C'mon people, mask up
The rising number of COVID-19 cases is stoking the debate over a statewide mask mandate. Gov. Kevin Stitt opposes the idea. His health commissioner says “nothing is off the table” as officials strategize on ways to combat the virus, but he doesn't see a mandate as a viable option.
A statewide edict would help — data have shown a reduced spread of the virus in Oklahoma cities with mandates. However, as we have said repeatedly, the onus for slowing the spread ultimately falls to each of us, mandate or not.
Walmart was one of the first large national chains to announce a mask requirement. Yet shoppers walk the aisles of Walmart stores every day without a mask, or while wearing one improperly. Store workers have more to do than act as enforcers, and so the practice goes mostly unpunished.
President-elect Joe Biden's plan to address COVID-19 includes implementing mask mandates on federal property and “by working with governors and mayors and by asking the American people to do what they do best: step up in a time of crisis.” As the progressive website Vox put it, “Biden's national mask mandate will be a national mask suggestion.”
Given the stakes, suggestions — whether from the governor or the president or local officials or health professionals — should be enough to get Oklahomans to act in the best interests of their fellow residents. An easy way to do that is to wear a mask in public places, especially indoors and especially where it is not possible to maintain an appropriate distance from others.
In an op-ed Wednesday in The Oklahoman, Oklahoma City physicians who are leading the fight against COVID-19 made their plea for the public's help.
“The decision to wear a mask doesn't start with local or state leaders. It begins with you,” they wrote. “Please wear your mask, because it's the right thing to do, for you, your loved ones and the community. It is a small act that protects all of us, including health care workers. It protects the economy when workers stay healthy and businesses stay open. It facilitates hospital bed availability for those who need them for cancer treatment, heart disease and the other illnesses we care for daily. But most of all it preserves our way of life — whether for family gatherings, socializing, school activities, or so many other things we hold dear.”
These men and women are dealing with a continuing surge of cases that has put a squeeze on their hospitals. The confirmed number of active COVID-19 cases in Oklahoma — likely just a fraction of the actual number — is at a record high. The death toll Thursday stood at 1,481, and daily reported deaths have climbed by double digits regularly during the past many weeks.
It shouldn't take a mandate for Oklahomans to do the right thing. C'mon folks, mask up.