Claremore became the latest city in the Tulsa area to pass a face-covering requirement at an at-times contentious special Friday evening meeting of the City Council.
The mandate passed with a 5-2 vote, with Councilors Dennis Grace, Scott Savage, Ken Hays and Will DeMier and Mayor Bill Flanagan voting in favor.
Councilors Justin Michael and Brian Callender voted against the mandate. Michael said he considered voting for the mandate because he feared a looming shutdown, but not one he claimed was based in fact.
“I have employees from my other businesses, and I worried we might be shut down,” Michael said. “I’m not worried we might be shut down because of cases. I’m worried we might be shut down because of political influence forcing our leadership to shut me down for no good reason.”
Callender said there was “no way in hell” he would vote for a mandate and joined Michael in claiming that mandates elsewhere, Tulsa included, aren’t working to slow the spread of COVID-19.
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Callender claimed that the continued spread of the virus isn’t from a lack of face coverings but from people not washing their hands.
The coronavirus is airborne, and scientists with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the White House Coronavirus Task Force, state and county health departments, and educational and medical institutions agree that mask mandates appear to have contributed to the mitigation of COVID-19 transmission.
Claremore’s mask mandate vote came the same day Oklahoma recorded 15 more deaths from COVID-19 — including one in Rogers County, where Claremore is the county seat — and 2,921 new cases statewide.
In a presentation earlier in the meeting, Claremore Fire Chief Sean Douglas, also the town’s emergency management director, said the city saw an additional 44 cases Friday and had 494 active cases citywide.
Douglas also said the city’s six available hospital beds designated for COVID-19 patients had been full or nearly full for the past week.
“We have a person in the county that is coordinating where people go when they need a hospital bed,” Douglas said. “Trying to find a bed that is staffed is kind of tricky. Our local EMS agency has actually delivered people to Nebraska, Kansas City and Houston, Texas, in order to get people a bed that’s staffed.”
Multiple residents spoke before councilors discussed the mandate, with several encouraging a ‘no’ vote. After the meeting adjourned, people in the audience could be heard on Facebook Live saying they would “shop in Catoosa and Owasso now” and that they “will remember this come next election.”
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Gallery: Is your child giving you a hard time about wearing a mask? Experts give their tips
Is your child giving you a hard time about wearing a mask? Experts give their tips
1. Let children ask questions
Lorraine Breffni, the executive director of Early Childhood at Nova Southeastern University’s University School Mailman Segal Center, said that all ages of children will have questions about face coverings. She said it’s important to get their cooperation with wearing masks.
The younger they are, the more basic the answers should be.
“Parents should say it’s to help them keep from getting themselves and getting other people sick,” said Breffni.
There are also social stories, learning tools for people with autism spectrum disorders, available online to introduce mask-wearing to children. Del Río-Roberts recommended these three (link 1 | link 2 | link 3).
“Start to process with the child ahead of time before the expectation that they’re supposed to be in school for an extended period of time,” said Del Río-Roberts.
2. Give time to transition
The first time a child wears a mask for an extended period of time should not be the first day of school. Parents should practice mask-wearing at home and make it a fun activity for the children by adding it to their places of play.
For children in special education, Del Río-Roberts suggested to slowly expose them for 15 minutes at a time and increase from there. Positive reinforcement — like a snack or extra playtime — is important, even if the child doesn’t reach the goal.
“Start early and start incrementally,” said Del Río-Roberts.
3. Customize masks
Just as adults have preferences for the type of mask they wear, children do as well. Adults should be flexible and allow children to experiment with what kind of mask they wear, whether medical, cloth or other types.
This also allows the tone of the mask to change. Children can personalize their masks with their favorite animals or cartoon characters.
4. Turn it into a routine
Breffni said it’s important that parents destress and make mask wearing an everyday task, just like brushing teeth.
Both experts advised against using punitive measures if children have difficulty keeping their masks on. For special needs children, Del Río-Roberts said to redirect their attention.
“If they’re trying to grab it, move their hand or shift their attention to another task,” said Del Río-Roberts.
5. Learn by example
Children will notice and emulate adults complaining about wearing a mask every day.
“If we make it an everyday practice and don’t push our own fears, they can take it very matter-of-factly,” said Breffni.
There is also more to preventative measures than wearing masks, and adults should use positive reinforcement to encourage good hygiene in all aspect of their lives.
