Tulsa Health Department Provides Update On COVID-19 In Tulsa County

The Tulsa Health Department is reporting a record number of COVID-19 cases in the past week.

The Department says every zip code within Tulsa County is at what they call an "extreme" risk of COVID transmission.

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It's the highest level they've reported so far this pandemic.THD Executive Director Dr. Bruce Dart says this is fueled by the Omicron variant and while some parts of the east coast are reporting fewer cases in recent days, it is too early to tell when Tulsa County will reach its peak.

In the past week, the department reported 11,164 new cases and 25 additional deaths within the county.

They're also reporting 508 hospitalizations with more than 100 people in the ICU.

Dart says most of the hospitalizations are in unvaccinated people.

He says while the variant may be less severe for most people, the sheer number of infections is putting a strain on hospitals.

"We can't ignore this,” said Dart. “I know as much as we want to go back to life as normal. Normal is just around the corner if we continue to take these protective steps and limit exposure and limit infection, we'll get to normal."

The health department says during this surge they've also seen more vaccinations, especially in children ages 5 to 11.