GOV. STITT ANNOUNCES NEW MEASURES BEING TAKEN TO INCREASE TESTING AND STOP THE SPREAD OF COVID-19
OKLAHOMA CITY (April 1, 2020)— Governor Kevin Stitt today held a press conference to provide an update on the State’s response to COVID-19 and announce he has issued Seventh Amended Executive Order (EO) 2020-07.
“The best way to slow the curve and stop the spread of COVID-19 is through aggressive testing and tracing, as well as continuing to practice social distancing,” said Gov. Stitt. “I know how much these decisions affect people, but this is the right time to take these steps in order to protect our health care workers, our hospital systems and each other. These next few weeks are critical, and it will take all of us doing our part to stop the spread in Oklahoma.”
Seventh Amended EO 2020-07 extends all of the provisions in Executive Order 2020-07 to April 30th and applies to all 77 counties in Oklahoma.
The amended Executive Order provides for the following statewide measures:
During the press conference, the governor announced the State has lifted some of the restrictions on who can be tested for COVID-19. The state now has 13,000 COVID-19 test kits available, and Oklahoma State University has opened its lab to process a minimum of 2,300 tests per day.
“Anyone with symptoms of COVID-19, or those who have been in direct contact with someone who has been diagnosed needs to be tested,” said Stitt. “One of the things that will help the modeling is more test results – that’s why it’s so important for our health care providers and our local health departments to test as many people as possible.”
The governor also announced that the state now has six drive-thru testing locations around Oklahoma, including ones that recently opened in Altus, Woodward and Lawton. A comprehensive list of testing sites can be found at coronavirus.health.ok.gov.
In addition, the governor provided an update on the modeling that state epidemiologists and experts from Oklahoma’s research universities are actively working to produce in order to provide accurate data to drive decisions regarding COVID-19.
The main model Governor Stitt talked about today comes from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). The IHME model has also been frequently referenced by the White House Coronavirus Task Force.
The modeling underway with the Oklahoma State Department of Health and state research universities is still being finalized and the State will work with these institutes to help make them available once they have a final product.
To read Seventh Amended EO 2020-07, click here.
To watch the governor’s full press conference, click here.
Regulators authorized AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine for use in adults throughout the European Union on Friday, amid criticism the bloc is not moving fast enough to vaccinate its population.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A former FBI lawyer was sentenced to probation for altering an email that the Justice Department relied on during its surveillance of an aide to President Donald Trump during the Russia investigation.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Tony Evers lashed out Friday at rival Republicans who tried to repeal his statewide mask mandate, saying killing the order would be a ridiculous move comparable to abolishing speed limits.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — As some conservatives in South Carolina celebrated getting a bill that would ban almost all abortions in the state past a legislative barrier and likely becoming law, they said they are not finished trying to end all abortions.
A Moscow court on Friday put the brother and several allies of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny under house arrest for two months as authorities sought to stymie more protests over the jailing of the top Kremlin foe.