673 More COVID-19 Cases, 3 New Virus-Related Deaths Reported In Oklahoma, State Health Officials Say

Wednesday, July 8th 2020, 11:03 am

By: LeighAnne Manwarren

Three new virus-related deaths and 673 new coronavirus cases were reported in the state since Tuesday, according to daily numbers released by the Oklahoma State Department of Health.

A total of 17,893 Oklahomans have tested positive for COVID-19 and the total number of deaths went up to 407, the state health department said Wednesday.

Three deaths were reported but none of them happened in the last 24 hours.

One man aged 50 to 64 died in Kay County. One woman aged 65 or older died in Oklahoma County. One man aged 65 or older died in Tulsa County.

A total of 1,804 Oklahomans have been hospitalized due to the virus with 458 patients are currently in the hospital.

So far, 13,538 Oklahomans have recovered from the virus with 533 more cases considered recovered since Tuesday. Health officials said recovered means the patient is not hospitalized or deceased and it has been 14 days since the onset of symptoms or report.

As of Wednesday morning, a total of 376,930 tests have returned negative. This includes state testing and private lab testing since February.

Click here to view the state's COVID-19 data.

On Tuesday, June 30, Gov. Kevin Stitt wore a face mask and "strongly encouraged" Oklahomans to follow CDC guidelines pertaining to face masks.

More: Gov. Stitt Recommends Wearing Face Masks During Update Concerning COVID-19 In State

Dr. Dale Bratzler, the chief COVID officer for the University of Oklahoma said the recent increase in cases can’t be attributed to testing. In recent weeks, the number of tests performed have slightly increased, but are still significantly larger than amounts from April.

“I don’t think it’s related to testing at all, I think we’re seeing more community spread of this virus,” Bratzler. “This is exponential growth now.”

More: Watch: Dr. Bratzler On Why Oklahoma No Longer Meets COVID-19 Requirements To Reopen

On April 28, Gov. Kevin Stitt said anyone who wished to take a COVID-19 test could do so even if they are not presenting symptoms.

The state health department advises anyone with COVID-19 symptoms such as shortness of breath, fever or coughing to stay home and limit person-to-person engagement.

The state coronavirus hotline is 877-215-8336 or 211. For a list of coronavirus (COVID-19) links and resources, click here.