COVID-19 UPDATES 4/29/20

Let’s Stay Calm, Stay Positive, and STAY HOME!


HEALTH DEPARTMENT STATUS

• As of this advisory, there are 3,473 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 and 214 deaths in Oklahoma. 
• There are 79 confirmed positive cases in Comanche County. 
• There has been one person who’s passed away in Comanche County. 
• In Lawton, there are 69 confirmed positive cases. 
• Please follow CDC guidelines and the Governor’s executive order. 
• The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) continues to support guidelines from the CDC related to social distancing and personal hygiene. OSDH encourages Oklahomans to stay home, reduce person-to-person contact, wash hands frequently, and avoid touching your face. If you develop symptoms such as fever, shortness of breath or cough, please contact your medical professional or call the COVID-19 call center at 877-215-8336 or 211 for assistance.
• For more information, visit coronavirus.health.ok.gov.

NURSING HOME TESTING COMING STATEWIDE

• Health officials will test ALL Oklahoma nursing home and long term care residents and staff for COVID-19 in the next 30 days using a new saliva-based test that is less invasive and quicker than the traditional nose swab test.
• The Oklahoma National Guard will send deep cleaning teams to DISINFECT nursing homes as needed.
• The state is delivering additional shipments of PPE to ensure compliance with stronger protocols for PPE usage issued for these facilities, including MANDATORY face masks for all employees and residents.

 
HOSPITALIZATION PEAK DECLARED

• State health officials believe Oklahoma’s hospitalization PEAK occurred March 30, when 560 Oklahomans were hospitalized for COVID symptoms.
• Hospitalizations trended down throughout April, with roughly 300 in the hospital this weekend for symptoms of COVID.
• Oklahoma has more than 4,600 hospital beds available for COVID patients – quadruple the capacity projected under preliminary modeling – and a hospital surge plan for a 40% expansion of beds statewide.

 
TESTING RANKING IMPROVES

• The Health Department said Oklahoma’s TESTING ranking has gone from nearly last place to #25 in the nation, with research underway that will allow Oklahoma to double, and potentially triple, its capacity.
• The State has more than 150,000 COVID tests available for the public, with more than 80 DRIVE-THRU testing locations that can be found at coronavirus.health.ok.gov/drive-thru-testing

 
DAILY STATISTICAL SNAPSHOT

• There are 943 ACTIVE cases of COVID-19, 134 people HOSPITALIZED for COVID-19, and 149 people hospitalized for INVESTIGATION of COVID-19. Of the 283 people hospitalized for a positive case or for investigation, 126 are in ICU, leaving 41% of the state’s current ICU beds available.
• RECOVERIES are up by 93, putting total recoveries at 2,260. DEATHS are up by 10, putting total deaths at 207.
• Over the course of the pandemic, there have been 693 hospitalizations, 61,619 TESTS reported, and 3,410 CONFIRMED cases after 130 new cases yesterday.

 
As always, I can be reached via email at daniel.pae@okhouse.gov and phone at 405-557-7374.