OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – One day after the Sooner State saw it’s largest spike in COVID-19 cases, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt held a news conference to address the ongoing fight against the virus.
On Tuesday morning, data from the Oklahoma State Department of Health shows that the state has had 21,738 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since March.
That’s an increase of 993 cases over the past 24 hours.
Officials say four additional people have died, bringing the total to 428 deaths connected to COVID-19.
Currently, officials say there are 546 people who are hospitalized with confirmed and suspected cases of COVID-19.
News 4 received a tip Tuesday night saying the governor had tested positive for COVID-19.
We immediately contacted the governor’s office to confirm. After 40 minutes of no response to our inquiry, we submitted another request for comment.
At that time, Governor Stitt’s Chief of Communications Charlie Hannema responded by thanking us for not reporting anything based on “assumptions” and assured us that he had just talked to the governor and that governor was feeling “great.”
However, during an update Wednesday morning via Zoom with Oklahoma Interim Commissioner of Health Lance Frye, Stitt announced he had tested positive for COVID-19.
He says he was tested for the virus on Tuesday and his results came back positive. He is currently quarantining at home.
He says aside from some aches, he is feeling fine overall, and is possibly asymptomatic.
He is hoping his story will encourage Oklahomans to get tested for the virus and encourages everyone to wash their hands and practice social distancing.
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