State Health Dept. Launches New Tool To Better Share COVID-19 Data

The Oklahoma State Health Department has launched a new tool to better show COVID-19 data.

It's a map that shows vaccine rates, case rates, and more, broken up by zip code.

Some of the data has already been available online but it’s now in a new format and according to the health department, easier to read. Interim Commissioner of Health Keith Reed says the new system is the result of feedback from the public. A lot of people complained that the data they wanted to find was not user-friendly.

The new weblink gives users the ability to hover over specific zip codes and see cumulative case counts for people who live there.

The interactive map also has vaccination rates by zip code allowing users to see what percentage of the population in a specific area has been vaccinated.

A different map on the site also allows users to check case counts by city and separates data by active cases and those who have recovered.

Reed says all of this data is a tool to allow Oklahomans to make their own decisions about their health.

"It helps them to really evaluate the risk for them personally in their own local community,” said Reed. “And that should drive some of their decisions about wearing masks, gathering in public places, plans for moving into the holidays, and such."

To see vaccination rates in your own community, here’s a link to the dashboard.