April 27, 2020
By News Director Jared Atha
Confirmed cases of COVID-19 are up in Beckham County.
According to the Oklahoma State Department of Health, Beckham County’s count of cumulative confirmed cases of the virus now stands at 5. However, state health officials are reporting 2 recoveries in the county.
Elsewhere, in Texas, Wheeler County has seen a slight spike over the weekend, bringing their total to 5, with neighboring Hemphill County still with one case.
Back in Western and Southwest Oklahoma, Greer County has 64 cases, Jackson County with 15, Custer remains with 10, Kiowa with 4. All unchanged in the past 24 hours.
Harmon, Washita, and Roger Mills Counties are still without a case.
Oklahoma has seen an additional 27 cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the cumulative total to 3,280 with 916 active cases.
Statewide there have been 197 deaths due to the virus, however no additional deaths have occurred within the last 24 hours.
Currently there are 306 Oklahomans hospitalized due to COVID-19.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt on Sunday defended his plans to reopen businesses in the state, saying signs point to the coronavirus threat decreasing as long as people take the proper precautions in public.
Stitt said on Fox News that trends, including hospitalizations, are going down and that he thinks it’s a reasonable time to reopen.
Barber shops and hair salons in cities without stricter restrictions were among businesses that were allowed to reopen Friday under health and social distancing guidelines. Churches and restaurants, meanwhile, will be allowed to reopen May 1 under those guidelines and if the trends continue downward, although church nurseries and restaurant bars will remain closed.
Stitt said the state has 4,600 total hospital beds for COVID-19 patients, if needed.
For most people, the 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.