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Stitt Muddies Circumstances Around Visit from White House Coronavirus Task Force Leader

Andrea Hanks
/
White House

Gov. Kevin Stitt on Thursday obfuscated the circumstances surrounding next week’s visit from a key member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force.

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that Oklahoma is among six states Dr. Deborah Birx will visit to provide "aggressive, tailored and targeted guidance" on handling the coronavirus.

Stitt described her stop differently at a news conference.

"She’s making some stops in Iowa and a few other states. And so, we’ve invited her to Oklahoma," Stitt said.

Two minutes later, however, Stitt changed his description.

"I don’t know exactly how, whether we extended the invitation or she called us and said she was going to be in Iowa and wanted to make a trip. So, we’re in contact with her team," Stitt said. "What all she wants to see in the state of Oklahoma, looking forward to those discussions. Again, we meet with her via Zoom calls once a week or twice a week today, and we’ve done a really good job of looking at all their recommendations."

Stitt later said the visit hasn't been discussed in detail.

"At this point, they haven’t briefed me on what she wants to visit. So, we plan on taking a tour of some of our surge [hospitals], kind of walking her through our plans, kind of walking her through our numbers," Stitt said.

The White House Coronavirus Task Force has listed Oklahoma in the "red zone" for new cases and positive test rates, and Stitt is being asked by a U.S. House oversight committee why he's not following private recommendations from that task force to control its outbreak.

Stitt's office has said because the task force's recommendations are not mandates, Oklahoma is not out of compliance with any federal orders.

Matt Trotter joined KWGS as a reporter in 2013. Before coming to Public Radio Tulsa, he was the investigative producer at KJRH. His freelance work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times and on MSNBC and CNN.
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