3-day Average of Oklahoma COVID-19 Hospitalizations Tops 500

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The rolling three-day average number of Oklahoma COVID-19 hospitalizations topped 500 on Thursday for the first time since late October, the Oklahoma State Department of Health said.

The department reported a three-day average of 515 people hospitalized with COVID-19, including 158 under intensive care.

There were 1,621 beds available at Oklahoma’s acute-care hospitals, including 158 ICU beds, according to data reported by the hospitals.

The rolling average of hospitalizations had fallen to 399 on Nov. 9 after topping more than 1,400 in late August, according to health department records.

The department reported 1,620 new coronavirus cases Thursday, the first one-day increase of more than 1,000 since Nov. 18. The seven-day rolling average of new COVD-19 cases reached 852, up from 679 on Monday, according to health department reports.

More than 669,000 virus cases have been reported in the state since the pandemic began, resulting in nearly 12,000 deaths attributed to COVID-19.