Governor Kevin Stitt issued an amendment to Executive Order 2020-07 to allow University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University labs to perform COVID-19 testing, allow nurses with inactive licenses to quickly get recertified, allow nurses to practice regardless of tax compliant status and limit prescriptions of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine to ensure there is an adequate supply for patients who need it the most.
“Due to this rapidly evolving situation, it is critical we continue to remain responsive and proactive in order to protect the health and safety of all 4 million Oklahomans,” said Stitt. “By equipping our nurses and universities with these flexibilities and protecting access to critical medications, we will be able to continue to effectively respond to the needs of Oklahomans as a result of COVID-19.”
Stitt said the Oklahoma Department of Health has entered into a public-private partnership with Diagnostic Labs of Oklahoma (DLO) that will allow for increased capacity to deliver results for COVID-19 test kits. More than 2,600 test kits are available in Oklahoma, and this new partnership will expand the State’s ability to deliver results.
The Public Health Laboratory will continue to prioritize its limited in-house supply for delivering results within 24-hours for Oklahoma’s most vulnerable populations.
Vulnerable populations are:
- Where a cluster of individuals are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, such as a nursing home.
- Individuals who are age 60 or older
- Children or adults who have compromised immune systems