As COVID 19 cases in Oklahoma hit record levels just a month after Republican Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt hosted President Trump’s first campaign rally amid the pandemic, Kevin Stitt, announced today that he too was tested positive for COVID 19.
Stitt’s diagnosis is particularly notable and problematic at the same time, as he has aggressively pushed not only to reopen his state despite a surge in cases, but has at times disregarded advice from medical experts.
At a press conference today, Gov. Kevin Stitt announced that, he was tested positive to COVID 19 on Tuesday and that he feels “fine,” other than being a “little bit achy.” He said he’ll be quarantining and working from home, and that he was “pretty shocked” to be the first governor to get the virus. He added that he would isolating away from his family, whom he said tested negative.
Governor Stitt, is not considering a statewide mask mandate as of now, but at his statement he said that:
“I want to use my story to remind Oklahomans that if you aren’t feeling well, we want you to get tested,”
“I know that some businesses are mandating masks and that’s great. But you can’t pick and choose what freedoms you’re going to give people. So if the businesses want to do it, if some local municipalities want to do it, that’s fine. But again, we also respect people’s rights to stay home if they want, to run their businesses, or to not wear a mask,”
“I am hesitant to mandate something that I think is problematic to enforce,”
The governor downplayed the possibility that he contracted the virus at President Trump’s campaign rally saying:
“I don’t think there was any way it was at the President’s rally. It’s too long ago,”
Oklahoma State Department of Health commissioner Dr. Lance Frye, said they don’t know exactly when Governor was infected, but that it would’ve been within the last couple of weeks.
Following news of Stitt’s positive diagnosis, the state health department announced a record high of 1,075 new positive COVID 19 cases in a single day.
By Alex Ammohostianos
