Governor, Health Commish Address Media
Even as speculation swirled that he had tested positive for the Covid-19 virus himself, Gov. Kevin Stitt Wednesday updated the media and the public on the state’s health.
Stitt told the state it would have to fight Covid as a common enemy. “Our fight is not over,” he said. “We need all Oklahomans to do their part.” The governor noted that since the state has entered phase three of its reopening plan, 72% of the new cases of the virus have been in those less than 50 years old. Even as the number of cases increase – the number of new cases July 15 topped 1,000 – Stitt said the death rate remains at .06% of those cases.
He also touted the newly released color-coded system in which green is the new normal, yellow is low risk, orange is moderate risk and red is high risk. The system ranks each county in the state on number of cases as well as other criteria such as available health care beds and protective equipment available.
Stitt was joined at the press conference by Col. Lance Frye, a doctor and interim state health commissioner.
“Personal responsibility is the key to controlling this virus,” Frye said. “We can use the color system to guide leaders as they protect our communities and to make good individual and community choices.”
Stitt is facing pressure from governors in other states who have mandated masks for anyone going out in public.
“As governor, I am going to protect our freedoms,” he said. “Municipalities have local control. I’m not going to mandate masks or undo local municipalities’ decisions.”
Noting that the state is 39 days into its fully reopened phase, the governor also said he wasn’t going to start and stop the economy like some other states have done.
“This virus is going to be with us for a while and we have to learn to deal with it,” he said. “We are going to give people the data in a transparent manner so they can make decisions for themselves, their communities and families.”