Today Oakland Park began Phase 1 of re-opening. The sentiment regarding the re-opening among residents was mixed. Reactions ranged from downright indignant to elation. One group member, Stuart Taft, offered the group a more balanced perspective from which to consider the re-opening. In his post Taft said:
“If it’s too soon to reopen, then when is a good time for it.[sic](?) … If May 18th is too soon, would May 25th be better? June, July? October, Xmas? No matter when we reopen there will be an uptick in people who come in contact with the virus. So if May 18 is too soon, how much longer do we wait? Even though we will be reopening, people will still have a choice to not go to these places. But by staying shut, nobody has a choice and people need to get back to work. No more stimulus handouts, reopen and let Americans do what they do best which is work hard and earn a living”.
While the government can and does make decisions for the population at large, the re-opening has put the decision making back in every person’s court. It is up to each person to decide what is best for them and those around them.
The Latest COVID-19 Numbers in Oakland Park
The major surge in positive COVID-19 cases happened last month between April 18 and April 16th when the numbers jumped from 32 cases to 52. From April 17 to April 24th the numbers surged again but only by 16 and not 20 like the previous week. It is relevant to note that this surge also coincided with more available testing.
The latest COVID-19 numbers in Oakland Park have gone up slightly in the last week. In the table below we have charted the lastet COVID-19 numbers in Oakland Park over the last week.
On Saturday, in an interview, the Chief of Oakland Park Fire Rescue, Steve Krivjanik noted that what was important to look at was the ratio of positive cases versus the total number of negative cases. He shared that the ratio for the State of Florida has gone down from 11.9% on May 9th to just 4% on May 14th.
There are no numbers available specifically for Oakland Park regarding this ratio, but we can be certain that the numbers will continue to rise as it does with any new virus and as more testing becomes available.
Remember to Be Safe!
How much the re-opening affects the residents of Oakland Park is really up to each and every individual resident and how they choose to govern themselves. If a resident is concerned they should stay inside as much as possible. If they elect to go out the should continue to use masks, gloves and wash their hands as often as possible.
