Oklahoma reports 2,946 new COVID-19 cases, 47 deaths; OSDH comments on new strains

ENID, Okla. — Oklahoma gained 2,946 new COVID-19 cases and 47 additional deaths on Friday, according to Oklahoma State Department of Health.

The .8% increase in cases brought the total number to 365,992, with 32,327 of those active, a single-day decrease of 444, and 330,478 recovered, including 3,343 since Thursday’s OSDH report.

Statewide, there have been 3,187 deaths in Oklahoma in which the virus was the cause or a contributing factor, OSDH reported.

Of the 47 deaths reported Friday, 39 were in the 65 and older age group: three women and three men in Tulsa County, one woman each and three men each in Custer and Stephens counties, three Grady County women, two women and one man in Logan County, one woman and two men in Oklahoma County, two women and one man in Pittsburg County, one woman each in Carter, Delaware, Haskell, Kay, Kiowa, Okmulgee, Ottawa, Texas, Wagoner and Washington counties and one man each in McIntosh, Muskogee and Rogers counties.

Six deaths were in the 50-64 age group: one woman and one man in Tulsa County and one man each from Cleveland, Le Flore, Mayes and Oklahoma counties. One death was an Oklahoma County woman in the 36-49 age group, and one death was a Hughes County woman in the 18-35 age group.

Cumulative COVID-19-positive hospitalizations in Oklahoma stood at 20,692, according to OSDH on Friday. Of that number, 1,595 currently are hospitalized, with 433 in ICU, according to OSDH’s Executive Report released Friday evening.

In Enid, St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center reported it was treating 20 COVID-19 patients with no deaths. Integris Bass Baptist Health Center reported Friday it was treating six patients and also had no deaths.

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COVID-19 cases in Garfield County increased by 27 Friday for a total of 6,474, with 411 active and 6,008, or 92.9%, recovered, according to the OSDH.

The majority of the cases, 5,703, or 88.1%, have been in Enid, with 368 active cases in the city and 5,284 recovered. Of the county’s 55 deaths, 51 have been in Enid, according to OSDH city data.

In Enid, there have been 2,571 cases, with 2,377 recovered and 31 deaths, from the 73701 ZIP code, primarily the eastern half of the city, and 3,063 cases, with 2,845 recovered and 19 deaths, from 73703, or the western half, according to OSDH data on Friday. There were 28 recovered cases in the 73705 ZIP code, which is listed as Vance Air Force Base.

There have been 55 deaths in Garfield County, with 51 from Enid, one from Garber and four from Lahoma, according to OSDH. The discrepancy between county and city totals pre-dates the Garber and Lahoma deaths and most likely falls in the Enid count, as more widely shared county numbers are accurate, according to OSDH public relations firm Saxum.

Other Northwest Oklahoma county case increases Friday included 15 in Noble, eight in Woods, seven each in Woodward and Kingfisher, five each in Blaine and Grant, four in Major and two in Alfalfa.

New strain update

State Epidemiologist Jared Taylor released a statement Friday about the new strains of the virus, saying laboratory testing confirms there’s no significant new variants of the COVID-19 virus, though some initial test results have been identified that might be consistent with one of the new strains.

“Recently, a small group of samples obtained from Oklahomans were examined for the possibility of mutations, including those associated with the B.1.1.7 variant of COVID-19 (the ‘U.K strain’),” Taylor said in the release. “These samples were specifically identified because of initial test results that could be consistent with the ‘U.K. strain.’”

The work was done in a research setting not fully consistent with the approach the CDC advocates for in tracking the B.1.1.7 or other variants, and the results suggest that mutations were present in several of them, but because of the nature of the work, the results are not definitive, Taylor said in the release.

“Regardless, state epidemiologists speculate that the ‘U.K. strain’ is likely already present and circulating in Oklahoma, as it has already been detected in other states with local transmission,” Taylor said in the release. “This strain is more transmissible than the strain that has been in the U.S. today, and will likely spread faster.

“We’re currently taking steps to track and identify any new strains. Right now, Oklahoma does not have a regular, systematic surveillance process in place for identifying new strains. Doing so requires sequencing of the viral genome, which is an involved process and isn’t routine.”

Taylor said OSDH has a communication out to labs to submit any suspicious samples for further investigation and will begin further surveillance efforts soon given the likelihood that one of the new variants has made or will make its way into Oklahoma.

“Because the ‘U.K. strain’ is more transmissible, it is more important than ever that Oklahomans take precautions to protect themselves and others,” Taylor said in the release. “Limit your exposure to people outside your own household and follow the three W’s: wear a mask, wash your hands and watch your distance.

“As of right now, there is no evidence to suggest that the COVID-19 vaccines currently in production won’t be effective against new strains of COVID-19 — so it is important to continue our progress through the vaccine distribution plan.”

Taylor said the OSDH will continue to monitor for new strains and will keep the public updated on new information as it becomes available.

State update

There have been 193,837 Oklahoma women and 172,132 men who have tested positive for COVID-19, according to OSDH on Friday. There were 23 designated as unknown gender.

Cumulative totals of OSDH-confirmed cases per age group were 6,852 in the 0-4 age group, 39,330 in the 5-17 age group, 115,356 in the 18-35 age group, 79,284 in the 36-49 age group, 71,450 in the 50-64 age group and 53,668 in the 65 and older age group. There were 52 listed as unknown age.

Of the overall 3,187 deaths in the state, 2,536 have been 65 and older and 506 have been ages 50-64, making up a combined 95.4% of the total. There have been 115 deaths in the 36-49 age group, 29 in the 18-35 age group and one in the 5-17 age group. More men, 1,791, than women, 1,396, have succumbed to the virus, according to OSDH on Friday.

Data shows deaths in all of Oklahoma’s 77 counties, with 526 in Tulsa; 524 in Oklahoma; 195 in Cleveland; 95 in Comanche; 93 in Rogers; 81 in Creek; 70 in Washington; 66 in Muskogee; 65 in Wagoner; 59 in Canadian; 57 in McCurtain; 55 in Garfield; 53 in Delaware; 52 each in Grady and Kay; 48 each in Custer and Pottawatomie; 44 each in Bryan and Caddo; 42 in Stephens; 40 in Jackson; 38 each in Lincoln and Payne; 37 in Le Flore; 36 each in McClain, Okmulgee and Pontotoc; 35 in Osage; 34 in Ottawa; 30 each in Mayes and Pittsburg; 27 each in Beckham and Cherokee; 25 each in McIntosh and Seminole; 24 in Garvin; 23 in Sequoyah; 22 in Carter; 20 in Logan; 19 in Texas; 18 each in Adair and Pawnee; 16 each in Kingfisher and Okfuskee; 14 in Murray; 13 each in Cotton, Hughes, Kiowa and Tillman; 12 each in Johnston, Nowata and Woodward; 10 each in Greer and Marshall; nine in Choctaw; eight each in Atoka, Coal, Craig, Haskell, Love, Noble and Pushmataha; seven in Latimer; six each in Jefferson and Roger Mills; five each in Alfalfa, Blaine, Grant, Washita and Woods; four each in Dewey and Major; three each in Beaver and Harper; and one each in Cimarron, Ellis and Harmon.

Northwest Oklahoma

COVID-19 data per other Northwest Oklahoma counties released Friday by OSDH:

• Woodward with 2,871 cases, 2,708 recovered, 151 active and 12 deaths, nine from Woodward, two William S. Key Correctional Center inmates in Fort Supply and one from Mooreland.

• Kingfisher with 1,769 cases, 1,627 recovered, 126 active and 16 deaths, six from Hennessey, four each from Kingfisher and Okarche and two from Dover.

• Noble with 1,191 cases, 1,079 recovered, 104 active and eight deaths, including four from Perry, two from Red Rock and one each from Billings and Morrison.

• Woods with 1,121 cases, 1,053 recovered, 63 active and five deaths from Alva.

• Alfalfa with 1,051 cases, 982 recovered, 64 active and five deaths, two each from Aline and Helena, including a James Crabtree Correctional Center inmate, and one from Cherokee.

• Major with 844 cases, 774 recovered, 66 active and four deaths, two from Fairview and two not listed by town.

• Blaine with 816 cases, 747 recovered, 64 active and five deaths, two from Canton, one from Watonga and two not listed by town.

• Grant with 468 cases, 431 recovered, 32 active and five deaths, two from Wakita and one each from Deer Creek, Lamont and Medford.

DOC update

The number of inmates currently positive for COVID-19 was at 30 Friday with 99 Department of Corrections employees with the virus across the state, according to the DOC website.

DOC reported Friday on its website that there were two active cases among inmates at James Crabtree Correctional Center in Helena, and no active cases at Enid Community Corrections Center, William S. Key Correctional Center in Fort Supply or Charles E. “Bill” Johnson Corrections Center in Alva.

Inmates in isolation and quarantine were 32 and 164, respectively, at James Crabtree, and no other facilities reported any Friday.(tncms-asset)2f036bfa-5ce1-11eb-b17b-cfa96d1306a2[1](/tncms-asset)

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