Officials: COVID-19 vaccine expected to arrive next week

by: KFOR-TV and K. Querry

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – As the number of coronavirus cases in Oklahoma and across the United States continues to skyrocket, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

On Wednesday, data from the Oklahoma State Department of Health shows that the state has had 202,341 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since March.

That’s an increase of 2,859 cases, or a 1.4% increase.

According to the health department’s website, there were 54 additional deaths caused by the virus, bringing the state’s total number of deaths to 1,812.

Officials say the deaths occurred between Oct. 24 and Nov. 30, but say 37 of those patients died since Nov. 26.

It’s not just the Sooner State that is struggling to contain the virus.

The U.S. smashed yet another COVID-19 record Wednesday, recording more than 100,000 hospitalized patients for the first time ever.

U.S. hospitals slammed with COVID-19 patients are trying to lure nurses and doctors out of retirement, recruiting students and new graduates who have yet to earn their licenses and offering eye-popping salaries in a desperate bid to ease staffing shortages.

Now, leaders with the Oklahoma State Department of Health say they are already making plans for when a vaccine is approved.

On Thursday morning, the agency will announce information about the arrival of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to Oklahoma.

Officials say the first doses of the Pfizer vaccine will arrive in Oklahoma next week.

The first phase of the vaccine distribution plan will begin with the first doses reserved for frontline healthcare workers.