Gov. Stitt Names Oklahoma Air National Guard Colonel As Interim Health Commissioner

Gov. Kevin Stitt named Oklahoma Air National Guard Col. Lance Frye as the new interim health commissioner of Oklahoma.

This after the position was left open by Gary Cox, who was not confirmed by the state Senate.

Frye will take on the role as the role effective immediately.

"The governor has said his number one goal is to protect the health and lives of Oklahomans and that and that is a mission I am honored to carry out,” Frye said.

Frye is also a doctor, and serves as the interim department chair, a residency program director, and a professor at Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences in Tulsa.

Frye joined the United States Air Force in 2005 and serves as the Air Surgeon for the Oklahoma National Guard.

Frye has been working alongside the Oklahoma State Health Department for the last two months.

Stitt said Frye has played a key role in the hospital surge plan in Oklahoma.

"I am confident our state department of health will be in great, great hands,” Stitt said.

Stitt also spoke of the latest on COVID-19 across the state.

Currently, there are 80 mobile free testing sites all across the state and more than 150,000 Oklahomans have been tested.

Stitt said only 4.3% have tested positive for the virus.

Right now, there are 190 patients in the hospital with COVID-19 and Oklahoma is in great shape with hospital beds and PPE, Stitt said.