Exceptions include Children under 10, City parks, Pathfinder
To help combat rising numbers of Covid-19 infections in Bartlesville, the City Council on Monday voted unanimously to approve a resolution requiring everyone to wear a mask or face covering in all City-owned facilities. The move comes after several weeks of escalating Covid-19 infections have been reported across the country — including more than 100 in Bartlesville over the weekend alone and a record high for the state of more than 3,000 on Monday.
The mask requirement approved by the council applies only to City-owned facilities. It is not a citywide mask mandate, City Manager Mike Bailey said.
“This is not a mask mandate applicable to the entire city. It applies only to enclosed City-owned facilities,” Bailey said.
Enclosed City facilities include:
- City Hall
- Bartlesville Public Library
- Bartlesville Area History Museum
- Adams Golf Course (pro shop)
- Public Works
- Ted D. Lockin Water Treatment Plant
- Bartlesville Police Department
- Bartlesville Fire Department (all four stations and fire administration)
The requirement, which goes into effect at midnight tonight, does not apply to children under 10, outdoor facilities such as parks and Pathfinder trails, or to employees who work in an office or vehicle that is not occupied by other people.
Virus impact to City employees, services
Bailey said the request for council consideration of the measure came as Covid-19 infections continue to soar across the county, including Bartlesville — and within the City employee base.
“It’s important to look at how Covid-19 has impacted City operations since the pandemic began, and that has not been insignificant,” he said. “As of today, we have had 39 employees contract the virus —12 have it currently.”
Bailey said while that number is high enough, the real impact to City operations comes as the number of exposures continue to rise, which, operationally, are treated in a similar manner.
“In addition to those 39 employees who have had the virus, we’ve had 192 employees off work because they were exposed to it and could potentially infect other employees or the public,” he said. “That’s a total of 234 employees (including three who were off work for child care quarantine) — of a total employee base of about 350 — who have been off work for an average of 10 days either because they had Covid-19, had been exposed to someone who had Covid-19 or because they were caring for a child in quarantine.
“In light of these numbers, we realized we needed to do something — not only to protect our employees and the public, but also to ensure that we can maintain continuity of City services. These include such services as trash collection, water and waste water production and, of course, police and fire services.”
Hospital CEO updates council
Ascension St. John Jane Phillips CEO Mike Moore also addressed the council Monday, reporting that the hospital currently has 108 beds, of which anywhere from 70 to “as high as 93” have stayed consistently filled in recent weeks. He said the hospital recently opened additional beds for Covid patients, bringing its capacity to around 60 percent full.
“We’re running at about 60 percent — it’s up a bit over the past week,” he said
Moore said the hospital can currently accommodate up to 43 Covid patients at one time, with a capacity to add 16 more beds in the event of a future surge.
“We are preparing, if we have to surge up one more stage (to Stage 3), we would open up another 16 beds,” he said.
He said 26 Covid-19 patients are currently admitted to the hospital, up from zero just a few weeks ago.
Asked about Critical Care, or Intensive Care, Unit beds, Moore said the local hospital capacity “stays full 90 percent of the time.”
“That’s one of the most critical needs in northeastern Oklahoma,” he said.
Moore did not comment on the mask requirement for City facilities but said masks are required for everyone, including patients, visitors and staff, at the hospital.
“We know (wearing a mask) curbs the virus,” he said.
Around the state
Action is beginning to ramp up across the state as well. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R-Oklahoma) announced last week that all State employees and visitors at State facilities are required to wear a mask, and Oklahoma Congressman Frank Lucas (R-District 3), on Monday dialed in support for a statewide mask mandate.
“With more than 1,500 Oklahomans now hospitalized and new positive cases averaging more than 2,600 per day, it’s time for Oklahoma to act,” Lucas said.
The resolution passed by the council on Monday also gives the city manager authority to close facilities, permit employees to work off-site as necessary, as well as take other actions aimed at protecting City employees and customers. Bailey said no changes are currently planned but ensures that provisions are in place if needed in the future.