The Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus is blamed for a dramatic rise in new cases in Oklahoma, according to Dr. David Kendrick with the Healthier Oklahoma Coalition. Members of the Coalition believe the variant is entering Oklahoma from Missouri and Arkansas, which are ranked 1st and 2nd in the number of cases nationally. Oklahoma in currently ranked 10th in the nation.

According to the Oklahoma State Department OSDH) of Health, there were 1,082 new COVID cases reported in Oklahoma on Wednesday, July 14. This brought the total number of cases to 463,152.

This week there were 11 Oklahoma counties in the “orange” risk level, 54 in the “yellow” risk level, and 12 in the “green” risk level on the COVID-19 Risk Level System, the OSDH report states. This 4-tier system ranges from green for normal, yellow for low, orange for moderate, and red for high risk levels. Seven of the 11 orange risk level counties are located in the northwest corner of the state.

A July 13 Associated Press release stated that most of the cases reported for the week were in Tulsa County, where there were 361 cases last Tuesday rising to 613 this Tuesday. The number of reported cases had dropped to a low of 160 on June 8 before starting to rise again.

The OSDH Wednesday release showed there are currently 3,710 active COVID cases in the state. The three-day average of hospitalizations rose from 235 on Tuesday to 259 on Wednesday, with 91 in ICU. The website has the state divided into 8 Regions. According to the Wednesday report, in Region 7, which includes Tulsa, there were 107 cases, with 45 in ICU. This compares to 62 cases with 18 in ICU in the more populous Region 8, which includes Oklahoma City. Seminole County is in Region 5, which consists of 11 counties including neighboring Okfuskee and Hughes Counties and continues south to the Red River and east to Arkansas. Region 5 reported 8 cases, with 3 in ICU, during the three-day average.

According to the New York Times data tracker, new daily COVID cases in the U.S. have risen 94 percent over the past two weeks, with 46 states and the District of Columbia seeing weekly cases trend upward. Cases are declining only in West Virginia, Maine, South Dakota, and Iowa.

The Center for Disease Control states that if you are fully vaccinated, you can resume activities that you did prior to the pandemic without wearing a mask or physical distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.

If you are not fully vaccinated, you are strongly encouraged to continue or resume safety precautions to protect yourself and others. If you are aged two or older, you should wear a mask in indoor public places or crowded outdoor situations. Stay six feet from others, avoid crowds and poorly ventilated spaces, wash your hands often, cover coughs and sneezes, clean and disinfect frequently, and monitor your health daily.