By William CrumOklahoma City Mayor David Holt says personal decisions matter as the metro area experiences a critical surge in COVID-19 illnesses.The state increased the OKC metro to a "Tier 2" alert Friday, triggered by three consecutive days of COVID-19 patients making up more than 15% of the patients in area hospitals."Over 300 of our friends and neighbors in the Oklahoma City metro are currently in the hospital for COVID-19," Holt said by text."That’s not just 300 patients, it’s 300 families that are anxious and worried, and thousands of health care personnel that are meeting their needs."Each of us has a choice whether we engage in the risky activities that make this situation worse, or whether we will take precautions."If we wear our masks, keep our distance and wash our hands, we will each significantly reduce the chances that we as individuals will transmit the virus, and we will bring the city’s overall numbers down."We have to each take responsibility to not create situations where the virus spreads, and it most likely spreads when people from different households are talking to each other without masks and without distance.