New Oklahoma virus cases top 1,000 for 2nd time in week

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The number of newly reported coronavirus cases in Oklahoma rose by 1,203 on Wednesday, the second time in the past week the number has topped 1,000.

The seven-day average of 750 new cases daily reported by the Oklahoma State Department of Health was an increase of more than 500 from a seven-day average of 213 on July 1.

State health officials have said the increase is likely due to low vaccination rates in the state and the highly contagious delta variant moving into Oklahoma from Arkansas and Missouri, which rank first and second in the nation in new cases per capita.

Oklahoma ranks 11th in the nation with 194.6 new cases per 100,000 residents, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that as of Tuesday, 46.3% of Oklahomans had received one dose of the virus vaccine, ranking 39th in the nation, and 39.6% were fully vaccinated.