Weekly Coronavirus Updates

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  • Weekly Coronavirus Updates
    Weekly Coronavirus Updates
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has revised its guidelines for people who may have been exposed to the coronavirus. Now, instead of the standard 14-day quarantine it has been recommending, the CDC says that potential exposure warrants a quarantine of 10 or seven days, depending on one's test results and symptoms.

If individuals do not develop symptoms, they need only quarantine for 10 days; if they test negative, that period can be reduced to just one week.

The revision marks a significant change from the CDC's recommendations since the start of the pandemic earlier this year. While the agency says a 14-day quarantine remains the safest option, it acknowledged this length placed difficult demands on people.

"Reducing the length of quarantine may make it easier for people to take this critical public health action by reducing the economic hardship associated with a longer period, especially if they cannot work during that time," Dr. Henry Walke, the CDC's incident manager for its COVID-19 response.

As of December 8, there were 220,686 confirmed cases of the Covid-19 virus in the state, up by 2,297 in the last 24 hours according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health. There were 11 deaths reported in the last day. This brings the death toll to 1,922.

In Blaine County, according to emergency management officials, there are 102 active cases and have had zero deaths reported in the last 24 hours.

There are 24 cases in Canton; 24 cases in Geary; 10 cases in Longdale; 10 cases in Okeene, zero in Hitchcock and 32 in Watonga. The cases are noted by zip code, so those ill may not live inside the city limits, just in the vicinity.

There are 14,949,299 cases cumulative reported nationally, up 192,299 since the last numbers were released by Johns Hopkins University. There have been 283,703 deaths, up 1,404 since last report. Active cases in the U.S. tally at 8,951,039 up 100,782 while recoveries stand at 5,714,557, up 90,113 since the last report was made.