State Health Department Makes Changes As COVID-19 State Of Emergency Expires

Oklahoma's Executive Order related to the COVID-19 pandemic expires on Tuesday.

This means the state of emergency has ended on the state level and also means changes for the state health department.

Starting Wednesday, the health department will no longer be issuing executive order reports, which includes information like PPE data and hospital bed capacity.

Instead, some of that data will be included in their situational update, which they will still release, that includes information like how many new cases are reported daily. The department will also stop releasing data in relation to their hospital surge plan.

The health department said despite the changes, they are encouraging Oklahomans to continue to be vigilant to stop the spread of COVID-19 and to get vaccinated if you haven't already.

Deputy Commissioner of Health Keith Reed said half of all Oklahomans have received at least one dose, and they want to greatly increase that number this month.

"Today I want to challenge Oklahomans with a goal for the month of May,” said Reed. “We are working toward a goal of three million total doses of the vaccine administered by Memorial Day."

80 percent of Oklahomans 65 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine.