Oklahoma health department reports 43 new deaths from virus

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma reported 43 new deaths due to the illness caused by the coronavirus, bringing the state’s total to 3,547, the state health department said on Sunday.

Since Jan. 1, the rolling average of deaths in Oklahoma due to COVID-19 has increased from 23 per day to 40.57 as of Jan. 29, according to data from the COVID Tracking Project.

State health officials have said it can take several weeks to confirm a death was caused by COVID-19.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health on Sunday reported 2,882 new virus cases, for a total of 389,472 since the pandemic began last year.

Oklahoma remained sixth in the nation in the number of new cases per capita with 885.7 per 100,000 people, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

The health department reported Friday that 373,279 total coronavirus vaccine doses have been administered in the state, a number that includes 58,245 people who have received both doses of the two vaccine protocol.

Last week, Andy Slavitt, a senior Biden administration adviser on the pandemic, said Oklahoma was one of seven states that have already provided the first vaccination dose to more than 10% of their populations.