Oklahoma virus death toll climbs as positive tests decline

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma is seeing promising declines in the number of people testing positive and being hospitalized with the coronavirus, but the state’s death count is continuing to climb.

Because it can take several weeks to confirm a death is a result of COVID-19, health officials say many of the deaths being reported this week are the result of a spike in cases that were reported after Thanksgiving and into the Christmas holidays.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health reported 47 additional COVID-related deaths on Friday and nearly 3,000 new cases. That brings the statewide death toll to 3,187 and the total number of confirmed cases in the state to nearly 366,000.