OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — More than 10,000 Oklahomans have now died from COVID-19 and the number of ICU patients statewide has grown, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics reported 10,025 deaths based on death certificates as of Thursday, a one-day increase of 42. By the CDC's count, COVID has killed one in every 395 Oklahomans.
"This count represents the lives of our friends, neighbors and loved ones, and any number of deaths will always be too many," State Health Commissioner Dr. Lance Frye said in a statement.
Frye also encouraged Oklahomans to get vaccinated against COVID, as well as following basic measures like wearing masks, frequently washing their hands and practicing social distancing, "particularly in crowded indoor environments."
The seven-day rolling average of deaths rose from 29.6 daily on Sept. 7 to 39.3 Tuesday, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
The seven-day average of new cases daily has declined from 2,532.4 on Sept. 7 to 1,887 Thursday.
The state health department reported 404 people hospitalized under intensive care, surpassing 400 for the first time since Sept. 10.
The health department reported 21 total intensive care unit beds available in Oklahoma, excluding Oklahoma City and Tulsa hospitals. The department said 28 ICU beds were available in Tulsa and 17 in Oklahoma City.
