Despite President Trump's claims and suggestions that the COVID-19 pandemic will no longer be covered in the news media following Election Day, hospitalizations in Oklahoma are at record highs and surging nationwide as the virus shows no sign of slowing down.
“The Fake News Media is riding COVID, COVID, COVID, all the way to the Election. Losers!” the president tweeted last week. He has also described the nation as "rounding the corner" on COVID-19.
"This isn't going away after November 3rd. That's one of those rumors that's kind of running around," said Tulsa County Commissioner Karen Keith at a press conference last week.
"Hey, that'd be awesome," said Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum, asked about the conspiracy theory and people who believe it at the same press conference.
"I hope they're all right. But I don't think they are," Bynum, like Trump a Republican, said. "I hear that a lot too, that it's a conspiracy."
"There's a lot of misinformation out there. I am looking forward to the election being over because I think it will put to rest that conspiracy theory," Bynum said.
In a Tuesday tweet, Dr. George Monks, Oklahoma State Medical Association president, said, "After the fog of the election is over, OK will still be mired in the worst hospital crisis our State has seen. We must change our future by masking up. We must look to the visionary cities that have passed mask ordinances and implement these life-saving measures across the state."
Hospitalizations and ICU patients both hit record highs Monday night according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health, at 974 and 336 respectively.
