New COVID-19 cases blow past record
Oklahoma cases of COVID- 19 rose by 450 on Thursday, blowing past the record 259 daily cases reported on Wednesday, as the surge of infections continued ahead of a massive rally for President Donald Trump and demonstrations set for this weekend in Tulsa.
The Oklahoma State Health Department's daily update showed Oklahoma City added 80 cases and Tulsa added 82, as the state's total rose to 9,354. There were two additional deaths, raising the total to 366.
The figures were released not long after Gov. Kevin Stitt participated at a roundtable at the White House and told
Trump that Oklahoma was “one of the first states that has safely and measurably reopened.”
“Oklahoma is ready for your visit,” the governor said. “It's going to be safe and everyone's really really excited.”
The surge in COVID- 19 cases in Oklahoma is being driven largely by increases among younger people, according to state Health
Department figures that show 54% of the new cases in the past two weeks were people 35 and younger.
The age group most vulnerable to serious illness and death, those 65 and older, had the smallest percentage increase in cases from June 3 to 17, according to the Health Department data.
Meanwhile, hospitalizations topped 200 for the first time since May 20, rising to 211, according to information released Thursday evening.
Though Stitt has spoken frequently about the state flattening the curve of new cases, the reopening of state businesses since late April has led to the highest daily case numbers seen in Oklahoma since the pandemic began.
New records of case numbers have been set on several recent days.
An analysis of reports from June 3 through June 17 shows 2,099 new cases in that period, with 909 of them, or 43%, in the age group of 18 to 35. Overall, cases in that age group jumped by one- third over the previous total.
There were 190 new cases in the age group 5 to 17, accounting for 9% of the increase in the past two weeks. That was a 41% jump overall from that age group's case total prior to June 3.
Among children younger than 5, there were 47 new cases, which was an increase of 32% in that age group since June 3.
The increase for people 65 and older was 200 cases from June 3- 17, which was 11% above the overall total before June 3. People 65 and over account for 80% of the COVID-19 related deaths in Oklahoma.
At a news conference on Wednesday, Stitt cited the age groups in discussing the surge in cases.
“In the last two weeks, more than half of the cases have been people under 35 ... because people are getting back out,” he said.
“Since this pandemic started, we've had 3,171 (cases) in that age group, with just six deaths.”
Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt said Thursday on Twitter that “the recent spike in cases has not been matched with a spike in hospitalizations & deaths because the new cases were disproportionately driven by people under the age of 35. That was and is a new twist in our city's pandemic story.”
Holt tweeted, “Case numbers matter but it also matters who is accounting for those cases and how the virus is affecting them.”
Health Department officials have said in the past week that they expected COVID19 cases to rise as the state reopened in phases over the past several weeks. No specific outbreaks at a business or long term care facility have been cited in the recent surge; protests that followed the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer have also not been cited.
State Health Commissioner Lance Frye said Wednesday, “Once you reopen, we are expecting an increase in numbers quite frankly because as people get out and they move around more. As businesses open up, you're going to have more increased contact and you're going to have an increase in numbers.”
The surge in cases comes as tens of thousands of people plan to gather in Tulsa this weekend for Juneteenth activities, Trump's re-election rally and demonstrations connected to the rally.
Public health officials have cautioned that participants risk infection or spreading the disease. The Trump campaign announced that it would take temperatures at the door and distribute masks and hand sanitizer, though people won't have to wear the masks.
The management company for the BOK Center released a statement saying it will "encourage all attendees to remain masked throughout the duration of the event until they exit the building. Signage reminding attendees of precautions will be placed throughout the building."
Frye also suggested that people be tested before and after the events this weekend.
Stitt was tested for the first time on Thursday before entering the White House for a roundtable discussion on small businesses. His test results were negative.