Oklahoma virus hospitalizations rising amid delta surge

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Coronavirus-related hospitalizations in Oklahoma remained above 1,600 for a second straight day Friday, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health, amid a surge in cases that health officials say is due to the highly contagious delta variant.

The three-day average of hospitalizations stood at 1,602, according to the health department, up from 1,487 one week ago and from 749 on Aug. 2.

Hospitalizations last topped 1,600 in late January, according to department records..

There were a reported 3,338 new virus cases and a seven-day rolling average of 2,577 new cases daily compared to 2,049 on Aug. 11.

On Thursday, the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission reported a slight rise in initial claims for unemployment assistance for the week ending Aug. 14, while the less volatile four-week moving averages for initial and continuing claims declined.

Initial claims increased by 148, from 3,838 to 3,986 while the four-week moving average for initial claims declined from 3,872 to 3,770. Continuing claims fell from 30,107 to 29,345 and the four-week moving average for continuing claims dropped from 32,359 to 30,374.

The state’s unemployment rate stood at 3.5% in July, down from a high of 14.7% in April 2020 during an economic shutdown due to the pandemic.