GR)--This qualifies as good news…There were no positive results from drive-through testing held Friday at the Chisholm Trial Expo Center. Health workers conducted 98 tests at the Enid event. The number of confirmed positive tests in Garfield County remains at five. Maggie Jackson, OSDH regional director of community engagement and health planning told Enid News and Eagle, "We have, so far, no positive cases out of our drive-through event, and we were surprised. We had a lot sick people. They still need to stay home, and they need to take care of themselves and their families. We're doing something right if we're not getting such a flood of cases like other counties are." Jackson credited the results of Friday's testing to residents taking precautions and practicing social distancing. "We think the main message is that really what we're doing, by staying home and keeping things shut down, we're really helping slow down the spread," she said. "We were surprised to not get cases but we think Enid is really taking care of each other."
--00-- 08 April 20 4p
VT)--The Garfield County Health Department is continuing free drive thru testing for Covid-19 at their office, 2501 Mercer Drive. Tests are by appointment. Call (580) 233-0650 if you believe you meet the criteria. To be eligible for testing, a person must be 16 or older, currently have a fever of 100.4F or greater, or have a cough or shortness of breath or have been in close contact to a laboratory-confirmed positive case within the last 14 days. 16 and 17 year olds must have parental or guardian consent.
--00-- 08 April 20 7a
CV)--A total of 1,524 cases have been reported in Oklahoma and the total number of deaths is up to 79, the Oklahoma State Department of Health reported late this morning. The number of confirmed positive tests in Garfield County remained at five in today’s report. As of today, a total of 390 patients have been hospitalized. According to an executive order released Tuesday evening, 186 patients were currently hospitalized with 137 in the ICU. State health officials said 612 Oklahomans have recovered from the virus, according to Tuesday evening's order. The state health department said the meaning of recovered is someone who is currently not hospitalized or deceased and 14 days after the onset/report of the virus. Nearly 15,000 Oklahomans have tested negative for the virus since February.
|
COVID-19 Oklahoma Test Results |
|
|
Positive (In-State) |
1,524 |
|
Positive (Out-of-State) |
2 |
|
Negative* |
1,479 |
|
Total Cumulative Hospitalizations |
390 |
|
Deaths |
79 |
*Negative testing results are only from the State Public Health Laboratory and do not include private laboratory negative results.
--00-- 08 April 20 11a
NP)--The Enid Police Department wants you to know you DO NOT NEED PAPERS to travel in Enid or Garfield County. They ask everyone to please help stop to these rumors. If this actually becomes a requirement, we will widely announce it and then follow it up with a generous amount of education and discretion before any actual enforcement even occurs.
--00-- 08 April 20 7a
LW)--This is certainly impressive…Oklahoma Bible Academy senior Luke Wells has accepted an appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy, after also receiving appointment offers to the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Enid News and Eagle reports Wells has been a busy student athlete at OBA, participating in cross country, power lifting, bowling, academic team and track. He’s also been active as a student worship leader at OBA, and is a student ministry assistant at Emmanuel Enid. Barring any schedule changes due to the coronavirus pandemic, Wells is scheduled to report to the Air Force Academy on June 25.
--00-- 08 April 20 11a
CP)--Stride Bank Center announced today Rodney Carrington LIVE, originally scheduled for June 6 has been postponed. Patrons are encouraged to retain their tickets until a new date is announced. For any further ticket inquiries.
--00-- 08 April 20 11a
CF)--The statewide candidate filing period is underway, said Michael Frisbie, Secretary of the Garfield County Election Board. Filing will be from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The deadline for filing as a candidate is 5:00 p.m. Friday, no exceptions. Candidates for state offices file with the Secretary of the State Election Board in Oklahoma City. Candidates for county offices file with the Secretary of the County Election Board. Frisbie said that the following county offices will be filled this year: County Commissioner District 2, County Court Clerk, County Clerk, and County Sheriff. ALL SOCIAL DISTANCING PRECAUTIONS WILL BE OBSERVED. For more election-related information, call the County Election Board at 580 237-6016, or visit www.elections.ok.gov.
--00-- 08 April 20 7a
DU)--Enid Mayor George Pankonin signed an updated emergency declaration April 7. Amendments to the declaration include:
- Section X, Subsection A: Adds quarantine requirements for all persons who have entered Oklahoma by air from an area with substantial community spread.
- Section X, Subsection B: Adds exemptions to quarantine requirements for workers coming into the State to perform work in an essential business and those that travel into the State to assist with Emergency Management.
- Section XI: Stay at Home Order modified requiring only the individual necessary to perform the essential activity to leave the home and enter an essential business.
- Section XIV, Subsection B: CDC recommendations on the use of simple cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g. Grocery Stores or Pharmacies).
- Section XIV, Subsection D, Letter i: Adds measures for faith-based services on the church parking lot where parishioners remain in vehicles and social distancing is maintained.
The declaration will go into effect on Wednesday, April 8 at 11:59 p.m. The declarations and regulations shall expire at 11:59 p.m. on April 30, 2020, unless and until it is extended, rescinded, superseded, or amended in writing. The full emergency declaration can be found on the city website at: www.Enid.org/coronavirus. To stay updated with City information regarding COVID-19, residents should access the city website regularly at: www.Enid.org/coronavirus or on social media at: Facebook.com/cityofenidoklahoma.
--00--
DL)--Enid Public Schools distance learning classes are underway. EPS has established a Distance Learning Hub for parents/guardians and students. The site's homepage, https://www.enidpublicschools.org/266650_2, features a letter from Superintendent Darrell Floyd and links to overviews, lesson plans, contact information and frequently asked questions. The superintendent said finishing the school year will take cooperation between EPS, parents/guardians and staff. The site includes learning plans for elementary schools, each Middle school and Enid High School.
--00--
VS)--Oklahoma Blood Institute is looking for plasma donors who have recovered from COVID-19 in hopes of treating patients who have contracted the virus. The experimental effort will be used to "treat seriously ill patients," according to OBI officials. "By creating the only statewide registry of available patients, Oklahoma Blood Institute can ensure local patients receive the donated products and have the best possible chance at fighting the illness," according to a press release. Donors are asked to sign up for Oklahoma’s registry at https://mobile.bio-linked.org. Bio-Linked allows users to submit confidential health and social information via a secure site and to list themselves as potential volunteers for medical research. Once qualified, plasma will be drawn at hospital partner sites, with each donor providing up to three therapeutic plasma doses. To provide convalescent plasma, donors must be eligible to donate blood and meet the criteria below:
• Prior diagnosis of COVID-19, documented by a laboratory test;
• Present negative results for COVID-19;
• Symptom-free for 14 days prior to donation.
• If female, either no history of pregnancy or negative for HLA (tissue typing) antibodies.
Complete information on donor eligibility from the FDA is available at https://tinyurl.com/FDA-OBI-COVID19.
--00--
MN)--St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center and INTEGRIS Bass Baptist Health Center are still in need of face masks. Home-made face masks can be worn by patients and most staff. If you can help out or have masks to donate, contact the Greater Enid Chamber of Commerce at 580-237-2494.
--00--
FM)--Forgotten Ministries, in the 1700 block of S. 4th, is offering evening meals for anyone in need. The ministry has set up three ways for people to receive food at the facility. Meals for the homeless population are provided under a tent in the parking lot, on chairs spaced to maintain recommended social distancing. Forgotten Ministries staff will pick up anyone in need from Our Daily Bread at 4:30 p.m. each day and return them there after the meal. People who use this service will have the opportunity to shower, receive a change of clothes and leave their clothes to be laundered and picked up the next day. For all others in need, the Forgotten Ministries food truck will be serving meals beginning at 5:30 p.m. The food truck will be parked in the south part of the Moore and 4th intersection for drive-through service, with meals in to-go containers. New View Apartments residents can walk to the food truck and form a line to be served to-go containers. Forgotten Ministries is looking for churches and organizations willing to help serve or cover the cost of meals during the coronavirus pandemic. Anyone interested in helping can message the Forgotten Ministries Facebook page or email peggy@forgottenministries.com. To help financially, mail a check made payable to Forgotten Ministries to 1714 S. 4th St., Enid, OK 73701.
--00--
MH)--Youth & Family Services of North Central Oklahoma is offering a free mental health helpline to help people through the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and the social isolation that comes with it. "During the COVID-19 crisis, many people may find themselves on edge," said Tree Perkins, Youth and Family's director of development. "Routines have changed, children are home from school, families are cooped up, and many have or will experience job loss. With all of these worries looming, we know that this can be scary and overwhelming time." With help from a grant from United Way of Enid and Northwest Oklahoma, Youth & Family Services is offering the free helpline for "those who may be experiencing anxiety, sadness, fear, or perhaps just a need to hear a friendly voice," Perkins said. Anyone in need can call the helpline at (866) 324-2085. The helpline will be open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week. If the helpline goes to voicemail, callers should leave a message with their name and phone number, and Youth & Family will call them back as soon as possible.
--00--
