Locally, a rise in hospitalization is of bigger concern than more cases. At the local hospital, there isn't much cushion for that. Stillwater is number 10 on the list for Oklahoma cities.
In Stillwater, additional bars and restaurants have seen fit to close again. This weekend, nights aren't as lively as usual.
Stillwater leaders eye hospitalizations as trigger for COVID-19 restrictions:
With the number of active COVID-19 cases in Stillwater rising from none to 147 over the course of two weeks, Stillwater’s city leaders, medical community and the Payne County Health Department are monitoring the situation closely and preparing to respond.
On Friday, the City of Stillwater released a statement that said a more restrictive emergency proclamation could follow if the disease’s spread isn’t slowed and Stillwater Medical Center sees an increase in patients requiring hospitalization.
The City of Stillwater has moved into Phase III of the state’s Open Up and Recover Safely plan, but could step back to Phase II provisions.
The first move would likely be a reduction in occupancy for businesses and limitations on the number of people who can attend gatherings, City Manager Norman McNickle told the News Press.
“We open it up and it explodes,” he said. “Let’s slow this thing down. We don’t want to shut things down again any more than people want us to … We are concerned. Those of us in local government are responsible for ensuring the health and safety of all of our residents. If we have to take action, we will.”
The city has seen especially rapid growth in confirmed infections over the past week, often jumping by more than 20 cases between reports and, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health, driven by increases among people 35 or younger.
McNickle said City officials haven’t been privy to details from contact tracing of individuals but, based on generalizations, they understand that the source of many infections appears to be big groups of people in close quarters. Given the accelerating spread of the disease, he finds the number of people walking around without face coverings to be troubling.
And he worries that it will begin spreading from young, healthy people, to the older and more medically vulnerable population.
“It’s gonna jump,” McNickle said. “It’s gonna jump to the other group.”
Shyla Eggers, Stillwater Medical Center’s Director of Public Relations, says it’s already happening.
“In the last few days, we’re seeing more older patients with positive cases,” she said.
Whether Mayor Will Joyce rolls back Phase III provisions ultimately depends on how many patients with active COVID-19 infections are being treated at Stillwater Medical Center.
If the hospital shifts into its emergency plan, the city will also take action, McNickle said.
On Friday, Eggers confirmed that SMC had one patient.
If it begins to consistently see 3-4 patients, the hospital will go to its surge plan, she said. That expands its ICU capacity from 7 beds to 16. The hospital would have the ability to care for many more coronavirus patients in specific areas, while still treating other patients.
It’s something SMC’s administrators and staff would like to avoid.
“We’re disappointed that more people haven’t heeded the warnings,” Eggers said. “… It’s frustrating to see the numbers roll in.”
In a City of Stillwater release, Joyce stressed that he does not want to issue a new, more restrictive emergency proclamation, but that it may happen.
“Right now, we are focusing our efforts on more education and public outreach,” he said.
Residents are being asked to follow CDC recommendations.
FROM:
https://www.stwnewspress.com/news/local_news/stillwater-leaders-eye-hospitalizations-as-trigger-for-covid-19-restrictions/article_28ab03c9-e733-51f7-81de-5fcda329d5d9.html#tncms-source=block-contextual-fallback
