Mayor G.T. Bynum announced Friday that he will present the City Council with a proposed ordinance next week that would require Tulsans to wear face coverings in public to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
City councilors are expected to vote on the proposal as early as Wednesday.
“Today, Dr. Bruce Dart of the Tulsa Health Department notified my office that continued trend data indicates the need for an ordinance requiring face covering in public places,” Bynum said in a Facebook post. “This is necessary to slow the current rate of viral spread that will endanger our health care system’s ability to treat those in need if it is not addressed.”
Bynum was not available for comment Friday.
Earlier this week, he said the city’s legal team is looking at such orders in other cities and states, and questions such as whether people would only need to wear them while inside businesses, what ages, and if an enforcement focus would be on individuals or businesses would still need to be determined.
People are also reading…
“The concern that I’ve heard … is that we need to make sure if we are going to put that kind of massive responsibility on local law enforcement, we have to be able to enforce that,” Bynum said.
Details of the proposed ordinance will not be available until next week, but THD spokeswoman Leanne Stephens said Dart’s recommendation is in line with guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Dart is recommending that Tulsans wear “a face covering in public settings and when around people who don’t live in your household, especially when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain,” Stephens said.
Tulsa County’s rolling 7-day average reached a high of 148 on Friday, and hospitalizations are on the rise, according to THD.
“Without further efforts, we will not see a sustained decrease in disease transmission. The science is clear that the use of cloth face coverings are most likely to reduce the spread of COVID-19 when they are widely used by people in public settings,” Dart said. “Therefore, I recommend city municipalities take action to put a mask ordinance in place requiring face covering in public places to lessen the spread in our community.”
Tulsa County saw 122 new cases Thursday and 135 new cases Friday, increasing the total number of active cases to 994. The deaths of three more Tulsa County residents were reported Friday, bringing the total to 75.
The mayor’s announcement came as city councilors were preparing a resolution calling for a mask requirement. Councilor Kara Joy McKee said Friday that she and fellow Councilor Vanessa Hall-Harper were planning to present the resolution to their colleagues next week.
McKee said she and Hall-Harper believe they could have garnered unanimous support for the measure.
“We were doing this before we found out about what the mayor had come forward with, and G.T. had staff contact me and say, ‘Hang on a minute, I’m working on an ordinance, we’ll have more details soon,’” McKee said. “And I responded that it is fine, if the ordinance comes through, then we’ll go with that. I am going to put a placeholder for this resolution, and if the ordinance doesn’t come, we’re going with the resolution. So one way or another, this is happening.”
Norman and Stillwater have already enacted ordinances requiring people to wear face coverings in public, and Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt indicated Friday that his city is considering a similar requirement.
“In Oklahoma City, our City Council has already called for a special joint meeting with our Oklahoma City-County Health Department that will occur Thursday,” Holt said in a tweet. “At that meeting, the nine members of Council will hear the recommendations of OCCHD regarding a mask ordinance (and other aspects of mitigation response).”
The move toward requiring people in Oklahoma’s two largest cities to wear masks comes a day after Gov. Kevin Stitt said he has no plans to issue a statewide mask requirement.
Stitt said Thursday that Oklahoma continues to effectively manage its hospital COVID-19 case capacity.
“I’m not comfortable with mandating masks,” he said. “It’s not something that I would do. The first question is, when you mandate something, is how do you enforce it?
“We’re not going to mandate masks in the state of Oklahoma. We’re not going to be mask shamers, either.”
The governor encouraged Oklahomans to continue to practice social distancing and other measures to prevent the spread of the virus.
Featured video
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt says he doesn't plan to issue an order to wear masks and gives his reason why.
COVID-19 basics everyone needs to know as the pandemic continues
COVID-19 basics everyone needs to know as the pandemic continues
How it spreads, who's at risk
Studies have shown many infected people show no symptoms or have symptoms so mild they may go undetected; those people can still transmit COVID-19 to About 20% of patients diagnosed with COVID-19 require hospitalization.
The disease can be fatal, especially for vulnerable populations: those older than 65, living in a nursing home or long-term care facility, and anyone with underlying health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, lung disease or obesity.
Science of virus spread
COVID-19 is spread mainly from person to person via respiratory droplets produced by an infected person. Spread is most likely when people are in close contact, within about 6 feet. A person might also be infected with COVID-19 after touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their face. According to the CDC, evidence suggests the novel coronavirus may remain viable for hours to days on surfaces, though that form of transmission is said to be minor.
Transmission between people more than 6 feet from one another may occur in poorly ventilated and enclosed spaces, the CDC says, especially where activities cause heavier breathing, such as singing or exercising.
The infectious period for patients can begin up to 48 hours before symptom onset.
List of symptoms
The CDC recently expanded its list of possible symptoms of COVID-19. The symptoms can appear from two days to two weeks after exposure.
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
This list does not include all possible symptoms and will continue to be updated by the CDC. One symptom not included is "purple toes," which someone may experience with no other symptoms, sometimes several weeks after the acute phase of an infection is over. The coloration and pain is caused by a lack of blood flow to the toes caused by excessive blood clotting, a late-stage concern with COVID-19 infections.
Kinds of testing
Those getting tested may experience different kinds of swabs. The viral test, known as PCR, involves a deep nasal swab that can be painful.
Other tests that require less-invasive swabs may produce results faster, but with less accuracy. These should not be used diagnostically.
It is not yet known whether COVID-19 antibodies can protect someone being infected again or how long protection might last.
The 'serious seven'
The "serious seven" refer to close contact environments where residents should take extra precautions if they choose to attend. The seven are gyms, weddings, house gatherings, bars, funerals, faith-based activities and other small events, according to Tulsa Health Department Director Bruce Dart.
Treatments being investigated
The FDA has allowed for antiviral drug remdesivir, previously tested on humans with Ebola, to treat more severe cases of COVID-19 in adults and children. Safety and effectiveness aside, preliminary studies have shown it can shorten recovery time for some patients.
After previously approving an emergency use authorization, the FDA as of July 1 cautions against use of hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine for COVID-19 outside of the hospital setting or a clinical trial. A review of safety issues includes reports of serious heart rhythm problems and other safety issues, including blood and lymph system disorders, kidney injuries, and liver problems and failure.
Convalescent serum therapy
Some patients are receiving convalescent serum, meaning the antibodies made by people who have recovered after a COVID-19 infection. Antibody-rich blood plasma is being given to severely or critically ill COVID-19 patients, including Ascension St. John, Saint Francis Health System, OSU Center for Health Sciences and Hillcrest HealthCare System in Tulsa.
From June to July, requests for convalescent plasma from the Oklahoma Blood Institute multiplied seven-fold.
Recovery, as defined by CDC
To be considered recovered (without a test), these three things must happen, the CDC advises:
- No fever for at least 72 hours (three full days of normal temperature without the use of medicine)
- Other symptoms improved (no more cough, etc.)
- At least 10 days since symptoms first appeared
