OSDH: Garfield County gains 126 new COVID-19 cases, 1 death

ENID, Okla. — Garfield County gained 126 new COVID-19 cases and one virus-related death in the past week, according to Oklahoma State Department of Health on Wednesday.

OSDH showed 532,388 total cases from CDC provisional state data, including 2,534 from Wednesday, and 530,594 total cases, a weekly increase of 14,793, with OSDH’s disease investigation summary. Of the latter number, there were 23,492 active, an increase of 112 in the past week. OSDH is no longer reporting recovered cases.

OSDH’s weekly numbers — which OSDH acute disease service reports to the CDC — on Wednesday showed Oklahoma has 7,812 confirmed deaths, a weekly increase of 136, though the CDC/NCHS’ Provisional Death Count, which is based on death certificates and is OSDH’s primary reported number, placed the overall count in Oklahoma at 9,030 deaths, a weekly increase of 124, in which the coronavirus was the cause or a contributor.

There have been 875 hospitalizations in the past week, bringing the total number of hospitalization since the first case was confirmed in Oklahoma in March 2020 to 30,986, and according to OSDH’s Situation Update, there is a three-day average of 1,476 total COVID-19 hospitalizations — including 66 pediatric hospitalizations — an increase of 197 since last week. Of those, 390 are in the ICU across the state.

The three-day average hospitalizations in the Northwest Region is 48 with 11 in the ICU. St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center reported it had 10 confirmed positive COVID-19 patients, and Integris Bass Baptist Health Center reported it had nine patients.

Cases in Garfield County increased to a total of 8,414 — a weekly increase of 126 — with 176 active and 8,097, or 96.2%, recovered, according to OSDH. The majority of the cases — 7,424, or 88.2% — have been in Enid, which reported 146 active cases and 7,148 recovered.

Of the county’s 141 deaths, 130 have been in Enid, according to OSDH city data, with five in Lahoma, one each in Drummond, Fairmont, Garber, Covington and Waukomis, and one not listed by town. Deaths listed by ZIP code on OSDH website show Enid with 128 deaths.

There have been 3,263 cases, with 3,126 recovered and 69 deaths, from the 73701 ZIP code, primarily the eastern half of Enid, and 4,062 cases, with 3,928 recovered and 59 deaths, from 73703, or the western half, according to OSDH data on Wednesday. There were 42 recovered cases in the 73705 ZIP code, listed as Vance Air Force Base.

Other Northwest Oklahoma county case increases in the past week included 111 in Kingfisher, 84 in Woods, 59 in Woodard, 55 in Noble, 44 in Major, 35 in Blaine, 31 in Alfalfa and 14 in Grant. Reported deaths in these counties included two in Noble and one in Kingfisher.

Risk Level System

Much of Oklahoma remained “orange” this week.

According to the OSDH’s COVID-19 Risk Level System, which is released every Wednesday, 72 of Oklahoma 77 counties, including Garfield County, are in the moderate, or “orange,” risk level, four are in the low, or “yellow,” risk level and one, Harmon, is in the new normal, or “green,” risk level.

The four “yellow” counties are Beaver, Beckham, Ellis and Harper, which were all in “yellow” last week, as well.

Last week, there were 71 counties in the moderate risk level and six counties in the low risk level. It was the first time the state hadn’t seen any “green” counties since late February.

Of Northwest Oklahoma’s 18 counties, Alfalfa, Blaine, Cimarron, Custer, Dewey, Garfield, Grant, Kingfisher, Major, Roger Mills, Texas, Washita, Woods and Woodward counties are in the “orange” risk level, and Beaver, Beckham, Ellis and Harper counties are in the “yellow” risk level.

Garfield County saw green for the first time since OSDH began releasing county risk level trends on May 12 and dipped into the “yellow” risk level on June 23 and “orange” on July 28. This week, Garfield County reported 29.5 cases per 100,000.

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Epidemiology report

COVID-19 cases saw a 4.5% decrease in the number of reported cases statewide compared with the previous week, according to OSDH’s Weekly Epidemiology and Surveillance Report, which also is released every Wednesday.

From Aug. 15-21, 14,793 cases were reported, a decrease of 697 from the week before, Aug. 8-14, which had 15,490. The number of deaths this week was 136, an increase from previous week, 82.

From Aug. 17-23, 71,772 vaccine doses were administered in the state, an increase of 10,149 compared with the week before. The total number of vaccines administered was 3,068,566 with 1,432,381 fully vaccinated.

A total of 37,120 vaccines have been administered by Garfield County Health Department, according to Maggie Jackson, community engagement director for District 2 county health departments.

In Garfield County, 54% of people 12 and older have received the first dose of the vaccine, and 84.4% of people 65 and older have received theirs.

According to OSDH, 43.9% of people 12 and older in Garfield County have completed the series, along with 75.5% of those 65 and older who have also been fully vaccinated.

Overall in Oklahoma, 50.9% of residents have had at least one dose, compared to 49.7% last week. The number of fully vaccinated residents statewide is 41.7%, compared to 41% last week.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine earlier this week won’t affect the way OSDH distributes or administers the Pfizer vaccine in the state, Jackson said in a text message, but the hope is that the approval reassures people of the “safety and efficacy” of the vaccine.

“We know that many people preferred to wait until the vaccine received full FDA approval to get vaccinated,” she said in the message. “With the Delta variant surging, we encourage you to make your appointment for a free COVID-19 vaccine as soon as you are able.”

A total of 5,466 “breakthrough cases” have been reported in Oklahoma out of the reported 1,676,512 fully vaccinated residents, the report states. In June, 446 breakthrough cases and 5,677 unvaccinated cases were reported, according to OSDH.

In July, there were 2,601, or 8.27%, breakthrough cases out of 31,445 total cases reported, and in August, there are currently 1,896, or 4.84%, breakthrough cases and 37,292 unvaccinated cases, though OSDH said July and August case investigations are still ongoing and the data may be subject to change.

In the last 30 days, 189 of 2,809 hospitalizations have been fully vaccinated.

Nationally, Oklahoma ranks 12th out of all states and the District of Columbia in the cumulative incidence of reported COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population, down one spot from last week. The state ranks 26th in the total number of reported COVID-19 cases, also down spot from last week, and 26th in total number of reported COVID-19 deaths, the same spot as last week.

Northwest Oklahoma

COVID-19 data per other Northwest Oklahoma counties released Wednesday by OSDH:

• Woodward with 3,287 cases, 3,213 recovered, 36 active and 38 deaths, 29 from Woodward, six from Mooreland, two from Fort Supply and one from Sharon.

• Kingfisher with 2,281 cases, 2,167 recovered, 71 active and 43 deaths, 21 from Kingfisher, 12 from Hennessey, five from Okarche — which Kingfisher shares with Canadian County — two from Dover and three not listed by town.

• Noble with 1,551 cases, 1,493 recovered, 35 active and 23 deaths, including 13 from Perry, four from Billings, three from Marland, two from Red Rock and one from Morrison.

• Woods with 1,388 cases, 1,306 recovered, 64 active and 18 deaths, 16 from Alva and two not listed by town.

• Alfalfa with 1,209 cases, 1,181 recovered, 21 active and seven deaths, with city data listing three from Carmen, two each from Aline and Helena and one each from Cherokee and Jet. City data encompasses rural towns that could include those residing in neighboring counties, which could cause the discrepancy.

• Blaine with 1,169 cases, 1,102 recovered, 46 active and 21 deaths, six from Okeene, three from Canton, two from Watonga and one from Longdale. Seven are listed in Hydro, which Blaine shares with Caddo County, and four in Geary, which Blaine shares with Canadian.

• Major with 1,043 cases, 982 recovered, 37 active and 24 deaths, 17 from Fairview, two each from Cleo Springs and Ringwood and three not listed by town.

• Grant with 600 cases, 583 recovered, 10 active and seven deaths, three from Wakita and one each from Deer Creek, Lamont, Medford and Nash.

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