OKLAHOMA TESTS NEARLY 36,000 LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY RESIDENTS AND STAFF DURING MONTH OF MAY

OKLAHOMA CITY (June 2, 2020) – Governor Kevin Stitt announced today the Governor’s Solution Task Force and the Oklahoma State Department of Health tested more than 35,800 residents and staff at 265 nursing homes and long-term care facilities across Oklahoma during the month of May.

Ahead of the initial goal of May 31, the State tested all facilities that already had a confirmed case of COVID-19 as well as facilities that had residents and/or staff reporting symptoms.

Of this nursing home and long-term care facility population, 3.18% of tests returned with a positive result, equaling to 714 residents and 428 staff members.

OSDH expects to conclude testing on the remaining nursing homes and long-term care facilities by the end of the week. 

“Thanks to hardworking public employees and health care professionals across the state, we were able to quadruple our overall COVID-19 testing in May,” said Gov. Stitt. “They quickly and successfully adapted to this remarkable increase in workload, and we are in the midst of improving our infrastructure and expanding staffing to ensure we can maintain this momentum.”

Currently, 91 facilities in Oklahoma have had at least one positive case of COVID-19. Of these facilities, 98% were found to be following CDC guidelines and only two were reported for violations, which have been appropriately documented and partnerships formed to help these facilities adjust practices and enhance services for their residents.

The Governor’s Solution Task Force continues to provide PPE to long-term care facilities and is developing a plan for continued surveillance testing. Additionally, teams from the Oklahoma National Guard have partnered with the OSDH to professionally sanitize facilities, and the State has helped some facilities secure alternative locations to isolate and quarantine residents.

Gov. Stitt and interim Commissioner Lance Frye provided additional information to Senate Minority Leader Kay Floyd in a letter, which can be found here.