Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt tests positive for coronavirus

As of Tuesday, Oklahoma had 20,245 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 441 deaths from Covid-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Stitt’s diagnosis came several weeks after President Donald Trump held a controversial campaign rally in Tulsa, where Stitt was photographed without a mask alongside thousands of the president’s supporters all in proximity, despite warnings from local health officials that the event could lead to a surge in Covid-19 transmission.

Herman Cain, another high-profile Republican who attended the rally, tested positive for the virus on July 1, less than two weeks later. Two days after his diagnosis, Cain’s symptoms became so severe that he was hospitalized. As of Wednesday, the 74-year-old former presidential candidate is apparently still fighting the disease in an Atlanta-area hospital.

Cain had posted a photograph of himself at the Tulsa arena surrounded by other participants, none of whom appeared to be wearing masks.

Nationwide, the virus has infected 3.35 million Americans, with just shy of 59,000 new cases reported Tuesday. Deaths from Covid-19 recently topped 135,000, and 351 Americans died from the virus Tuesday. These figures far exceed those of any other developed nation. 

President Donald Trump has played a key role in downplaying the severity of the pandemic and pressuring governors across the country to reopen their states as quickly as possible in order to minimize damage to the economy.

Trump is convinced that a full economic recovery is still possible before November, when voters choose between the incumbent president and his rival, former Vice President Joe Biden. Absent an economic recovery, Trump’s electoral prospects look bleak. The latest polls show Biden with a substantial lead nationally and in swing states. 

Article source: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/15/oklahoma-gov-kevin-stitt-tests-positive-for-coronavirus.html