COVID-19 cases double in Newkirk

The number of positive coronavirus cases in Newkirk has more than doubled since Sept. 8, state health officials reported.

As of press time Tuesday, data from the Oklahoma State Health Department showed that Newkirk had 35 confirmed cases of the virus. Of those cases, 21 are active. Thirteen people there have recovered, and one has died, officials said.

The number of confirmed cases in Newkirk has risen by 20 since Sept. 8. On that date, the city had 15 confirmed cases.

Kay County has 442 cases of the virus, up 77 from Sept. 8. Thirteen people in the county have died, state health department data shows.

The department reports that 319 Kay County residents have recovered from the virus, leaving 110 active cases.

State officials report that there are 336 cases of the virus in Ponca City. Ten people there have died, and 251 have recovered. Blackwell has 41 cases, with 33 recoveries and one death.

For the first two weeks of September, no new coronavirus cases were reported in Kaw City. The town had 11 confirmed cases. But the city now has 12 confirmed cases, officials reported. One case is active. Ten people there have recovered, and one has died.

The state health department does not provide data on coronavirus cases in some of the state’s smallest towns, including the Kay County towns of Braman and Nardin.

As of press time Tuesday, the State of Oklahoma had 70,223 cases of the virus. Of those cases, 10,311 are active. Statewide, 59,007 people have recovered from the virus, and 905 people have died from it.

The United States has more than 6.5 million cases of the virus. More than 194,000 Americans have died from it, and nearly 2.5 million have recovered from it.

The coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, is a respiratory illness that originated in China, data from the Centers for Disease Control shows. Symptoms of the virus include fever, shortness of breath, and dry coughing. Symptoms appear 2 – 14 days after a person has been exposed to the virus, which is transmitted by coughing and touching contaminated surfaces.