Officials with County, City and Tulsa Health to provide COVID-19 Update

Officials with County, City and Tulsa Health to provide COVID-19 Update

SEEING PEOPLE START NEEDING TOSEEK HOSPITALIZATION.BECAUSE OF THAT, THE MODELINGTHAT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ISSHARING WITH US SHOWS THAT WHILEWE COULD HAVE A PEAK OFCONTAGION EARLY NEXT WEEK, BASEDON THEIR DATA, WE SHOULDN'T HAVETO SEE THAT PEAK LOAD ON OURHOSPITAL SYSTEM UNTIL EARLY MAY,THE BEGINNING OF MAY.AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE BEENDOING ALL THIS SOCIAL DISTANCINGFOR IS TO PREPARE FOR THATEVENT.TO ALLOW ENOUGH CAPACITY WITHINOUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM FOREVERYONE WHO NEEDS THE MOSTSEVERE MEDICAL TREATMENT TO BEABLE TO RECEIVE IT.NOW THE GOOD NEWS FROM MYVANTAGE POINT IS THAT WHAT WEJUST SPENT DOING FOR THE LASTFOUR WEEKS AS A CITY, AND AS AMETRO AREA, IT'S WORKING.WHEN YOU SEE THE DATA THAT OURHEALTH DEPARTMENT IS UTILIINGAND THE WAY THEY HAVE UPDATEDTHEIR MODELING NOW COMPARED TOJUST A FEW WEEKS AGO, WE'RETALKING ABOUT THOUSANDS OFPEOPLE'S LIVES THAT ARE BEINGSAVED BY TULSA TAKING SOCIALDISTANCING SERIOUSLY.SO I CANNOT THANK ENOUGH,EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY WHOHAS SACRIFICED SO MUCH TOPROTECT THE MOST VULNERABLEPEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND TOMAKE SURE THAT OUR NEIGHBORSHAVE THE MEDICAL ASSISTANCE THATTHEY NEED TO GET THROUGH THISAND FOR US AS A COMMUNITY TO BEABLE TO RETURN TO OUR NORMALLIVES, AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.WITH THAT SAID,S A WE HEAD INTOTHE PEAK CONTAGION MOMENT, WHICHCOINCIDES WITH THE HOLIDAYWEEKEND, IT IS INCUMBENT THATALL OF US CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WEHAVE BEEN DOING.WE CANNOT LET UP NOW.WE HAVE TO STAY FIRM ANDVIGILANT IN PRACTICING SOCIALDISTANCING AS A COMMUNITY AND IFWE DO THAT, WE WILL KEEP THISCONTAGION RATE LOWER, WE WILLKEEP OUR DEATH RATE LOWER, ANDALL OF US WILL BE RESPONSIBLEFOR SAVING THOUSANDS OF LIVES INOUR CITY.AND SO I WOULD ASK EVERYONE ASYOU GO INTO THIS WEEKEND, AND IKNOW, BELIEVE ME, HOW MUCH WEALL WANT TO BE WITH OUR EXTENDEDFAMILIES AND OUR FRIENDS ON THEHOLIDAY WEEKEND.BUT I WOULD ASK, THOUGH, IS THATWE NOT THINK AS MUCH ABOUT ALLTHE THINGS THAT WE CAN'T DO OVERTHE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, BUTINSTEAD THINK OF WHAT WE'RE APART OF RIGHT NOW.EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US.WE'RE PART OF ONE OF THEGREATEST HUMANITARIANINITIATIVES IN THE HISTORY OFHHUMAN KIND RIGHT NOW.THERE ARE PEOPLE ALL AROUND THEWORLD WHO ARE SACRIFICING IN THESAME WAY THAT WE'RE SACRIFICINGHERE, TO SAVE THEIR NEIGHBORSJUST LIKE WE'RE TRYING TO DOHERE.IF WE EVER NEEDED A REMINDER OFOUR COMMON HUMANITY, THIS IS IT.AND SO PLEASE THINK ABOUT THAT,AND HOW WE ARE UNITED WITHPEOPLE ALL AROUND THE WORLD,PEOPLE WE'LL NEVER MEET, BUT WEARE UNITED AS HUMAN BEING INTHIS EFFORT TO SAVE OUR FELLOWPEOPLE, OUR FELLOW CITIZENS, TOSAVE MANKIND.I ALSO WANT TO BRING UP JUST ACOUPLE UPDATES, WE HAVE HAD OVER800 INDIVIDUALS CONTACT TULSARESPONSE.ORG TO SEEK NOINTEREST, ZERO INTEREST LOANSFOR THEIR BUSINESSES OR THEIRNONPROFITS, WE HAVE THIS INPLACE TO TIDE PEOPLE OVER UNTILTHE FEDERAL STEMMING, WHICH ISFAR MORE SUBSTANTIAL THANANYTHING WE COULD AFFORD LOCALLYHITS THE STREETS HERE IN TULSA.AND IF YOU'RE A BUSINESS OWNER,I JUST HAD A BUSINESS OWNERREACH OUT TO ME THIS MORNING ANDI HADN'T HEARD ABOUT IT.IF YOU NEED ASSISTANCE TO TIDEYOU OVER UNTIL YOU GET ONE OFTHOSE FEDERAL STIMULUS LOANS,PLEASE GO TO TULSA TOGETHER.ORG,WE ALSO HAVE NAVIGATORS,INDIVIDUALS WHO CAN HELP YOUTHROUGH THIS PROCESS OFIDENTIFYING OTHER FUNDS THAT AREOUT THERE, WHETHER THAT'STHROUGH THE STATE, OR FEDERALAGENCIES, OR OTHER BUSINESSESTHAT ARE OUT THERE.SO I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE ANYBUSINESS WHO HASN'T ALREADYREACHED OUT TO TULSARESPONSE.ORGTHAT NEEDS THAT ASSISTANCE TOPLEASE DO SO, IT'S ABOUT SO MUCHMORE THAN THE ZERO INTERESTLOANS, THERE'S COMPREHENSIVEASSISTANCE THERE FOR YOU TONAVIGATE WHAT CAN BE ACOMPLICATED FIELD OUT THERE.WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL AT THE CITYOF TULSA, THAT WE RECEIVED THISWEEK AN ALLOCATION OF PROTECTIVEEQUIPMENT FOR OUR FIRSTRESPONDERS FROM THE NATIONALSTOCKPILE, THAT WAS AL LOCATEDTO US BY THE STATE GOVERNMENT,AND THAT WILL GIVE OUR POLICEOFFICERS, OUR FIREFIGHTERS, OUREMERGENCY MEDICAL RESPONDERS,THE PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT THEYNEED AND SO THEY DON'T HAVE TOHESITATE AT ALL.AND THEY HAVEN'T BEEN ANYWAY,BUT AT LEAST NOW WE KNOW THEY'LLBE PROTECTED WHEN THEY GO ANDRESPOND TO AN EMERGENCY.THEY DON'T NEED TO HAVE THATCONCERN ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THEPERSON THAT THEY'RE HELPING HASCORONAVIRUS.SO WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR THATALLOCATION OF PROTECTIVEEQUIPMENT.WE NEED MORE IN THE LONG RUN ANDOUR TEAM AT THE CITY OF TULSA ISWORKING WITH TULSA AREAEMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY ONTHAT, BUT IT'S GOOD NEWS IN THENEAR TERM FOR US THAT WE HAVETHAT PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT FOROUR FIRST RESPONDERS.ANOTHER GROUP THAT I DON'T THINKWE DO A GOOD ENOUGH JOB THANKINGIN THIS ENVIRONMENT, IS OURTRASH HAULERS.WE FOUND THAT AS OF YESTERDAY,OUT OF THE CYCLING TONNAGE, ATRESIDENCES DURING THIS EVENT ISUP 18%.OUR REFUGE IS UP 16%, AND SO OURTRASH HAULERS, OUR RECYCLINGHAULERS, THEY'RE PROCESSING SOMUCH MORE EVERY WEEK THAN ISNORMAL UNDER NORMALCIRCUMSTANCES, BECAUSE WE HAVESO MANY MORE PEOPLE HOME.AND SO I WANT TO THANK THEM ANDI ALSO WANT TO ENCOURAGE MYFELLOW TULSANS, PLEASE DOUBLEBAG YOUR TRASH AND PUT IT IN THEGRAY BIN SO THAT WE CAN PROTECTTHE HEALTH OF OUR HAULERS.ONE LAST THING I WANT TO REMINDPEOPLE, AND THIS IS IMPORTANT ATA TIME LIKE THIS WHEN WE'RETALKING ABOUT RECEIVING SMALLBUSINESS ADMINISTRATIONASSISTANCE FROM THE FEDERALGOVERNMENT, WHEN WE'RE TRYING TOGET ALLOCATIONS OF PROTECTIVEEQUIPMENT FROM THE FEDERALGOVERNMENT'S NATIONAL STOCKPILE,WE GET ALL OF THOSE THINGS BASEDON OUR CENSUS COUNT HERE INTULSA AND RIGHT NOW EVERYONE INOUR COMMUNITY SHOULD HAVERECEIVED IN THE MAIL YOUR CENSUSNOTICE TO COMPLETE.I DID IT ONLINE, IN THE MIDST OFRESPONDING TO ALL THIS, IT TOOKME 10 MINUTES TO DO FOR A FAMILYOF FOUR.AND COMPLETING THAT IS SOIMPORTANT TO HAVE AN ACCURATEPOPULATION COUNT FOR US IN TULSAAND SO I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TOPLEASE TAKE A FEW MINUTES, IFYOU HAVEN'T ALREADY, TO FILLTHAT OUT, AND LET'S HAVE A GOODCOUNT FOR TULSA.THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONSOF DOLLARS AT STAKE IN HOW GOODOF A COUNT WE HAVE ON THECENSUS.LASTLY, I JUST WANT TO WISHEVERYBODY IN OUR COMMUNITY ASAFE HOLIDAY WEEKEND AND, AGAIN,I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR WHATYOU'RE DOING.IT IS VERY IMPORTANT WHEN WE SEETHE DATA, WHETHER THAT'S ON THEONLINE MOBILITY DATA, THAT'SAVAILABLE OUT THERE THAT SAYSHOW WE'RE DOING COMPARED TOOTHER CITIES, OR WHEN WE HEARTHE UPDATES FROM THE HEALTHDEPARTMENT, TO KNOW THAT TULSANSARE MAKING THESE SACRIFICES TOSTAY AT HOME AND STAY SAFE ANDMINIMIZE OUR EXPOSURE TO OTHERPEOPLE.YOU ARE SLOWING THE SPREAD OFTHIS VIRUS, AND WE ARE SAVINGLIVES.AND I CANNOT THANK YOU ALLENOUGH.NOW I WOULD LIKE TO TURN IT OVERTO MY COLLEAGUE FROM TULSACOUNTY, KAREN KEITH.