On Nov. 19, Mayor David Holt implored the residents of Oklahoma City to take a break from higher-risk activities for 10 days in order to lessen the skyrocketing spread of COVID-19. New cases had tripled in the first three weeks of November.
Residents, businesses, and organizations responded to the call with a series of actions and heightened precautions. Mayor Holt and public health officials are encouraged by preliminary case numbers released Sunday and Monday, and will closely monitor data this week to evaluate the state of the virus. The Mayor and public health officials will communicate updates to residents as more results from the “Power 10” emerge.
In the meantime, Mayor Holt has issued a new emergency proclamation allowing local police enforcement of Gov. Kevin Stitt’s executive order restricting bar and restaurant service after 11 p.m. to lapse. The restrictions in the Governor’s executive order still remain in place in Oklahoma City and statewide.
“I was heartened but not surprised at the way our city responded to our call for extra precautions after our spike earlier this month,” said Mayor Holt. “The end of the ‘Power 10’ certainly does not mean we’re out of the woods. We’re still in a pandemic, and everyone should continue to be cautious. Please continue to wear your mask, keep your distance and wash your hands. We are hopeful that our efforts the last 10 days pushed our case numbers down, but we’ll be evaluating that data throughout the week.”
Regardless of new case trends that emerge this week, hospitals are still likely to receive a further surge of patients from November’s wave of new cases. As of Sunday evening, 608 people were in metro Oklahoma City hospitals being treated for COVID-19, a record number and a tripling of the patient total from the city’s previous wave in July.
“The need for continued precautions is imperative on many levels,” said Mayor Holt. “You should do everything you can to avoid catching this virus for your own health, but also recognize that the higher our case numbers, the more stress on our schools, our businesses and our health care system. Don’t just take precautions for yourself, do it for our community.”
Last week, the City Council approved an extension to the City’s mask ordinance, requiring the wearing of masks in indoor public places through at least Jan. 22.
Visit covid19.okc.gov for the latest local coronavirus information, including the emergency proclamation, mask ordinance, City services updates and public health data.