April 3, 2020
By News Director Jared Atha
Confirmed cases of COVID-19 continue to rise in Western Oklahoma with Washita County now reporting 1 case.
As of 11 a.m. this morning the Oklahoma State Department of Health’s latest numbers show Beckham and Kiowa Counties still reporting 1 case each, and Custer County staying at 5. Jackson County is now reporting 4 confirmed cases and Greer County now has 3 more cases of the virus, bringing the county’s total to 5. Greer County has the 1 death in Western Oklahoma due to the virus.
Overall the state is reporting 988 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in 56 of the state’s 77 counties. 4 more deaths have been reported in the state, bringing the total number of fatalities due to the virus to 38.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt called for a special session of the Legislature as part of his declaration of a health emergency in all 77 counties.
Declaring a health emergency gives the governor broader powers to coordinate the state’s response to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, including the ability to waive some statutory or regulatory requirements. State law requires the Legislature to convene within two business days to either concur with or terminate the health emergency, so the Legislature is expected to convene at 8 a.m. Monday.
Under Stitt’s order, the state’s Commissioner of Health Gary Cox is authorized as the primary public health authority.
Yesterday, Stitt extended his “Safer At Home” order until April 30 and included all 77 counties, rather than just those with a confirmed case. The order requires non-essential businesses to shut down and the elderly and medically vulnerable to stay indoors.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death.