The Oklahoma State Department of Health reported on Friday 2,787 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the state's total to 384,217.
Tulsa County had 462 of Friday's cases. Its total now stands at 63,201, second to Oklahoma County's 74,315. A larger proportion of Tulsa County residents, however, are known to have been infected with the coronavirus throughout the pandemic. To date, 9.7% of Tulsa County's population has tested positive for COVID-19 versus Oklahoma County's 9.3%.
The state's seven-day average of new cases, which shows the trend in infections, fell from 2,626 to 2,604. The average has stayed below 3,000 for 11 days. The record of 4,256 was set Jan. 13. Oct. 5 was the last time the seven-day average was below 1,000.
Tulsa County's seven-day average dropped from 444 to 437. It has stayed below 500 for 10 days. The record is 647, set Jan. 9. Oct. 29 was the last time the seven-day average was below 100.
The state reported 48 deaths. When deaths occurred was not provided. Nine deaths were in Tulsa County: one man and one woman 50 to 64 years old, and five men and two women 65 or older. Statewide, two men 18 to 35 years old and a man 36 to 49 years old were reported dead. The other deaths were adults 50 or older.
Since March 18, COVID-19 has officially killed 3,471 Oklahomans. Of those, 573 were Tulsa County residents, tied for most in the state. The state has reported 982 deaths so far in January, already the most in a month to date. The state has reported an average of 40.6 deaths the past seven days.
There were 1,357 Oklahomans with positive COVID tests hospitalized on Thursday evening, 18 fewer than on Wednesday. The highest number so far was 1,994 hospitalized on Jan. 5. There were 387 COVID-positive Oklahomans in intensive care units on Thursday, 16 more than on Wednesday. KWGS is basing hospitalization and ICU bed numbers on the total across all types of facilities. The state changed this week to reporting just acute care hospitals but still gives numbers for focus, rehabilitation and tribal facilities.
According to the state health department, Tulsa County had 310 COVID-positive residents hospitalized as of Thursday evening, 13 fewer than on Wednesday. The state's reporting change does not affect regional numbers.
Over the course of the pandemic, 21,620 Oklahomans have been hospitalized for COVID-19.
As of Thursday, the state reported 6% of adult ICU beds and 13% of medical surgery beds available across all facility types. Also as of Thursday, five of Oklahoma's eight hospital regions are at tier three of a four-tier hospital surge plan, meaning 20% to 40% of patients have tested positive for COVID-19 for at least three consecutive days. The Tulsa, east central and northwest regions are currently at tier two. The OKC region has ranged from 30% to 33% recently.
The state health department reported 2,709 additional patients as recovered on Friday, bringing the total to 351,545. Patients are considered to have recovered if they did not die, are not currently hospitalized and it has been at least 14 days since their symptoms began. Symptoms have been reported to linger for several weeks for some individuals.
The state has 29,201 active cases of COVID-19, 30 more than the day before. The record is 43,163, set Jan. 11.
Tulsa County reported 466 additional patients as recovered, bringing the total to 57,867. The county has 4,761 active cases, 13 fewer than the day before. It's the lowest active case total since Dec. 10. The record is 6,731, set Jan. 11.
The state's reported overall positive test rate was 11.4% on Thursday, where it's been for almost two weeks. Out of 25,547 tests reported on Thursday, 12.5% were positive. Each positive test does not necessarily represent a unique individual.
The state used to report its cumulative positive test rate, a metric used by Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. It is calculated by dividing the number of cases by the number of negative tests plus the number of cases. As of Thursday, that rate was 12.1%, unchanged from Wednesday.
Johns Hopkins uses the different rate to compare states that may track testing differently. It notes the ideal way to calculate the positivity rate is dividing the number of people who test positive by the number of people who are tested, which is how Oklahoma's overall rate is calculated.
The World Health Organization's benchmark indicating adequate testing is a 5% positive test rate.
There are 76 counties at the orange level on the state's COVID alert map, indicating the highest risk of transmission. Since last week, Cimarron County jumped from green to orange, and Ellis County fell from orange to yellow.
Tulsa County's rate of new cases per 100,000 population fell 7.1% this week, going from 73.4 to 68.2. The highest rate of new cases was in Adair County, which had a new case rate of 113.3, up 25.7% from last week.
The orange level starts at 14.3 new cases per 100,000. There are five counties with new case rates over 100.
Regardless of transmission rates, counties are not classified at red, the alert map's highest level, unless COVID patients account for 40% of the staffed acute care hospital beds in that county's state hospital region.
