Updated: 8:09 PM CST Mar 9, 2021
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Yes, the coronavirus pandemic affecting people all across our state. We are still right in the middle of this fight against covid. 19. Hundreds of thousands infected, thousands dead. In the next 30 days or so, anybody that wants a vaccine will be able to get it. But hope on the horizon. A vaccine now available. But you've got questions. Does the vaccine work against these new variants? That's what everybody wants to know. And tonight we're getting answers. A panel of our state's top experts with what you need to know about the vaccines and looking forward to where we go from here. This is ko CEOs chronicle Oklahoma's covid fight. Yeah, And tonight we are taking a look at the impact of the pandemic in our state. Thank you so much for joining us this evening. I'm Jessica Schambach. From the very first confirmed case to the new expansion of vaccine eligibility, we start with K. O. C s Jason Hackett and a look back at how we got here breaking tonight. Oklahoma has its first confirmed case of coronavirus, a man in his fifties who recently traveled to Italy. At this time, there is no evidence of community spread and the risk of to the general public remains low. Uh, I would also like to announce the state now is able to perform test right here in Oklahoma. March 6th 2020. Oklahoma confirmed its very first case of coronavirus. Ko CIO was there in Tulsa as health officials made the announcement. They say he's currently at home stable. He's isolated right now from his family. They say his family will be tested as well. There's no evidence of community spread at this time. Less than a week later, the okay see Thunder game came to a screeching halt. Fans were evacuated after a member of the Utah Jazz team tested positive for Covid 19. Let me show you what happened. Literally seconds before tip off Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert, who, according to the NBA, was not inside the Chesapeake Energy arena, tested positive for the coronavirus. By mid March, a state of emergency was issued in Oklahoma, breaking right now governor state filing executive order today declaring a statewide emergency amid coronavirus concerns. I have issued an emergency declaration as we continue to remain proactive to protect all four million. Shortly after that, businesses began to shut down in the metro and across the state. Mayor Holt declaring a state of emergency just on Sunday. Then today, businesses and employees getting the devastating news bars, gyms and businesses will be closing until at least April 12. We are facing an immediate crisis. Covid 19. Spreading from person to person is in Oklahoma County. Beginning at five o'clock today, all bars and similar venues that do not serve food shall close to the public. As testing began around the state, Covid 19 testing centers were set up at the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds, in large part because the state got this shipment of coronavirus testing materials enough to do 10,000 tests in the coming days. We will have largely solved testing backlog really across the entire US We're about that resolution on that. If you have those coronavirus symptoms, so that's a cough. That's a fever that is shortness of breath. You should get tested and you should get tested this week, the governor says. As restrictions were put into place across the state, problems were arising with the state's unemployment program major troubles with the state's unemployment system. A lot of you have reached out to us and you're having problems. Getting on the state's website to file for unemployment and using the website was incredibly hard and frustrating, called the numerous times I get no answer. Everything you try is a dead end, and it all takes you back to the same place. Governor State says he has teams working around the clock to get those claims process. He also says since the pandemic started, they paid out more than 307 million in unemployment benefits. I know the frustration and the anxiety many Oklahomans are facing with bills that are coming due right now. Our entire digital transformation team has been working night and day along with the unemployment department, to get those claims processed quickly. Towards the end of the month, the governor began laying out plans to reopen the state. That plan went into effect May 1st. They won't only be making all customers wear masks, but also checking temperatures at the door. She feels like she's putting herself at risk every day when she walks through that door. We are still right in the middle of this fight against Covid 19. Please continue to keep your distance from others continue to wash your hands and continue to wear masks in public. Throughout the summer, Oklahoma began to see a spike in Covid 19 cases as health officials urged people to take precautions and get tested. Here's what Oklahoma's coronavirus outbreak looked like two weeks ago, and here's what it looks like today. Record breaking increases in new cases without an increase in testing begin. Oklahoma health officials say any large gathering is a risk. But indoors with people close together and without wearing masks is high risk. That breaking news Tonight at five O'clock Governor Kevin Stitt has tested positive for Covid, 19. He's the first governor in the country known to have contracted the virus and got tested yesterday for Covid, 19. And the results came back positive. That announcement from Governor Stitt this morning saying he was shocked to find out he's the first governor in the country to get I'll be taking precautions. I'm now isolated away from my family. I'll be working from home. State says he doesn't know where or how he got infected. He also says he doesn't regret his decision to almost never wear a mask in public when close to others has recommended by health officials. By November 10th, thousands of students in okay CPS returned back to the classroom for the first time since the pandemic started. Oklahoma City students start in person learning today Yeah, this is the scene here at U. S. Grant High School on the first day back to class since the pandemic began, you can see students lined up outside, waiting to go in their space 6 ft apart. Meanwhile, teachers and administrators during temperature checks before they are allowed inside during the holiday season. Health officials warn Oklahomans to keep gathering small and shortly after Oklahoma sees a spike in covid 19 cases with 4370 new cases one of the highest single day reports today, along with 14 additional deaths. State Commissioner of Health Lance Fry is calling on the community to help stop the spread, sending out the statement, saying in part that we anticipated a rise in cases following the Thanksgiving holiday. The significant jump in our infection rate is alarming. Got some breaking developments here at five o'clock. The very first doses of the COVID 19 vaccine here in Oklahoma today they were given to okay healthcare workers on the frontline. And this begins an unprecedented public health campaign to get people across our state vaccinated. Amid the rise in coronavirus cases, a national vaccine rollout began Oklahoma receiving its first doses of the vaccine in mid December. Oklahoma Today is an historic day in our fight against COVID. 19. This morning we officially received the first delivery of the Pfizer Covid 19 vaccine. This shot the first in the state so much more than just a shot. Integris er nurse Hannah White, the first person in Oklahoma to get the vaccine outside of clinical trials to keep back the tears right now because no one has to die alone if we could just do it together and it stops. But the simple thing, like a vaccination that didn't even hurt, by the way. And now, as we go through phase two of vaccinations in Oklahoma, health officials ask everyone to keep the Oklahoma standard in mind. As we know, that means acting with honor and because no documentation is required to show comorbidities 0 cc H D asks that you're honest before signing up, and we just want people, to be honest, we want them to not take away those appointments from people who really do have those comorbidities and are waiting to get out of their house once they get vaccinated. The state's top leaders calling the vaccinations a ray of hope in Oklahoma's fight against the virus. Wow, what a year. Hey, I'm evidence dot Yes, tonight is about looking back. But it is also about looking ahead. How do we return to normal life? Where are we on the vaccine? What are some of the answers that to the question that you've been asking? So we've assembled a wonderful team of doctors people who you've been seeing here on ko cio throughout the pandemic. Answering your questions. Let's go out and just introduce them. Dr. Dale Brattskar with ou Health Dr Chad Smith below him from from Mercy Hospital in the upper right here. Behind me is Dr David Chancel with integrity and in the bottom. Right behind me here is Doctor Steven Prescott. Gentlemen, thank you so much. Uh, Dr Prescott with O m r f the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. Thanks so much for being with us. We appreciate it. Let me just start with a a big sweeping question. And I want you all just to jump in here. But Dr Prescott, I'll start with you. Is there light at the end of the tunnel? Uh, well, Evan, I think you know my sense of optimism. I'm gonna say yes. Uh, then of course I had to throw that in the caveat, saying, I hope it's not the headline of a train, but but yes, I do think, uh, things are getting better. Uh, sometimes facetiously say, You know, all pandemics end, but we want this one to end in a better way than many of them do. Uh and so I am very optimistic about our optimistic, our chances of getting a population immunized to a level where we can achieve that herd immunity. So I think if we stay focused on that, I think we'll get there by sometime later this year. This day I would agree with that. The the number of cases in Oklahoma have dropped 84% since mid January, when we had the peak after the holiday. So case cancer, far down. And one of the statistics I look at that really has me intrigued is the percent of tests are coming back positive so far this week. It's about 3%. We were at 19% the last week in December. So that tells me there's less community spread of the virus right now. And furthermore, we are seeing a decrease in the hospitalizations, um, over the past several weeks to months and looking at analytical projections that many of us have access to, those projections are also showing that quote unquote light at the end of the tunnel, Doctor chances Are you seeing it as well? Absolutely. I think, um, you know, we are starting to see the numbers come down in the hospital. Obviously, like like Chad, I have access to our numbers in the Integra system. The the data that Dale so kindly provides to all of us, uh, that he's really able to get back in the numbers behind that is just confirming what we feel. Well, great. I like starting with the optimism, and we're gonna answer some questions as we continue to move on. We are back with these gentlemen here in just a little bit. And also coming up on krcs chronicle Oklahoma's covid fight. The vaccine rollout is speeding along here in our state hundreds of thousands more eligible today. So I think there are a lot of individuals that are choosing to get the vaccine. But I think it is a challenge to convince everyone that it's the right thing to do. You've probably heard from the skeptics. We are taking your questions to doctors, plus how to get a vaccine appointment now that nearly the entire state is eligible coming up mhm.