OSDH: 5,119 New COVID-19 Cases, 38 More Virus-Related Deaths Reported

38 new virus-related deaths and 5,119 new coronavirus cases were reported by the Oklahoma State Department of Health on Saturday and represent the number recorded for Friday, January 1.

The state health department did not provide an update on Friday due to the New Year holiday. On Sunday, the numbers from both January 2 and 3 will be posted to catch up from the holiday.

A total of 296,055 Oklahomans have tested positive for COVID-19 giving the state a rolling average of 2,792 per day.

OSDH says:

1. 77% of the new cases had a specimen collection date after Christmas.
2. 87% had a specimen collection date within the past 2 weeks.

The total number of virus-related deaths increased to 2,527 the state health department said on Saturday. OSDH has not specified when these deaths occurred.

1. One in Bryan County, one female in the 65 or older age group.
2. Two in Caddo County, one female in the 65 or older age group, one male in the 50-64 age group.
3. One in Cleveland County, one female in the 65 or older age group.
4. Two in Creek County, two females in the 65 or older age group.
5. One in Love County, one female in the 65 or older age group.
6. One in Mayes County, one male in the 65 or older age group.
7. Five in Muskogee County, one female in the 65 or older age group, one male in the 36-49 age group, three males in the 65 or older age group.
8. Three in Oklahoma County, three males in the 65 or older age group.
9. One in Okmulgee County, one male in the 65 or older age group.
10. One in Osage County, one male in the 65 or older age group.
11. One in Pawnee County, one male in the 65 or older age group.
12. Two in Payne County, one female in the 50-64 age group, one male in the 65 or older age group.
13. Two in Pittsburg County, one female in the 18-35 age group, one male in the 65 or older age group.
14. Two in Seminole County, one female in the 65 or older age group, one male in the 65 or older age group.
15. One in Sequoyah County, one female in the 65 or older age group.
16. Twelve in Tulsa County, four females in the 65 or older age group, one male in the 36-49 age group, 7 males in the 65 or older age group.

Most Recent Report: 3,906 New COVID-19 Cases, 36 More Virus-Related Deaths Reported In State, Health Officials Say

As cases and hospitalizations continued to spike upward, Gov. Kevin Stitt issued new actions to help combat the spread.

On Thursday, Nov. 19, bars and restaurants will close at 11 p.m. for in-person service and tables will have to be spaced six feet apart or dividers will have to be used.

A mask mandate was issued for state employees and for people wishing to have access to state buildings.

The state health department corrected Nov. 7's daily total on Nov. 8, and opted to not release a new daily COVID-19 totals from Saturday to Sunday.

Health officials said it removed the duplicate cases from the total but it only dropped the total cases down from 4,741 to 4,507, a 234 drop.

State Health Commissioner Dr. Lance Frye issued the following statement on Nov. 8:

"Today’s individual case number, 4,507, is a corrected version of yesterday’s number with all duplicate cases removed. Today we will not be releasing a new daily case number, allowing our data reporting system to catch up and ensure duplications are removed from the daily number prior to release moving forward. Starting tomorrow, the daily number released will not include any duplicates. We are committed to giving the public and media accurate and transparent data, and this will ensure the daily number reflects the actual case count. We will continue to point to the 7-day average, percent positivity and hospitalizations in addition to the daily number to give a more complete picture of trends. We have no reason to believe our revised number is an anomaly, but instead shows community spread is occurring. We continue to urge all Oklahomans to take this highly-contagious virus seriously and act immediately to avoid large gatherings, wear a mask, wash your hands and watch your distance to others. Together we can bring these numbers down and protect our friends, family and neighbors."

Related Story: Governor Stitt's New COVID-19 Bar, Restaurant Restrictions Take Effect

Related Story: Gov. Stitt Pushes Personal Responsibility As Cases Rise, Announces Measures To Help Hospitals

On July 15, Gov. Kevin Stitt said he had tested positive for COVID-19, making him the first governor in the country to test positive for the virus. He has since posted video updates of concerning his health and quarantine.

Oklahoma reported its first child death related to the virus on July 12. The child was a 13-year-old daughter of a soldier stationed at Fort Sill.

Shortly after the report of the girl's death, state Superintendent Joy Hofmeister recommended for all Oklahomans to wear face masks to allow the safely reopening of schools in the fall.

On June 30, Stitt wore a face mask and "strongly encouraged" Oklahomans to follow CDC guidelines pertaining to face masks.

More: Gov. Stitt Recommends Wearing Face Masks During Update Concerning COVID-19 In State

On April 28, Stitt said anyone who wished to take a COVID-19 test could do so even if they are not presenting symptoms.

Related: Gov. Stitt Presents State's Coronavirus Figures To Show Oklahoma Is Ready To Reopen

The state health department advises anyone with COVID-19 symptoms such as shortness of breath, fever or coughing to stay home and limit person-to-person engagement. The state coronavirus hotline is 877-215-8336 or 211. For a list of coronavirus (COVID-19) links and resources, click here.