[Oklazona Bound]

As a person who spends 6 months during the cooler months in Arizona and the 6 warmer months in Oklahoma and I have been watching how the re-openings have affected each state.

I posted a thread 2 weeks ago in the Arizona forum concerned about the uptick in cases there. Since then its become national news. Arizona's hospitals are filling up and they are now the national hotspot.

However Oklahoma has up until now seemed to escape what is now going on in many surrounding states such as Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana and Missouri.

The local Walmart where I live as well as stores I go into in OKC the people wearing masks has dropped way down during the past couple weeks. Not only customers but people working in businesses.

https://coronavirus.1point3acres.com/

There has been a slow increase in new cases in OK. The past two days there have been more than 200 new cases a day. Before this there was not a day with 200 new cases. I get that 200 cases a day in a state with millions of people is not that much. Arizona went from 200 cases a day to 1600 a day very quickly.

Still we are doing better than many of the states I mentioned above for now. But the trend is up. Should the state put more effort into promoting wearing masks and social distancing or just let whatever happens, happens?

[StillwaterTownie]

So far a good thing about Oklahoma is that hospitalizations and deaths aren't also spiking. I'm afraid many people won't return to masks and distancing, unless hospitalizations and deaths spike, too. I still wear a mask when I go to a store, since I have no idea how bad the virus might be for me, if I catch it. But it seems a number of people are braver than me in the stores. No wonder. People in Stillwater likely felt the worst of the pandemic was over. Positive cases had sat on 23 for over 6 weeks. All had recovered. But this past week positives spiked so as of Saturday they are at 72. Now I hope more people are wearing masks and distancing and aren't going to wait for the other spikes. I don't know what can be done to encourage people to do better other than the media doing a good job getting the word out should hospitalizations and death spike.

It's believed that positive college students returning to town explains the spike in Stillwater. Some of them have jobs in Stillwater, like at the bars and restaurants.

https://www.ocolly.com/news/the-seco...895b64ae7.html

[Oklazona Bound]

Originally Posted by StillwaterTownie

So far a good thing about Oklahoma is that hospitalizations and deaths aren't also spiking. I'm afraid many people won't return to masks and distancing, unless hospitalizations and deaths spike, too. I still wear a mask when I go to a store, since I have no idea how bad the virus might be for me, if I catch it. But it seems a number of people are braver than me in the stores. No wonder. People in Stillwater likely felt the worst of the pandemic was over. Positive cases had sat on 23 for over 6 weeks. All had recovered. But this past week positives spiked so as of Saturday they are at 72. Now I hope more people are wearing masks and distancing and aren't going to wait for the other spikes. I don't know what can be done to encourage people to do better other than the media doing a good job getting the word out should hospitalizations and death spike.

It's believed that positive college students returning to town explains the spike in Stillwater. Some of them have jobs in Stillwater, like at the bars and restaurants.

https://www.ocolly.com/news/the-seco...895b64ae7.html

From what I watched in Arizona the hospitalizations and deaths lag a bit when cases spiked. In Cushing it appears the oil services workers are coming back with the rise of oil prices. Lots more out of state plates. And few people wearing masks. Restaurants appear packed.

[StillwaterTownie]

Originally Posted by Oklazona Bound

From what I watched in Arizona the hospitalizations and deaths lag a bit when cases spiked. In Cushing it appears the oil services workers are coming back with the rise of oil prices. Lots more out of state plates. And few people wearing masks. Restaurants appear packed.

I try to go to restaurants for dinner at times when not packed, like 5pm, certainly not at 6 or 7. But haven't been back to the TX Roadhouse, since I was disgusted to see two workers there wearing masks not over their noses. They spent much of their time just standing around together doing nothing. I hope they got fired.

New cases only went up by 3 in Stillwater on Sunday, so I hope the worst of the spike is over.

[Oklazona Bound]

Originally Posted by StillwaterTownie

I try to go to restaurants for dinner at times when not packed, like 5pm, certainly not at 6 or 7. But haven't been back to the TX Roadhouse, since I was disgusted to see two workers there wearing masks not over their noses. They spent much of their time just standing around together doing nothing. I hope they got fired.

New cases only went up by 3 in Stillwater on Sunday, so I hope the worst of the spike is over.

Where are you finding the data? I had a link to zip code level data in Oklahoma but its not working now.

3 cases is better. Sometimes weekend data goes down. Oklahoma had 158 new cases today. Not sure when the cases actually happened. I assume a day or two lag time. But its less than the more than 200 the past two days. However the Sunday before had 90 cases and the Sunday prior to that had zero reported. I guess I am saying one day does not necessarily mean much. We will have to see how the next couple weeks shape up.

Trump's rally is coming up 6 days in Tulsa. I am sure it will draw people from all over the state and elsewhere. Who knows what the fallout will be. I am sure not wearing a mask will be the goal of a lot of people there.

[StillwaterTownie]

Originally Posted by Oklazona Bound

Where are you finding the data? I had a link to zip code level data in Oklahoma but its not working now.

3 cases is better. Sometimes weekend data goes down. Oklahoma had 158 new cases today. Not sure when the cases actually happened. I assume a day or two lag time. But its less than the more than 200 the past two days. However the Sunday before had 90 cases and the Sunday prior to that had zero reported. I guess I am saying one day does not necessarily mean much. We will have to see how the next couple weeks shape up.

Trump's rally is coming up 6 days in Tulsa. I am sure it will draw people from all over the state and elsewhere. Who knows what the fallout will be. I am sure not wearing a mask will be the goal of a lot of people there.

I get changes in daily data from year among other pages: https://looker-dashboards.ok.gov/embed/dashboards/79

Since summer classes are online and library closed, I can't see many OSU students wanting to come back for summer, unless they got jobs in Stillwater:
Stillwater health officials believe geography data of COVID-19 results may be misleading
https://www.koco.com/article/stillwa...ading/32858826


Tulsa Health Department director 'wishes' Trump rally would be postponed as local COVID cases surge
https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/loca...047453d53.html

[Oklazona Bound]

Originally Posted by StillwaterTownie

I get changes in daily data from year among other pages: https://looker-dashboards.ok.gov/embed/dashboards/79

Since summer classes are online and library closed, I can't see many OSU students wanting to come back for summer, unless they got jobs in Stillwater:
Stillwater health officials believe geography data of COVID-19 results may be misleading
https://www.koco.com/article/stillwa...ading/32858826

Tulsa Health Department director 'wishes' Trump rally would be postponed as local COVID cases surge
https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/loca...047453d53.html

Thanks for the link. Cushing has 20 confirmed cases. Last I checked which was perhaps almost 2 months ago there were 14 I believe?

Looking at the list Guyman has almost as many cases as Tulsa or OKC. Almost 10% of the people have had it. And its not much bigger than Cushing. Meat processing is the culprit I understand. My guess is Tulsa in about 3 weeks will be the Oklahoma hotspot.

I would imagine the kind of summer jobs returning students would want might be scarce. Retail, fast food etc. Most are not back 100%. Better to stay with mom and dad and come back just before school starts.

[Oklazona Bound]

Oklahoma is now a national news story on the virus spike. Today was the highest so far at 235. 3 of the last 5 are the highest so far.

GRAPHIC-COVID-19 cases surging in Alabama, South Carolina and Oklahoma

https://news.trust.org/item/20200616101601-zwjb3


In Oklahoma, where President Donald Trump plans to hold an indoor campaign rally on Saturday, new cases rose 68% to 1,081 in the second week of June, while the positive test rate increased to 4%, from 2% the previous week.
Oklahoma officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

[StillwaterTownie]

Yet, oddly enough, Pence on Monday said, "The number of cases in Oklahoma has declined precipitously." Folks, we're living in the Twilight Zone. Anything strange and unsettling can happen.

The crowds going to Trump's Tulsa rally are going to be like guinea pigs, but they better cooperate for the experiment to be successful. The Oklahoma Health Dept. advises everyone attending to be recently tested negative. The rally will provide masks, temps taken and disinfectant made available. Due to my concerns over public health and safety, I'm not going to be part of the insanity. However, if it doesn't turn out to be an epic public health disaster, it could be a brilliant political move for Trump in leading the nation away from the virus. It could mean concert halls, arenas and stadiums can soon reopen and be packed again. It could even mean Trump gets reelected. But I'm not betting on it.

[Oklazona Bound]

Originally Posted by StillwaterTownie

Yet, oddly enough, Pence on Monday said, "The number of cases in Oklahoma has declined precipitously." Folks, we're living in the Twilight Zone. Anything strange and unsettling can happen.

The crowds going to Trump's Tulsa rally are going to be like guinea pigs, but they better cooperate for the experiment to be successful. The Oklahoma Health Dept. advises everyone attending to be recently tested negative. The rally will provide masks, temps taken and disinfectant made available. Due to my concerns over public health and safety, I'm not going to be part of the insanity. However, if it doesn't turn out to be an epic public health disaster, it could be a brilliant political move for Trump in leading the nation away from the virus. It could mean concert halls, arenas and stadiums can soon reopen and be packed again. It could even mean Trump gets reelected. But I'm not betting on it.

Pence. I don't know how he looks at himself in the mirror or sleeps well at night. My guess he expected to be sitting in the Oval Office by now and all of this was worth it. But if Trump wins reelection and the democrats take over both the house and senate. Impeachment will be successful and Pence is POTUS. Perhaps that is his motivation.

I agree if there are few cases it helps Trump. But that means he will do more rallies and keep rolling the dice. In theory that is Russian Roulette. It has to backfire at some point.

However even if it turns out badly he will deny it or blame some other reason for the increase. And most of his voters will believe it. Meanwhile people here will have to deal with the reality of many more cases and a possible hotspot.

Just to say I witnessed it I would like to go to see one Trump rally. But in a building with 19,000 people during a pandemic. No. My guess is when they show the audience way less than half will have masks on. Probably very few. Wearing a mask at a Trump rally shows weakness. Its going to be hot so the AC will be running in there. I have a theory that part of why warm weather states are seeing increases (AZ, CA, FL and TX) is because of AC systems in businesses are spreading the virus. Oklahoma is just now getting hot and the AC systems are going full speed now including in the BOK Center.