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WH: Oklahoma Top Ten State For Vaccinations, But Also New Cases, Hospitalizations And Deaths

The White House
President Joe Biden (right) and Vice President Kamala Harris participate in a discussion with a COVID-19 working group in a photo posted to White House social media accounts on Jan. 21.

While the COVID-19 pandemic continues its gradual improvement nation- and statewide, Oklahoma remains in the top ten for all four metrics the White House uses to measure outbreak severity.

In its most recent weekly report, dated Sunday, the White House COVID-19 Response Team ranks Oklahoma 3rd of all states for most new confirmed infections per 100,000 residents; 8th in new COVID hospital admissions per 100 beds; and 9th for new virus deaths per 100,000 residents. As it has been almost weekly since December, the state maintains the number one spot for highest COVID-19 test positivity rate in the nation.

Oklahoma does continue to perform well in its rate of vaccinating residents, with one of the higher percentages of its population receiving at least one dose in the country according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the Feb. 14 report, the White House team ranked it within the top ten. 

Gov. Kevin Stitt in December opted out of receiving the weekly White House reports issued to governors by the Trump administration's coronavirus task force when that team began requiring the reports be requested rather than prepared and sent by default. The Biden administration has begun publicly releasing the reports, albeit so far without the policy recommendations tailored to individual states the prior administration included with them.

Chris joined Public Radio Tulsa as a news anchor and reporter in April 2020. He’s a graduate of Hunter College and the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, both at the City University of New York.
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