats between separate parties. This will hopefully help counter the spread we’re seeing at weddings, funerals and churches.
These measures I have just described are simple and easy to follow, they are targeted and proportional, and they are carefully crafted in such a way as to address many – if not most - of the cases we are currently seeing. These measures are based in data and science and have been developed on the advice of public health professionals who are deeply engaged with the reality of the situation here on the ground in Oklahoma City.
Keep in mind, when you’re at the types of events or places I’ve just discussed, or any other situation, it is not a mystery how we transmit this virus. The most dangerous activity is simply having a conversation with another person, where tiny droplets of saliva are spread. You cannot see it with the naked eye but whatever the situation, when you are talking to someone and you are not wearing a mask, you are transmitting the virus to that person, or vice versa, through these tiny droplets of saliva. It is just as disgusting as it sounds, and if catching the virus doesn’t cause your alarm bells to go off when you find yourself in those situations, just picture someone spitting all over you as they talk, because if they are not wearing a mask, that is in fact exactly what they are doing.
In order to significantly diminish the chances that you will unknowingly transmit the virus to others in a broad spectrum of situations, I am asking that all residents wear a mask or cloth covering across your mouth and nose when you are in an indoor public place and less than six feet away from other people not of your household or your family. I recognize there is no practical way to enforce this request, but I hope that by making it publicly, I will help to establish the societal expectation that we expect our friends and our neighbors to do the right thing. Let me also add that private businesses absolutely have the right to require masks, just as they require shoes and a shirt. I encourage them to do so, and we will be there to support their private property rights.
This latest spike in cases has reminded us that we will live with this virus for a long time, likely years. Much like the threats posed by other public health challenges, such as food borne illness, this pandemic is part of our lives now. Long term challenges must ultimately be addressed by regulation that has been adopted by elected officials through a democratic process. Though I am taking these measures today through the emergency powers afforded to a mayor by state statute, city charter and ordinance, the utility of emergency powers is nearing its end. Outside of extraordinary emergencies, this is not how American policymaking works. This pandemic is an extraordinary challenge, but it is transitioning from emergency to way of life. It should be normalized and addressed as such.
Therefore, I have asked the City Manager to arrange for a joint meeting of the City Council and the Oklahoma City-County Board of Health and its executive team, in order to discuss potential adoption of ordinances that will replace the emergency proclamations through which we have mitigated the spread of the virus to this point. Such discussions shall include what measures may be needed, who has the authority to adopt them, how they will be enforced, and how they might be adjusted in order to respond to trends. Though we know very little at this point about the tiered system described by the Governor yesterday, no doubt that will be something we will want to incorporate into our discussion as well. That meeting and potential ensuing actions are expected to occur this month. In the meantime, I remain committed to our mitigation efforts even as I work to transition us to a more democratic approach better suited to the long-term challenge that this pandemic has become.
A final word before I turn this over to Dr. Patrick McGough, Executive Director of the Oklahoma City-County Health Department. This is a holiday weekend coming up, and arguably this most recent spike began a bit after Memorial Day weekend. We can’t sustain another spike on top of this one. Please, be careful and recognize the seriousness of this virus, especially if you’re a young person. This weekend and every day, wear your masks, wash your hands and keep your distance.
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