628 More COVID-19 Cases, 6 New Virus-Related Deaths Reported In Oklahoma

Six new virus-related deaths and 628 new coronavirus cases were reported in the state since Monday, according to daily numbers released by the Oklahoma State Department of Health.

A total of 23,441 Oklahomans have tested positive for COVID-19 and the total number of deaths went up to 438, the state health department said on Tuesday.

6 new deaths were reported and two of them happened in the last 24 hours.

Related: Child Of Fort Sill Service Member Is First Pediatric Death From COVID-19 In Oklahoma

A total of 2,218 Oklahomans have been hospitalized due to the virus with 638 patients currently in the hospital.

So far, 17,366 Oklahomans have recovered from the virus with 731 more cases considered recovered since Wednesday. 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 Thursday morning, a total of 433,376 tests have returned negative. This includes state testing and private lab testing since February.

On Wednesday, July 15, Gov. Stitt said he had tested positive for COVID-19.

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.

Related: Gov. Stitt Presents State's Coronavirus Figures To Show Oklahoma Is Ready To Reopen

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. 

Related: OSDH: 858 New COVID-19 Cases, 5 Additional Virus-Related Deaths Reported

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