OSDH: Oklahoma sees another 2,197 COVID-19 cases, 6 more deaths

ENID, Okla. — Oklahoma gained another 2,197 COVID-19 cases Monday, as the number of active cases topped 20,000, and six more deaths, including a Kingfisher County man, were reported by the Oklahoma State Department of Health.

The 1.6% increase took the total number of COVID-19 cases to 138,455 since the first case was confirmed in Oklahoma in March. Of those, 20,129, or 14.5%, are active, an increase of 339, with 116,882, or 84.4% recovered, including 1,852 since OSDH's weekend report.

Garfield County cases increased by 46 as of Monday, according to OSDH. After seeing an influx of thousands of cases over the weekend, the county has gained 165 since Friday morning, based on OSDH data, which averages to more than 65.5 cases a day per 100,000 population. That trend puts it on track to go over the threshold allowing in-person education at Enid Public Schools, according to district policy adopted earlier this school year by the Enid Board of Education.

Should Garfield County have more than 50 cases on a daily average per 100,000 by the end of the week, the district would go to distance learning for all students for two weeks, said Jane Johnson, EPS director of human resources and communications.

"We will not make any official decision until that (Oklahoma State Department of Health risk assessment) map comes out on Friday," she said. However, the district is following the numbers and can start making preparations beforehand if the new cases do not reduce enough toward the end of the week.

If the school does go to long-distance learning as of Friday , Johnson said, the district would be out of the school buildings for the following two weeks, with the first week using long-distance learning before students dismiss for the Thanksgiving holiday Nov. 23-27. The district is out the entire week for the holiday.

OSDH announced Saturday "significant community spread" plus a backlog of cases resulting from the transfer from a manual to electronic reporting system were responsible for the record 4,507 cases reported over the weekend.

Cumulative COVID-19 hospitalizations since the beginning of the virus were listed at 9,621 on Monday morning, an increase of 183. Of those, 1,102 were in hospitals with or suspected of having COVID-19, an increase of 77 since Friday, according to the OSDH Executive Report released Monday night. There were 334 in intensive care, an increase of eight, the report shows.

Adult ICU bed availability in the state was at 7% and medical/surgical beds were at 13% availability statewide with a 96% hospital response rate, according to the Executive Report. That same report shows the Northwest region for OSDH with 60 cases, an increase of seven, and two under investigation for the virus.

Integris Bass Baptist Health Center had 20 patients and St. Mary's Regional Medical Center had 18 that were positive for COVID-19, hospital spokeswomen said Monday. Each reported a COVID-19-related death over the weekend. Bass was on patient divert because of its overall census Monday night, according to Tania Warnock, marketing project lead at Bass. 

Statewide there have been 1,444 total deaths in which COVID-19 was confirmed as the cause or a contributor, according to OSDH.

In addition to the Kingfisher County resident, who was in the 50-64 age group, OSDH announced the deaths of five more, all in the 65 and older age group: women in Cleveland, McIntosh and Oklahoma counties and men in Kay and Pontotoc counties. None of the deaths reported Monday were in the past 24 hours, according to OSDH.

Other Northwest Oklahoma county case increases on Monday were 23 in Woodward, nine in Kingfisher, eight in Major, five in Woods, four each in Blaine and Noble, three in Grant and two in Alfalfa, according to OSDH.

Case gains in Northwest Oklahoma cities and towns included 41 in Enid, 21 in Woodward, five each in Alva, Fairview and Kremlin, four in Watonga, three in Kingfisher, two each in Billings, Covington, Lahoma, Mulhall and Seiling and one each in Aline, Canton, Cashion, Helena, Medford, Meno, Mooreland, Ringwood, Sharon and Waynoka. 

State numbers

OSDH reported 1,746,641 cumulative specimens have been tested for COVID-19 in the state this year, with 1,593,041, or 91.2% of those negative. Those testing positive represent 3.5% of the state's population, listed at 3,956,971 in 2019, according to census.gov.

There have been 72,385 Oklahoma women and 66,013 men who have tested positive for COVID-19, according to OSDH as of Monday. There were 57 designated as unknown gender.

The 18-35 age group, with 689 new cases confirmed Monday, made up 34.1% of cases in the state. Other new case gains were 447 in the 36-49 age group, 443 in the 50-64 age group, 311 in the 5-17 age group, 293 in the 65 and older age group and 32 in the 0-4 group.

Cumulative totals of confirmed cases as of Monday were 2,555 in the 0-4 age group, 13,608 in the 5-17 age group, 47,246 in the 18-35 age group, 29,751 in the 36-49 age group, 25,613 in the 50-64 age group and 19,672 in the 65 and older age group. There were 10 listed as unknown age.

Of the overall 1,444 deaths in the state in which the virus was the cause or a contributor, 1,166 have been 65 and older and 220 have been ages 50-64, making up a combined 96% of the total. There have been 42 deaths in the 36-49 age group, 15 in the 18-35 age group and one in the 5-17 age group. More men, 823, than women, 621, have succumbed to the virus, according to OSDH on Monday.

Data shows deaths in 71 of Oklahoma's 77 counties, with 250 in Oklahoma County; 226 in Tulsa County; 112 in Cleveland County; 57 in Rogers County; 43 in Washington County; 41 in McCurtain County; 40 in Creek County; 31 each in Garfield and Wagoner counties; 30 in Delaware County; 28 in Muskogee County; 26 in Caddo County; 25 in LeFlore county; 24 in Canadian County; 23 in Lincoln County; 22 in Comanche County; 21 each in Ottawa and Pittsburg counties; 18 each in Grady, Jackson, Kay and Pottawatomie counties; 17 each in Mayes and Osage counties; 16 each in Bryan and McClain counties; 15 each in Beckham and Payne counties; 14 each in Okmulgee and Sequoyah counties; 13 in Adair County; 12 each in Carter and McIntosh counties; 10 in Texas County; nine in Stephens County; eight each in Cherokee, Garvin, Greer and Okfuskee counties; seven each in Custer, Hughes and Seminole counties; six each in Kingfisher, Pontotoc, Pushmataha and Woodward counties; five each in Haskell and Pawnee counties; four each in Johnston, Nowata, Roger Mills and Tillman counties; three each in Cotton, Kiowa, Latimer, Murray and Noble counties; two each in Blaine, Choctaw, Craig, Grant, Harper, Logan, Major, Marshall and Washita counties; and one each in Atoka, Beaver, Dewey, Jefferson, Love counties.

Northwest Oklahoma

COVID-19 data per county released Monday by OSDH:

• Garfield with 2,793 cases, 2,431 recovered, 331 active and 31 deaths, all in Enid, reported Nov. 8, Nov. 5, Nov. 2, Oct. 27, Oct. 25, Oct. 24, Oct. 20, Oct. 13, Oct. 3, Sept. 30, 25, 24, 17, 12, 11, 10, 4, Aug. 29, 27, 26, 18, 15, 14, 13, and 6, July 28 and 23, June 21 and April 10;

• Woodward with 1,393 cases, 1,267 recovered, 120 active and six deaths, three in Woodward reported Nov. 1 and Sept. 26; two in Fort Supply, one reported Oct. 2 and a William S. Key Correctional Center inmate reported Sept. 22; and one in Mooreland reported Sept. 26;

• Kingfisher with 646 cases, 571 recovered, 69 active and six deaths, including one in Kingfisher reported Oct. 23 and two in Hennessey, reported Sept. 1 and Aug. 27; there also have been three in Okarche, part of which is in Canadian County, reported Nov. 9 and Nov. 2;

• Major with 272 cases, 190 recovered, 80 active and two deaths, one reported Oct. 3 and a woman in 18-35 age group in April;

• Blaine with 263 cases, 219 recovered, 42 active and two deaths, both from Canton, reported Nov. 6 and Aug. 28;

• Noble with 262 cases, 179 recovered, 80 active and three deaths, including a Billings man in the 65 and older age range;

• Woods with 256 cases, 186 recovered and 70 active;

• Alfalfa with 153 cases, 128 recovered and 25 active;

• Grant with 143 cases, 111 recovered, 30 active and two deaths, one each in Wakita reported Oct. 30 and Deer Creek reported Sept. 29.

Cumulative COVID-19 cases by city or town in Northwest Oklahoma include 2,559 in Enid (297 active); 895 Fort Supply (five active); 402 in Woodward (97 active); 281 in Kingfisher (37 active); 223 in Alva (62 active); 207 in Hennessey (15 active); 160 in Fairview (51 active); 101 in Watonga (22 active); 80 in Okarche (12 active); 64 in Helena (two active); 55 in Mooreland (12 active); 49 in Pond Creek (eight active); 48 in Garber (10 active); 45 each in Canton (10 active), Lahoma (six active) and Waukomis (four active); 44 each in Cashion (five active) and Cherokee (12 active); 39 in Ringwood (13 active); 37 each in Dover (one active) and Medford (seven active); 34 in Okeene; 33 in Seiling (10 active); 24 in Billings (11 active); 21 each in Cleo Springs (seven active) and Wakita (six active); 20 in Covington (four active); 18 in Ames (three active); 17 in Fairmont; 15 each in Longdale (two active), Meno (three active) and Nash (two active); 14 each in Kremlin (two active), Mulhall (six active) and Waynoka (three active); 13 in Burlington (one active); 12 in Lamont (three active); 11 in Aline (10 active); 10 in Orlando (two active); nine in Jet (one active); eight each in Drummond (two active) and Sharon (three active); seven each in Freedom (two active) and Hunter; six each in Carmen (one active), Hitchcock (one active) and Marshall (one active); five in Hillsdale; four each in Dacoma (three active) and Goltry; and three in Deer Creek (one active), according to data released by OSDH on Monday. Residents living in areas with under 100 in population or those with unknown addresses may be recorded as "other."

In Enid, there have been 1,302 cases, with 1,134 recovered and 21 deaths from the 73701 ZIP code, primarily the eastern half of the city, and 1,234 cases, with 1,076 recovered and 11 deaths from 73703, or the western half, according to OSDH data on Monday. There were six cases with five recovered in the 73705 ZIP code, which is listed as Vance Air Force Base at https://www.unitedstateszipcodes.org/.

The OSDH has reported 32 deaths in Enid and 31 deaths in Garfield County. A request for clarification from the Health Department has not yet been fulfilled.

COVID-19 testing

State Health Department officials are encouraging Oklahomans to get tested for COVID-19, saying that due to adequate supplies residents no longer need to exhibit symptoms or report exposure to someone with the virus to get in line for testing.

Free testing for COVID-19 is ongoing at the Garfield County and other state Health Departments. Testing is by appointment only for Blaine County, 521 W. 4th, Watonga, (580) 623-7977; Garfield County, 2501 S. Mercer, Enid, (580) 233-0650; Grant County, 115 N. Main, Medford, (580) 395-2906; Kingfisher County, 124 E. Sheridan, courthouse annex room #101, Kingfisher, (405) 375-3008; Major County, 501 E. Broadway, Fairview, (580) 227-3362; Noble County, 300 Fir St., Perry, (580) 336-2257; Woods County, 511 Barnes St., Alva, (580) 327-3192; and Woodward County, 1631 Texas Ave., Woodward, (580) 256-6416. For a full list of county drive-through testing, go to https://coronavirus.health.ok.gov/drive-thru-testing. Some health department also advise the public to check their Facebook pages for more information regarding testing.

COVID-19 signs

Emergency warning signs for COVID-19 are trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion or inability to arouse, bluish lips or face, according to the CDC. More information can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html.

Those with symptoms of COVID-19 should call ahead to local emergency rooms. Those with minor symptoms should contact their regular physicians.

Resources and information on COVID-19 can be obtained by calling 211 or going to https://covidresources.ok.gov/.

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