Monthly Archives: May 2022

With the latest round of COVID test kits from the government set to arrive in the mail as early as this week, how can you get yours?

The first shipments are already being sent to homes across the U.S.

Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic across Illinois today:

The first shipment in the latest round of at-home COVID test kits being sent to homes across the U.S. from the government are starting to arrive in mailboxes Thursday.

Test kits will be shipped for free to residences, according to the United States Postal Service. Those tests will come in two separate packages, with four test kits in each package, the USPS says.

You can now sign up to receive 8 free, at-home rapid antigen COVID tests in the mail, the federal government recently announced.

In previous rounds of test distributions residents could only claim up to four at-home COVID test kits per household.

Test kits will be shipped for free to residences, according to the United States Postal Service. Those tests will come in two separate packages, with four test kits in each package, the USPS says.

Here's how to sign upand get yours mailed to your home.

Chicago could soon reach a high alert level for COVID, but that doesn't necessarily mean mask mandates will return right away, the city's top doctor said Tuesday.

While masks are "strongly recommended" across the city with cases spiking, Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said she's watching a different metric to determine if mandates will return.

Read more here.

As COVID-19 cases continue to rise around the United States, Chicago's top doctor says she expects the city could soon reach a "high" community level.

"Unfortunately that is the direction that we're heading," Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said in a Facebook Live Tuesday, calling it a "point of concern."

Read more here.

COVID cases and hospitalizations are continuing to climb in Illinois, with the state now averaging more than 6,000 new probable and confirmed COVID-19 cases per day.

It's the first time in more than three months Illinois has seen the daily rate that high.

The good news is, COVID testing across Chicago and at Illinois remains free at many sites. And, the federal government is now offering residents double the number of free COVID rapid antigen tests during its newest round of kit availability, according to anupdate by the United States Postal Service.

If you're experiencing symptoms, or you believe you've been exposed, here's where you can find free COVID testing near you in Chicago and Illinois, for adults and kids.

The federal government is now offering residents double the number of free COVID rapid antigen tests during its newest round of kit availability, according to an update by the United States Postal Service.

Whereas in previous rounds of test distributions residents could only claim up to four per household, residents can now request up to eight of the tests, which will be shipped for free to their residences.

According to the government, each order may contain eight rapid antigen COVID-19 tests. Those tests will come in two separate packages, with four test kits in each package, according to the USPS website.

Here's how to get yours.

If you test positive for COVID, how long could that last?

According to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, some people who contract COVID-19 can have detectable virus for up to three months, but that doesn't mean they are contagious.

When it comes to testing, however, the PCR tests are more likely to continue picking up the virus following infection.

Read more here.

For the first time in more than three months, Illinois is averaging more than 6,000 new probable and confirmed COVID-19 cases per day, with hospitalizations also beginning to climb across the state.

According to the latest data from the Illinois Department of Public Health, the state is averaging 6,065 new cases of COVID per day over the last week. That marks the first time the state has eclipsed the 6,000-case barrier since Feb. 9, when Illinois was still descending from the heights of its omicron-driven surge over the winter.

In the last seven days, the states daily average of new COVID cases has gone up by 17.7%, according to IDPH officials. In the last month, cases have increased by 174%.

On Monday, Illinois officials reported 5,447 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19, with zero new fatalities reported.

You can find more data here.

The Food and Drug Administration has authorized a first-of-its-kind at-home testing kit that will allow individuals to collect samples and have them tested for a variety of respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19 and influenza.

According to a press release issued Monday, the FDA gave authorization to Labcorps Seasonal Respiratory Virus RT-PCR DTC test.

Those tests, available without a prescription, can be used by individuals with symptoms of respiratory viral infection, according to the FDA.

The tests allow an individual to self-collect a nasal swab at home, similar to that of an at-home COVID-19 test. Instead of getting the results in the home, those samples can be sent to Labcorp for testing.

The tests can identify and differentiate between a variety of illnesses, including influenza A and B, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and COVID-19, according to the FDA.

COVID-19 cases have been on the rise across Chicago and the city's top doctor said the trend will likely continue in coming weeks, sparking questions from concerned residents.

Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, says thatthe city's positivity rate has soared to nearly 5% in recent weeks, and she expects metrics to continue to rise in the coming days.

Read more here.

With nearly every Chicago-area county having reached the "medium community level" for COVID-19 and one Chicago suburb reaching "high" transmission levels, per guidance set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, what does that mean for you?

So what does that mean and what does it take to reach each level?

Here's a look at the guidelines.

As more test positive for the coronavirus across the Chicago area, many are turning to questions over treating the virus with the new antiviral COVID-19 pill.

Pfizer's Paxlovid pill has been used in several recent high-profile cases, including Vice President Kamala Harris.

But as more doctors prescribe Pfizer's powerful COVID pill, new questions are emerging about its performance, including why a small number of patients appear to relapse after taking the drug.

Here's what we know so far.

COVID-19 cases have been on the rise across Chicago and the city's top doctor said the trend will likely continue in coming weeks, sparking questions from concerned residents.

Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, says thatthe city's positivity rate has soared to nearly 5% in recent weeks, and she expects metrics to continue to rise in the coming days.

"In this wave...it's likely that we'll have even more cases before we see it turn around," she said. "And the last thing we want to do is to have people really see the hospitalization numbers going up significantly."

For those who contract COVID, there may be lingering questions. Here's the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

With new, more contagious variants of COVID-19 spreading across the U.S. and nearly all of the Chicago area rising to a higher alert level, many are wondering what to do if they experience symptoms or test positive for the virus.

If you were exposed, when could symptoms start, how long are you contagious, how long should you quarantine for and when is the best time test?

Read more here.

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Illinois Coronavirus Updates: Free COVID Test Kits From the Government, Cases Still Rising - NBC Chicago

The waste water levels have now rebounded to where they were in late January.

Andrew Lover, an assistant professor of epidemiology in the School of Public Health and Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, said in an e-mail that statewide were seeing quite a lot of virus in wastewater, noting results of testing not just by the MWRA in Suffolk County but in five other counties around the state.

The increases come as the states COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have been gradually rising for weeks, and the CDC has warned that most of the state is seeing high levels of the virus. The CDC recommends that when virus levels are high, people should mask in indoor public spaces.

With both waste water and case numbers rising, I think its pretty clear at this point that we are in a wave, Matthew Fox, a professor of epidemiology and global health at the Boston University School of Public Health, said in an e-mail.

The surge were seeing is real and ongoing, said Lover.

Fox said people should not panic because we know what to do. For anyone not vaccinated or boosted, go out and get your vaccine. For the rest of us, its time to consider masking again indoors, keeping in mind that this is a time-limited measure just until the wave subsides.

Federal health officials warned Wednesday that cases are increasing nationally and could get worse over the coming months, as the wave spreads out from the Northeast and Midwest.

Worried about the rising COVID-19 metrics, a coalition of Massachusetts public health leaders, infectious disease doctors, and community organizers on Wednesday called on the Baker administration to reinstitute mask mandates in public schools and on transportation. The group also urged the states Department of Public Health to issue an immediate advisory recommending use of masks inside public spaces and for people to avoid large gatherings until the current COVID surge subsides.

Governor Charlie Baker indicated he was not planning to reinstate a broad-based mask mandate. We believe that the best thing to do at this point is to make clear to people that vaccines work, he said Wednesday. There are treatments that now work as well. He pointed out that Massachusetts still requires masks in long-term care and in other health facilities.

Experts have raised concerns that the arrival of the Omicron subvariants BA.2 and now BA.2.12.1, are breathing new life into the pandemic at a time that the public is trying to return to normal after more than two years of pandemic disruption.

Some models have offered hope that the current Massachusetts wave could crest in the coming weeks. Experts think that would happen for a variety of reasons, including the immune protection people have gotten from vaccinations and previous infections.

How much protection people have gotten from being infected during the original Omicron wave earlier this year is a key question that has yet to be answered. Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator, said at a briefing Wednesday, If it generated a lot of population immunity, then were going to see fewer infections into the summer, fall, and winter. If it generated only a modest amount of immunity, were going to see more infections.

Early this year, the Eastern Massachusetts waste water levels dropped precipitously from their Omicron peak. They bottomed out in early March, then began rising again. The rise was interrupted by a dip last month, but the levels have now more than bounced back.

The numbers remain at much lower levels than they were when the Omicron surge hit the region during the winter. The number of confirmed reported daily COVID-19 deaths has been in the single digits for weeks, only edging back over 10 in recent days.

Waste water from 43 communities, including Boston, converges at the MWRAs Deer Island plant on Boston Harbor for treatment before being piped miles into the ocean. The water is tested for traces of the deadly virus. The MWRA reports numbers for both the southern and northern regions of its system. The testing determines the number of SARS-CoV-2 RNA copies per milliliter of waste water.

In the northern MWRA region, the seven-day average was 1,273 RNA copies/mL as of Wednesday. Thats up from a low of 101 on March 9. The levels peaked at 8,644 on Jan. 5.

In the southern region, the seven-day average was 1,332 RNA copies/mL on Wednesday, up from a low of 92 copies/mL on March 1. But its a far cry from the high of 11,446 RNA copies/mL reached on Jan. 3.

Kay Lazar of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Material from prior Globe stories was used in this report.

Martin Finucane can be reached at martin.finucane@globe.com. Christina Prignano can be reached at christina.prignano@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @cprignano.

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The coronavirus levels in Eastern Mass. waste water keep increasing, suggesting cases will continue rising - The Boston Globe

Xavier Becerra, the U.S. secretary of health and human services, tested positive for the coronavirus on Wednesday, his department said, hours after the White House announced that Ashley Biden, the daughter of President Biden and the first lady, Jill Biden, had tested positive.

Neither is considered a close contact to Mr. Biden, according to the administration. A close contact is someone who has been less than six feet away from an infected person for at least 15 minutes over a 24-hour period, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions guidelines.

Ms. Biden, 40, was scheduled to travel with Dr. Biden to Ecuador on Wednesday afternoon but will no longer make the trip with her mother. Earlier this month, Ms. Biden was to accompany Dr. Biden on her trip to Eastern Europe to visit Ukrainian refugees, but on the night of the trip, the White House said that Ms. Biden had been in close contact with someone who tested positive for the coronavirus and would stay behind.

Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, said Wednesday that Mr. Biden had not seen his daughter in several days.

Mr. Becerra tested positive for the virus Wednesday morning in Berlin, where he was to participate in meetings for Group of 7 health ministers, Sarah Lovenheim, assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services, said in a statement.

Mr. Becerra is fully vaccinated and boosted and is experiencing mild symptoms, the statement said. He will continue to work in isolation.

Mr. Becerra was last at the White House on Thursday and is not considered a close contact to Mr. Biden, according to Ms. Lovenheim. The White House requires masks and social distancing when officials meet with the president.

Ms. Biden and Mr. Becerra are among a handful of prominent people in the presidents orbit who have recently tested positive for the coronavirus, renewing concern about Mr. Bidens potential exposure, though none have been considered close contacts. Susan Rice, the White House domestic policy adviser, tested positive last week.

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Ashley Biden and Xavier Becerra Test Positive for the Coronavirus - The New York Times

A worker in a protective suit walks on a closed bridge during lockdown, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Shanghai, China, May 18, 2022. REUTERS/Aly Song

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May 19 (Reuters) - More Shanghai residents were given the freedom to go out to shop for groceries for the first time in nearly two months. Moreover, a deputy mayor said the financial hub will start to allow more businesses in zero-COVID areas to resume normal operations from the beginning of June. read more

* Eikon users, see COVID-19: MacroVitals https://apac1.apps.cp.thomsonreuters.com/cms/?navid=1592404098 for a case tracker and summary of news.

* Britain's vaccine advisers said that an anticipated autumn COVID booster campaign would be aimed at people over age 65, care home residents, frontline health and social care workers and all adults in a clinical risk group. read more

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* The European health regulator endorsed the use of AstraZeneca's (AZN.L) vaccine, Vaxzevria, as a booster. read more

* China has removed some COVID-19 test requirements for people flying in from countries such as Britain and the United States and shortened the pre-departure quarantine for some inbound travellers, as it fine-tunes measures to cope with the Omicron variant. read more

* North Korea's first confirmed outbreak spread after a massive military parade in Pyongyang in April, the South's Newsis news agency said on Wednesday, citing lawmakers briefed by the South's spy agency. read more

* North Korea is ramping up production of drugs and medical supplies including sterilisers and thermometers, state media KCNA said. read more

* India has supplied COVID-19 vaccines to Cambodia and Thailand under an initiative of the Quad group of countries, New Delhi said, though not the Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) shot as originally planned. read more

* Several outbreaks of monkeypox in Africa have been contained during the COVID pandemic while the world's attention was elsewhere, and outbreaks in Europe and the United States are a concern, Africa's top public health agency said. read more

* The U.S. Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) said reports of heart inflammation linked to the Pfizer (PFE.N)/BioNTech (22UAy.DE) vaccine have been much lower in 5- to 11-year-old boys than in adolescents and young men. read more

* The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will act as soon as possible on Moderna Inc's (MRNA.O) application seeking approval of its COVID-19 vaccine for children under age 5, the agency's chief told lawmakers. read more

* The World Health Organization issued an emergency use listing for the single-dose COVID-19 vaccine from China-based CanSino Biologics (6185.HK). read more

* The question of COVID-19 vaccine patents was not discussed at a meeting of the health ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) countries in Berlin, German Health Ministers Karl Lauterbach said. read more

* Dalian and Singapore iron ore futures fell on Thursday, hit by worries about COVID-19 curbs in China, but Beijing's assurance that there is still policy space to cope with challenges facing the world's top steel producer calmed traders.

* A sharp slowdown in China's economy caused by its strict zero-COVID rules and Beijing's shift away from a traditional reliance on external demand have cast doubts over how much the country will contribute to future global trade and investment. read more

* Roughly half of Taiwanese companies that had previously suspended work in China due to COVID-19 control measures have resumed production as curbs ease, the island's economy minister said. read more

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Compiled by Dina Kartit; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu and Lisa Shumaker

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Factbox: Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus - Reuters.com

Mr. de Blasio, who oversaw the citys response during the worst waves of the virus, held near-daily virtual virus briefings, sometimes inviting outside health experts like Dr. Wafaa El-Sadr, a professor of epidemiology and medicine at the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, and Dr. Celine Gounder, an infectious disease expert at New York University. He rolled out some of the most aggressive health measures in the country, including a vaccine mandate for city workers and private employers that is still in effect.

Mr. Adams has relied on a handful of key advisers to form his virus response: Dr. Vasan, an epidemiologist who formerly led a mental health nonprofit; Dr. Mitchell Katz, the head of the citys hospital system; Ms. Williams-Isom, deputy mayor for health and human services; Dan Weisberg, first deputy schools chancellor; and Dr. Ted Long, executive director of the citys test and trace corps. The group meets nearly every morning on a virtual call to discuss the latest data.

Mr. Adams said that the message from hospital and school leaders was clear: Theyre all saying the same thing. They say, Listen, we got this. Were not overwhelmed.

But Dr. Chokshi, the former health commissioner, said in a recent interview that during each new wave of cases in the city, elected officials and New Yorkers often had collective amnesia about how to respond.

People would say, Well, its only cases increasing, lets see what happens to hospitalizations, he said. To me, as someone whos steeped in this, and particularly to understand the epidemiology, its hard not to have your head explode when you feel the public, and in many cases, the political conversation, go in those circles. And youre like, Wow, when are we going to learn.

Some health experts agreed that it would be difficult at this point in the pandemic to reinstate broad mandates unless the health system became seriously overtaxed. At the same time, having an alert system but not following through on its recommendations can confuse the public and weaken trust, particularly if the change is not carefully explained.

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Why Adams Is Rejecting Mask Mandates as Covid Cases Rise in New York - The New York Times

Is COVID endemic? Here's what health experts are saying.

How soon could we see COVID-19 go from pandemic to endemic? Here's what we know now.

Just the FAQs, USA TODAY

COVID-19 infections continue to rise, driven by new and more infectious omicron subvariants, waning immunity from both vaccines and previous infections and fewer people masking up, health officials said at a White House briefing Wednesday.

About a third of Americans now live in an area with medium or high COVID-19 rates, withreported cases up26% from last week, said Dr. RochelleWalensky, director of theCenters for Disease Control an Prevention.

On average, about 3,000 Americans are being hospitalized per dayand 275 are dying. Walensky urged people in communities with higher infection and hospitalization rates to protect themselves by masking in indoor public placesand to get a booster shot if vaccinated and to get vaccinated if they're not.

Areas of increased infection and hospitalization include the Northeast and the eastern corridor, as well as parts ofthe upper Midwest.

"We've always said, put your mask aside when infection rates are low and pick it up again when infection rates are higher," she said.

WHAT IS YOUR COMMUNITY'S COVID-19 LEVEL?

A rising tide of omicron subvariantsis in part behind the rise, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical advisertoPresident Joe Biden.

There are now at least four omicron subvariants circulating in the United States. BA.2 is dominant, making up 50.9% of cases but BA.2.12.1 is almost equal to it with 47.5%.The newer strains are even more infectious than previous strains, adding to the increase in cases.

He urged people who test positive for COVID-19 to reach out to their health care providers "as soon as possible" to see if atreatment is appropriate for them, as treatments work better if begun quickly.

The administration's continuingpush for boosters and vaccination comes as a paper published Wednesday in the journal "Nature" showeda case of omicron in unvaccinated people provides very little immunity against other variants of the virus that causes COVID-19.

"Because omicron is so infective, we were really hoping that it would help bring us closer to 'herd immunity,'" said Dr. Melanie Ott, a virologist at the Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco and lead author on the paper.

Instead, thefindings showed people infected with omicron onlyget protection against infections fromomicron subvariants, not infections fromotherstrains of the virus. So far, there have been five main variants, alpha, beta, gamma, delta and omicron.

That's bad news for anyone who expects arecent case of COVID-19 will protect them against future cases of the rapidly mutating virus. But the good news, said Ott, is if they get vaccinated they have a shot at "super immunity."

People who'vehad omicron and also been vaccinated had the ability to neutralize all tested variants, not just omicron subvariants, the research showed.

"If you had omicron, why miss out on the benefit of getting that great enhanced immunity from infection plus vaccination?" she said.

A new generation of COVID-19 vaccines are expected this fall or winter, saidDr. Ashish Jha, the White House's new coronavirus response coordinator. He and others are talking with Congressto ensure funding is available so everyone who wants them can have them.

"We do not have the resources to do that right now," he said.

Jha is on leave from his position as dean of the Brown University School of Public Health and began his newWhite House position in March. He said he was spending "a lot of time up on the Hill" to convince Congress to authorize more emergency aid money for COVID-19, an effort which has thus far failed as Congress wrestles with more funding for Ukraine.

The same goes for promising new treatmentsseveral companies are now working on, he said.

"No one in the United States is in negotiations with these companies for these treatments because we don't have the resources. The companies know that, and therefore we can't ensure that Americans get access to the next generation of therapies," he said.

The COVID-19 briefing was the first the White Househas held in six weeks and also the first led by Jha.

Continued here:

Why are COVID-19 cases rising and will an omicron infection protect me? - USA TODAY

More than 70 New York City judges descended on a Long Island resort last week to enjoy an annual three-night retreat. In the days after, 20 tested positive for the coronavirus.

Lucian Chalfen, a spokesman for New Yorks courts, confirmed Wednesday that the judges had tested positive. He said that, to his knowledge, none of the judges were seriously ill, and that those who were symptomatic had not reported to work.

Those who were without symptoms, he said, would have to quarantine for five days before they were allowed to return to work, provided that they wear masks, as is required in public areas of the courtroom. He did not have information on how many asymptomatic judges were back on the bench, but said that they were all vaccinated, as protocol required.

Any effect that this would have on cases or operations is negligible or nonexistent, he said. Youre talking about less than 20 people out of hundreds of judges in New York City.

The retreat was at Gurneys Star Island, often referred to as the Montauk Yacht Club, its former name. The getaway involved a number of activities for the criminal court judges association, whose members include appointed criminal court judges and those elevated to serve as acting State Supreme Court justices.

One of those activities, according to a person with knowledge of the event, was a karaoke session, during which several judges were particularly enthusiastic.

(Singing, with its heavy outflow of breath and saliva droplets, has been noted as a potential source of virus spread, with outbreaks among some choirs reported in the pandemics early months.)

New Yorks courts have been slow to recover from the pandemic. In the summer of 2020, the number of pending cases in the citys criminal courts rose to 39,200, and two years later, the backlog is far from cleared, even as cases involving guns have been expedited. It has delayed trials and other proceedings and left many people stranded in jail.

In one example of the impact of the pandemic on the backlog, Steve J. Martin, a federal monitor who oversees the operations at the Rikers Island jail complex, said in a letter filed with a federal court on Tuesday that 28 percent of the population at Rikers had been in custody for longer than a year and that close to 300 people had been in custody for longer than three years. He implored the Office of Court Administration, along with other criminal justice stakeholders, to work toward easing the backlog.

Within state courthouses, masks are required. But compliance with that rule is sporadic, and judges, court officers and other court employees can often be seen with masks on their chins, around their necks or absent entirely.

Last month, the state court system announced that it planned to fire more than 100 nonjudicial employees who had not complied with a vaccine mandate policy. Four judges had also chosen not to comply, two in New York City and two outside it. Any judge who refused to comply with the mandate would be barred from entering a court facility, and compelled to work from home, Mr. Chalfen said at the time.

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70 N.Y. Judges Went on a Montauk Retreat. 20 Came Down With the Virus. - The New York Times

Fifty-four virus-related deaths and 2,038 coronavirus cases have been added to the states count since May 12, according to weekly numbers released by the Oklahoma State Department of Health.

A total of 1,045,574 COVID-19 cases have been reported since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020.

The provisional death count rose to 16,050, the state health department said Thursday.

The rolling seven-day average of new cases is 198.

Currently, 2,621 Oklahomans are considered active cases in the state, OSDH said.

As of May 17, 5,958,986 total vaccine doses have been administered with 2,821,243 Oklahomans receiving at least one dose. More than 2,274,000 Oklahomans have completed both inoculations or are fully vaccinated, making 57.5% of the eligible Oklahoma population is fully vaccinated.

About 79 Oklahomans are currently in acute care OSDH-licensed facilities with 15 in the ICU and zero are currently in other types of facilities due to COVID-19. Out of the 79 hospitalizations, 25 are pediatric hospitalizations, OSDH said.

Previous Week: OSDH: 2,142 More COVID-19 Cases Reported Statewide, 56 Virus-Related Deaths Added To Provisional Death Count

Click hereto view the appointment scheduler and questionnaire.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health announced March 7, 2022 that it is transitioning away from daily updates on COVID-19 and will instead provide weekly updates each Thursday.

Related: OSDH Discontinues Daily COVID-19 Updates

Stitt released a statement on Nov. 7, 2020 andasked Oklahomans "to do the right thing"and to follow CDC guidelines -- practice social distancing, wear a face mask and wash your hands regularly -- to help slow the spread.

On Sept. 8, 2020, the state health department said it has begun the transitionto include antigen test resultsin the state's data collection and reporting system. A positive antigen test result is considered a "probable" case, while a positive molecular test result is considered a "confirmed" case.

Antigen testing is a rapid test that can be completed in less than an hour. Molecular tests usually take days before results are made available.

On July 15,2020,Stitt said he had tested positive for COVID-19, making him the first governor in the country to test positive for the virus. He has sinceposted video updates of concerning his health and quarantine.

Oklahoma reported its first child death related to the virus on July 12, 2020.The child was a 13-year-old daughter of a soldier stationed at Fort Sill.

Shortly after the report of the girl's death, stateSuperintendent Joy Hofmeister recommended for all Oklahomans to wear face masksto allow the safely reopening of schools in the fall.

On June 30, 2020, Stitt wore a face mask and "strongly encouraged" Oklahomans to follow CDC guidelines pertaining to face masks.

More:Gov. Stitt Recommends Wearing Face Masks During Update Concerning COVID-19 In State

Stitt said April 28, 2020, that anyone who wished to take a COVID-19 test could do so even if they are not presenting symptoms.

Related:Gov. Stitt Presents State's Coronavirus Figures To Show Oklahoma Is Ready To Reopen

The state health department advises anyone with COVID-19 symptoms such as shortness of breath, fever, or coughing to stay home and limit person-to-person engagement.

The state coronavirus hotline is877-215-8336or 211.For a list of coronavirus (COVID-19) links and resources,click here.

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