Skip to main content

OSDH Weekly Briefing Recap

Thursday, September 02, 2021



OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma State Department of Health held a media briefing today, September 2, to provide updates on the state’s response to COVID-19.

Below, please see highlights from the discussion. A recording of the briefing can be found here.

BRIEFING HIGHLIGHTS:

  • OSDH encourages you to take caution if you plan to enjoy Labor Day gatherings this weekend.
    • In addition to getting vaccinated and following the 3 Ws, please consider using this checklist when assessing your personal situation and taking precautions: who you are, where you are and what you’re doing.
      • Who are you – What are your personal health circumstances? Do you have other medical considerations?
      • Where are you – Are you indoors or outdoors? Is this a crowded event?
      • What are you doing – Are you with other vaccinated people? Are you doing a physical activity?
  • This week, OSDH started sharing two hospital capacity reports daily on Monday through Friday in the Situation Update.
    • One report outlines the number and percent of unoccupied adult ICU staffed beds by region, and the other outlines the number and percent of unoccupied adult inpatient staffed beds by region.
    • These two reports will be accessible on our COVID-19 website and will be linked in the daily Situation Update.
    • We want to emphasize that this is a point in time, self-reported count by hospitals to HHS. Capacity numbers change on an hourly basis depending upon admissions and discharges. Individual hospitals know their bed and staffing capacity better than anyone else.
    • The data we receive and publish in these reports is subject to change as facilities enter or update their responses at different times throughout the day. Regardless, we feel this context around hospitalizations is important information to share during this surge in cases.
  • Thank you to everyone who has stepped up to get their COVID-19 vaccine.
    • As of today:
      • As of today, 3,844,902 total doses have been administered
      • 1,741,131 Oklahomans have completed the full series; this includes:
        • 44% of the total population
        • 55% of the adult population
        • 78.1% of the 65+ population
      • 2,116,822 Oklahomans have received at least 1 dose; this includes:
        • 53.5% of the total population
        • 66.2% of the adult population
        • 89% of the 65+ population
    • The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is now fully FDA-approved. We hope to see more Oklahomans continue to get vaccinated as soon as possible, and encourage anyone who is eligible to schedule an appointment.
    • The anticipated date for booster doses to be available to all Americans is September 20.
      • We are still awaiting review and recommendations from the FDA and CDA on booster doses.
      • OSDH will provide updates as we learn more about eligibility and logistics in the coming weeks.


###

Last Modified on Jun 03, 2022