Tulsa COVID-19 Situation Update

(TULSA, Okla.) So far this week from Sunday, we have reported 2,056 Tulsa County residents who have tested positive for COVID-19. To date, the Tulsa Health Department (THD) reports 63,201 cumulative total positive COVID-19 cases in Tulsa County. 57,867 residents have recovered. Since our last update on January 21, an additional 55 Tulsa County residents have died from COVID-19, including 9 reported Friday, bringing the total to 573 Tulsa County lives lost to COVID since the start of the pandemic. Data and trends are updated at tulsa-health.org/COVID19. Here is an overview of recent Tulsa County data: By January 18, more than 9% of Tulsa County residents have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. If trends continue, we anticipate reaching the 10% milestone early next week. For context, between 8-10% of the world’s population has blue eyes. In the United States, red cars make up less than 10% of cars on the road. Based on the previous week of data, we are averaging 437 people per day diagnosed with COVID-19 in Tulsa County. This average number of new cases per day is similar to the average of late November/early December, before the spike in cases following the holidays. This means it is important to continue to practice prevention measures, as trends could swiftly increase to their previous levels. Wear a mask, wash your hands, avoid crowds and watch your distance. Our cumulative case is 9741 per 100k population in Tulsa County. Put another way, for every 10k residents of Tulsa County, 974 have tested positive. Put another way, for every 1,000 people, 97.4 have tested positive. Put another way, for every 100 people, 9.7 have tested positive. Vaccine Distribution Update By the Numbers According to the Oklahoma State Immunization Information System (OSIIS), THD has administered 16,894 vaccines to date. There have been 61,744 doses administered in Tulsa County and documented in OSIIS as of January 27 at noon. Scheduling An Appointment Appointments are required to receive the vaccine at the THD vaccine clinic. Anyone who is currently eligible to receive the vaccine must sign up on the Oklahoma Vaccine Portal at vaccinate.oklahoma.gov. THD typically adds new appointments for the following week each Wednesday evening. THD will provide updates about new appointments on our social media platforms, please follow our Facebook and Twitter accounts for information.   At this time, THD is operating a walk-thru operation at our vaccine clinic. You will see directional signage and staff to let you know where to go for your appointment. We are asking everyone to arrive on-time at their scheduled time and not too early for their appointment and expect up to an hour to complete. Support individuals can assist the patient to their appointment. We assure you that the health and safety of our patients and staff at our vaccine clinic is the upmost importance with social distancing and safety measures in place to make it a low-risk event. The appointments go quickly. THD recognizes that this is not an equitable system at this time. Please reach out to family member and friends to assist you with the registration process and scheduling an appointment. 211 is a resource to help people with their questions and assist as they are able to with understanding and accessing the vaccine portal/resources; however, they are experiencing high call volumes which may cause a challenge to speak to someone. The best place for information on the COVID-19 vaccine in Tulsa County is our website: tulsa-health.org/COVIDvaccine. We will continue to provide information on when the vaccine will be available to you when it’s your turn. FAQs regarding scheduling your vaccine appointment Teachers 65 and over THD is working with community partners to arrange for mobile vaccine clinics specifically for Tulsa County teachers and staff who are 65+. We will be working with our local school districts to provide information regarding how to access those sites. First Dose Appointment When you arrive at your appointment, you'll be asked to fill out a COVID-19 worksheet with some basic information about yourself. You can fill the form out before you arrive to expediate your visit. It is recommended to return to the vaccine site where you received your first dose. This is due to second dose vaccine allocations being sent to that location for those that received their first dose there ensuring access to the proper vaccine. If You Received Your First Dose from THD If you received your first or "prime" vaccine dose with the Tulsa Health Department, at this time, please return to our vaccine clinic 21 (Pfizer) or 28 (Moderna) days after your first dose. Your appointment for your second dose will be made on-site during your first dose visit. You will receive a handout with your scheduled appointment time for your second dose. Please bring your vaccine card with you. Do not schedule an appointment through the Oklahoma Vaccine Portal even if you receive a reminder to do so. Please note that THD’s vaccine clinic is not open on the weekends. Call 918-582-9355 with questions. If You Received Your First Dose at other County Health Department/Pandemic Provider If the facility you received your first or "prime" dose from gives you specific instructions on what to do to receive a second dose, i.e. a scheduling card or other instructions, you should follow those instructions. If not, you can use the Oklahoma Vaccine Portal to schedule your second dose. The appointments offered in the portal by THD are “first-dose” appointments only. In the event you scheduled an appointment for your second dose from THD, but you did not receive your first dose from THD, we will make every reasonable effort to ensure the correct vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) is available. If for some reason the vaccine you needed is not available that day, we will provide information to you regarding how to access the correct vaccine. You may receive a phone call, email or you will receive this information on site.  What if I can't return or schedule on the exact day? Recommendations for your second dose for Pfizer is 21 days and Moderna is 28 days. The doses may be administered up to 4 days before. It’s recommended to return as close to the 21 or 28 day as possible. If a dose is administered after the recommended day (late), it is still a “valid” dose. The first dose does not need to be repeated.  The Oklahoma State Department of Health has updated their FAQs to include new instructions regarding 5 different paths you can follow to secure a second dose appointment. Beware of Scams Please be cautious of scams related to the COVID-19 vaccine. Any advertisements or offers for early access to a vaccine in exchange for payment are entirely fraudulent. Oklahoma State Department of Health does not require payment for vaccine registration. Follow the Three W's In the meantime, it’s vital that Oklahomans continue to take the necessary steps to protect themselves and others from COVID-19. Everyone should continue to wear a mask, wash their hands and watch their distance as ways to truly prevent the spread of the coronavirus. These actions, in conjunction with the vaccine plan, will make a huge difference in keeping our families and communities safe and healthy in the long term. THD to Expand More First Dose Appointments THD has always made science-driven public health decisions locally to ensure the health and safety of its distinctive community. “Our primary goal is to protect residents with the vaccine, and we know the completed series offers that full protection,” said THD Executive Director, Dr. Bruce Dart. “The Oklahoma State Department of Health has made a request to all counties that we burn vaccine every 7 days. Up to this point, the shipments we receive are sent to us as prime dose and boost dose. We have administered 100% of those named as prime dose. To complete the series successfully, those named as boost doses were held for those that received their prime dose at our clinic. We are now pivoting to release half of the second dose inventory on hand as prime doses to add additional appointments." THD Teams Up With Caring Van to Increase COVID-19 Vaccine Accessibility The Tulsa Health Department is working in partnership with the Oklahoma Caring Foundation to better reach at-risk communities and provide equitable access to the COVID-19 vaccines for Tulsa County residents who are currently eligible; health care workers, first responders, and adults age 65 and older. Mobile Caring Vans will be offering the vaccine at several local churches and community centers serving predominantly minority residents. Testing and Locations If you want to be tested, the Tulsa Health Department will test you. If you are sick, think you may have been exposed, or just want to be tested, we encourage you to schedule an appointment online. We do not charge for COVID-19 testing. Tulsa Health Department conducts specimen collection for testing by appointment only; same- or next-day appointments available. Location and appointment time varies by day. Instructions for services will be provided at the time the appointment is made. Call the Tulsa Health Department at 918-582-9355 to set up an appointment or schedule online. It’s important to remember, if you are being tested for COVID-19, you should self-isolate while waiting on your test results; especially if you have been exposed or concerned that you may have COVID-19. If you were exposed to a known positive case and you test negative, it is still important to stay home for the full duration of your 14 day quarantine as the virus can develop 2-14 days after exposure. Tulsa Health Department South Testing Location 8414 E 101st St. S., Tulsa, OK 74133 North Regional Health and Wellness Center  5635 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Tulsa, OK 74126 Hours, eligibility requirements, cost and other details may vary. Please visit the organization's website or contact them directly for more information. For testing statewide, visit the Oklahoma State Department of Health. Flu Season Continues in Oklahoma, Prevention Important The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) reported Thursday the first influenza-associated deaths in Tulsa County for the 2020-2021 flu season. The date of deaths range from beginning of December until mind-January. No deaths being reported out occurred within the past week. According to OSDH, there have been 149 influenza-associated hospitalizations statewide since September 1, 2020. Forty-five of those hospitalizations occurred in Tulsa County. So far this season, the Tulsa Health Department has administered over 10,000 flu vaccines in the county. Use Masks to Slow the Spread of COVID-19 Masks are a critical step to help prevent people from getting and spreading COVID-19. A cloth mask offers some protection to you as well as protecting those around you. Wear a mask and take every day preventive actions in public settings and mass transportation, at events and gatherings, and anywhere you will be around other people. Donations Accepted Corporate, industrial or medical partners wishing to donate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) may email covid19donations@cityoftulsa.org. At this time, we are unable to accept donations from private households or individuals due to quality control issues and potential contamination. Items collected will be distributed to the Regional Medical Response System. Hotline Hours Anyone with questions, concerns or seeking COVID-19 testing can call 918-582-9355 during normal business hours to speak with a public health professional. 211 is a community resource for questions outside of normal business hours.