1089 NEW CASES TUESDAY
80,161 TOTAL
White House: Oklahoma 3rd Worst In Nation For COVID Test Positivity, 6th Worst For New Cases
The latest White House coronavirus task force report for Oklahoma, dated Sunday but released by the state health department Wednesday, shows the state climbing the rankings to have some of the worst numbers in the country for two COVID-19 metrics.
Vice President Mike Pence's task force said Oklahoma ranked 6th in the nation for new infections for the week of Sept. 12-18, with 175 cases per 100,000 residents, more than double the national average of 86 cases per 100,000 residents. The week prior, Oklahoma had been ranked 9th for new cases.
The White House also said Oklahoma had the third highest rate of test positivity in the nation, at 9.9%. The national average for that metric in the same timeframe was 4.4%, the White House said.
The report says that "ensuring mask utilization statewide will prevent unnecessary transmission and deaths in vulnerable communities," but for the second time in recent weeks does not explicitly call for a statewide mask mandate, which most of the reports from July have called for and which Stitt has rejected as a policy he is not willing to implement.
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link to www.koco.com (secure)]
DEATHS UP 970
6000 HOSPITALIZED
On July 15, Gov. Kevin Stitt said he had tested positive for COVID-19, making him the first governor in the country to test positive for the virus. He has since posted video updates of concerning his health and quarantine.
OU's Chief COVID Officer Dr. Dale Bratzler said Wednesday that the current COVID-19 spike is driven by universities reopening, Labor Day, gatherings, prison outbreaks and the addition of antigen tests to the numbers. He also said he's seeing increasing spread in rural areas.
United States