Coronavirus: Washita County COVID-19 Free – Custer County Rises

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June 3, 2020

By News Director Jared Atha

More recoveries of COVID-19 have occurred in the area in the past 24 hours, however one county’s count continues to rise.

According to the Oklahoma State Department of Health’s daily report, Custer County has seen an additional 3 cases of the virus pop up when compared to Tuesday. That leaves the county with 17 active cases. Neighboring Washita County is COVID-19 free after its being reported that the county’s lone active case has recovered. In Beckham county, 3 more cases are being reported as recovered. That leaves that county with 1 active case, while 3 more cases have recovered in Jackson county. There are now 4 active cases there. Kiowa County still has 2 active cases.

Harmon and Roger Mills Counties have yet to report a case of COVID-19.

Statewide there are 753 active cases of the virus after 112 have recovered when compared to Tuesday.

State officials are reporting 2 more deaths due to the virus – none occurring in the past 24 hours. The state’s death count is now at 341.

There are currently 136 Oklahomans hospitalized due to COVID-19, an increase of 12 when compared to Tuesday.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt announced recently that health officials have tested more than 35,800 residents and staff at nursing homes across the state for COVID-19 last month, falling short of its goal to test all employees and residents.

Stitt said health officials focused first on the facilities with confirmed cases of COVID-19 and expects to finish testing the workers and residents of the remaining nursing homes and long-term care facilities by the end of next week.

A little more than 3% of the tests have come back positive, Stitt said.

An analysis of Department of Health data shows more than half of the state’s 341 deaths from COVID-19 have been residents of nursing homes. The hardest hit was the Bartlesville Health and Rehabilitation Community, where 48 residents and 34 staff tested positive and where 19 deaths were reported.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.