NOTICE: All Tulsa Health Department locations are closed Thursday & Friday, Nov 23-24th in observance of Thanksgiving. We will reopen on Monday, November 27th to serve you.
Public health officials are closely monitoring an outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a novel (new) coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
*For statewide data visit: coronavirus.health.ok.gov/.
Tulsa County COVID-19 Heat Maps
Aug 9 – 15 | Aug 16 – 22 | Aug 23 – 29 | Aug 30 – Sept 5 | Sept 6 – 12 | Sept 13 – 19 | Sept 20 – 26
What is Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)?
The 2019 Novel Coronavirus, officially named COVID-19 by the World Health Organization and declared a global pandemic on March 11, is a new respiratory virus first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Learn about COVID-19. Read COVID-19 FAQs.
How does the virus spread?
The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person.
What are the symptoms and complications that COVID-19 can cause?
Current symptoms reported for patients with COVID-19 have included mild to severe respiratory illness with fever, cough and difficulty breathing. Read about COVID-19 Symptoms.
How can I help protect myself?
Visit the Prevention and Treatment page to learn about how to protect yourself from respiratory illnesses, like COVID-19. As with any respiratory virus, you can protect yourself and others by taking every day preventative actions:
What should I do if I had close contact with someone who has COVID-19?
Stay home if you might have been exposed to COVID-19. Quarantine is used to keep someone who might have been exposed to COVID-19 away from others. Quarantine helps prevent spread of disease that can occur before a person knows they are sick or if they are infected with the virus without feeling symptoms. People in quarantine should stay home, separate themselves from others and monitor their health for 14 days following last exposure.
What counts as close contact?
If you are a close contact of someone with COVID-19 or you develop symptoms of COVID-19, call your healthcare provider and tell them about your symptoms and your exposure.
Isolation is used to separate people infected with the virus from people who are not infected. People who are in isolation should stay home until it’s safe for them to be around others. When you can be around others (end home isolation) depends on different factors for different situations. Find CDC’s recommendations for your situation.
Use of Cloth Face Coverings to Help Slow the Spread of COVID-19
CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission. CDC also advises the use of simple cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others. Cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost can be used as an additional, voluntary public health measure. Cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance. The cloth face coverings recommended are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators. Those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance. The goal is to prevent positive asymptomatic COVID-19 individuals from spreading the virus if they were to sneeze, cough or touch their face. Wearing the covering does not take the place of social distancing and hand washing.
Is THD Testing?
Tulsa Health Department conducts specimen collection for testing by appointment only. Instructions for services will be provided at the time the appointment is made. Call the Tulsa Health Department at 918-582-9355 to set up an appointment. The Tulsa Health Department is one of many sites in Tulsa County to offer COVID-19 testing. All local health care systems offer testing and there are additional sites such as Walmart and CVS. Find all Tulsa County testing sites listed here.
Should I get tested?
If you are a close contact of someone with COVID-19 or you develop symptoms of COVID-19, call your healthcare provider and tell them about your symptoms and your exposure. People at higher risk for serious illness from COVID-19 should contact their healthcare provider early, even if their illness is mild.
How do I discontinue home isolation?
If you have or think you might have COVID-19, it is important to stay home and away from other people. Staying away from others helps stop the spread of COVID-19. When you can be around others (end home isolation) depends on different factors for different situations. Find CDC’s recommendations for your situation.
To ensure continuity of operations of essential functions, CDC advises that critical infrastructure workers may be permitted to continue work following potential exposure to COVID-19, provided they remain asymptomatic and additional precautions are implemented to protect them and the community. Read the CDC Interim Guidance for Implementing Safety Practices for Critical Infrastructure Workers Who May Have Had Exposure to a Person with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19 and Interim Guidance for Criteria for Return to Work for Healthcare Personnel with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19.
The Tulsa Health Department (THD) along with Oklahoma State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is closely monitoring this outbreak and implementing infection control and isolation protocols to prevent the spread of illness in Oklahoma. Local public health experts in Oklahoma are communicating with and educating health care providers and other public health partners about the current situation. Tulsa Health Department epidemiologists perform contact tracing on confirmed cases in Tulsa County to determine potential exposures in the community. Testing for COVID-19 is available through the Tulsa Health Department for those exposed to a known COVID-19 patient or is showing symptoms of COVID-19. Tulsa Health Department conducts specimen collection for testing by appointment only. Call the Tulsa Health Department at 918-582-9355 to set up an appointment. As of March 6, 2020, health officials reported the state’s first positive COVID-19 case in Tulsa County. You can view updated COVID-19 stats in Oklahoma here.
It is also flu season and health officials recommend receiving your annual flu shot, taking everyday preventive actions to stop the spread of germs and taking flu antivirals if prescribed. See our Flu Page for more information.
Subscribe to our Public Health Emergency Preparedness Updates. View previously issued updates below.
COVID-19 Plan Review
There is a wealth of guidance available to businesses on the CDC website and this website. We encourage all businesses to review their own plans to ensure the safety of employees and the customers you serve. The Tulsa Health Department continues to provide recommendations to local public and private schools, universities, local events and venues, restaurants, community organizations and faith groups as requested.
Businesses can submit their COVID-19 safety plan for review and recommendations to covid19plans@tulsa-health.org. We will review and provide recommendations, where necessary, in a timely manner. Any guidance or feedback provided will be advisory in nature. THD does not regulate, approve, certify or otherwise make any guarantees about the effectiveness of your plan. Our review is intended to assist you in implementing the CDC recommendations.
Plan Review Checklists
Tulsa Health Department's Guidance for Businesses and Organizations:
Resources:
Poster Printables for Businesses:
Posters/Handouts/Social Graphics
Contact tracing is a process used by public health officials to slow the rate of community spread of an infectious disease by interrupting the chain of transmission. It helps empower residents to act to protect not only themselves but their loved ones as well.
How it Works
After you are tested for COVID-19 the entity where you got tested should call you with your results. So if you got tested at your doctor’s office, you should hear back from your doctor’s office first. If you test positive for COVID-19, a public health professional from Tulsa Health Department will also contact you. Since the very first case back in March, our epidemiologists and contact tracers continue to investigate all positive cases of COVID-19 among Tulsa County residents. A public health representative will check-in on your health, discuss with whom you’ve been in close contact and ask you to stay at home to self-isolate. They also contact the people with whom you had close contact to provide notification of the exposure, ask if they have symptoms and offer guidance about testing and quarantine. Your name will not be given to those you identify as close contacts unless you give permission. It’s important to be forthcoming with the contact tracer as the information is vital to stopping the spread of disease.
Security and Safety
When you receive an initial call from the Tulsa Health Department, the extension number may vary, but will start with area code 918 then 595. If you receive a call on a landline phone, the caller ID displayed will be Tulsa Health Department. If you receive a call regarding contact tracing and you are unsure if it’s legitimate, please call the Tulsa Health Department COVID-19 Call Center at 918-582-9355. Contact tracers will never ask for your social security number, bank information or credit card number. Information gathered during the contact tracing process is not used for any other purpose.
By helping our contact tracers, you're helping slow the spread of COVID-19 and keep Tulsa County residents healthy.
CDC Resources:
On July 15, the Tulsa City Council passed a temporary ordinance to Title 27 of the Tulsa Revised Ordinances for the adoption of a new mask requirement. Mayor Bynum signed the temporary ordinance July 16, 2020. Read the mask ordinance here. For FAQs, visit City of Tulsa's website.
On July 2, Mayor Bynum issued an amended Civil Emergency Order that extends the civil health emergency in the city of Tulsa. Under the new Civil Emergency in Tulsa, all Tulsa bars and restaurant workers are required to wear masks while working beginning immediately. Events planned on or after July 16 with more than 500 people or more must receive guidance from the Tulsa Health Department. The City is also partnering with the Tulsa Health Department to put a Tulsa Health Department Health and Safety Consultation Program in place for businesses that would like additional health guidance for their business. All businesses within the City of Tulsa shall follow the guidance in the Governor of the State of Oklahoma’s OURS Plan.
Community Resources:
Oklahoma began implementing a three-phased approach to open Oklahoma’s economy back up on April 24, 2020. For information, questions and reopening guidance, please visit the Oklahoma Department of Commerce's OURS plan page.
Tulsa Health Department
Tulsa Health Department conducts specimen collection for testing by appointment only. Instructions for services will be provided at the time the appointment is made. Call the Tulsa Health Department at 918-582-9355 to set up an appointment at the following location(s).
Tulsa County Testing Locations
Testing in Tulsa County also available at the following locations below. Hours, eligibility requirements, cost and other details may vary. Please visit the organization's website or contact them directly for more information. For testing statewide, visit the Oklahoma State Department of Health.
CDC Resources:
The Oklahoma State Department of Health has established a call center to answer COVID-19 related questions. The number is 877-215-8336. The call center is available seven days a week, 24 hours a day. The call center has the capability to connect callers to Spanish-speaking interpreters. For more information, please dial 2-1-1.
Tulsa Health Department has a dedicated call center as well available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The number is 918-582-WELL (9355). THD has activated the Stress Response Team with the Oklahoma Medical Reserve Corps (OKMRC) to assist with the response. OKMRC are credentialed volunteers from diverse backgrounds, including many non-medical staff as well. If you or a loved one need help coping with anxiety, grief, worry or other behavioral health issues, you may also consider calling the free Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990.
Resources:
CDC Resources/Materials:
Is it safe to travel to China or other countries where COVID-19 cases have occurred?
The situation is evolving. Travelers returning from affected international locations where community spread is occurring are at elevated risk of exposure, with increase in risk dependent on location. Stay up to date with CDC’s travel health notices related to this outbreak. These notices will be updated as more information becomes available. CDC does have additional specific guidance for travelers available online. When returning from travel, to slow the spread of COVID-19 into the United States, CDC is working with state and local public health partners to implement after-travel health precautions. Depending on your travel history, you will be asked to stay home for a period of 14 days from the time you left an area with widespread or ongoing community spread (Level 3 Travel Health Notice).
Is it safe to travel within the U.S. where COVID-19 cases have occurred?
CDC does not generally issue advisories or restrictions for travel within the United States. However, cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have been reported in all 50 states, and many areas are experiencing community spread of the disease. Crowded settings, like airports, may increase chances of getting COVID-19, if there are other travelers with coronavirus infection. Here are several things you should consider when deciding whether it is safe for you to travel.
The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regularly updates their COVID-19 travel guidance. Additionally, CDC regularly updates their global map which tracks COVID-19 country transmission levels.
CDC Guidance for:
Oklahoma State Department of Health COVID-19 Guidance for:
Tulsa Health Department recommends following CDC guidance for mass gatherings. This is guidance intended for organizers and staff responsible for planning mass gatherings or large community events in the United States. Everyone can do their part to help plan, prepare, and respond to this emerging public health threat.
Definition: A mass gathering is a planned or spontaneous event with a large number of people in attendance that could strain the planning and response resources of the community hosting the event. This includes concerts, festivals, conferences, worship services and sporting events.
Executive Orders:
COVID-19 Plan Review
Public health officials encourage event planners to review the guidance available on the CDC website and this website. The Tulsa Health Department will review safety plans for large events over 500 in Tulsa so health officials can work with event organizers on a case by case basis in making safe decisions as it relates to events in Tulsa. Plans can be submitted for review to covid19plans@tulsa-health.org or can call the Tulsa Health Department at 918-582-9355. More information can be found on the City of Tulsa website.
Plan Review Checklists:
Tulsa Health Department's Guidance for Events:
Social Posts:
Posters/Handouts:
The goals for using mitigation strategies, like social distancing, in communities with local COVID-19 transmission are to slow the transmission of disease and in particular to protect:
These approaches are used to minimize morbidity and mortality and the social and economic impacts of COVID-19. Individuals, communities, businesses and healthcare organizations are all part of a community mitigation strategy. Practice social distancing to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Healthcare professionals can find interim guidance (including patient evaluation, reporting, testing, specimen collection, and prevention and control recommendations) on the CDC website: Interim Guidance for Healthcare Professionals
The CDC has provided updated PPE sequence guidelines for healthcare workers handling infectious diseases. The type of PPE used will vary based on the level of precautions required, such as standard and contact, droplet or airborne infection isolation precautions. The procedure for putting on and removing PPE should be tailored to the specific type of PPE.
Resources:
To help control the spread of COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released Interim Infection Prevention and Control Guidance for Dental Settings During the COVID-19 Response. This guidance should be used with CDC’s Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for patients with COVID-19. This information supplements, but does not replace, the general infection prevention and control (IPC) recommendations for COVID-19.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updates their guidance as needed and as additional information becomes available. Please check the CDC website periodically for updated interim guidance.
Child care and K-12 administrators can support their school community by sharing resources with students (if resources are age-appropriate), their families, and staff. Coordinate with local health officials to determine what type of information might be best to share with the school community. Consider sharing the following fact sheets and information sources:
The Oklahoma State Board of Education unanimously approved an order that implements a Distance Learning Plan to complete the 2019-20 school year for Oklahoma students without reopening school buildings. Read full press release.
2020-2021 School Year
The Oklahoma State Department of Education published a framework of recommendations and state guidance for reopening public schools. Return to Learn Oklahoma highlights a multitude of potential changes to the typical educational experience. The framework offers a checklist of 71 action items relating to school operations, academics, holistic supports and personnel. School districts can choose which recommendations to implement, if at all.
COVID-19 Plan Review
Public health officials encourage event planners to review the guidance available on the CDC website and this website. Plans can be submitted for review to covid19plans@tulsa-health.org or you can call the Tulsa Health Department at 918-582-9355. More information can be found on the City of Tulsa website.
Poster Printables for K-12:
In accordance with CDC guidelines, Oklahoma State Department of Health is issuing the following guidelines for child care providers when there is a confirmed case of COVID-19 among a facility employee or attendee:
Effective immediately, child care providers are requested to implement the following guidance, consistent with new requirements in accordance with federal guidance and Gov. Kevin Stitt’s recent disaster declaration:
The Oklahoma Department of Human Services recommends daycares and child care centers remain open to serve their community, increase sanitization practices and remain vigilant in providing hygiene protocols to children and employees, follow best practices on social distancing and sanitization, and remain flexible while maintaining child safety as the top priority. OKDHS issued expanded guidance on March 17th:
As the COVID-19 situation is rapidly evolving, child care providers should stay in communication with the local licensing specialist for guidance.
Resources:
The National Funeral Directors Association has published CDC approved guidance regarding coronavirus procedures for Funeral Directors.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Walk-in Lobby Services for same day issuance are available by appointment only in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and McAlester. You can schedule an appointment by phone at 405-271-4040 or online.
Oklahoma funeral homes can order death certificates through a dedicated portal. While the OSDH does not accept online orders directly, the Office of Vital Records has partnered with VitalChek to make this service available. VitalChek has waived the $6 portal fee for the next 30 days for any funeral director who has not previously accessed the portal.
For more information on submitting on-line and phone orders, please visit: https://govstatus.egov.com/oklahoma-coronavirus-information.
You may also email the Vital Records Service at AskVR@health.ok.gov with any additional questions.
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) provides an FAQ page specifically for veterinarians and veterinary clinics on COVID-19. AVMA has additional resources and information (updated frequently) at avma.org/coronavirus.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also provides interim guidance for public health professionals managing the home care and isolation of people with COVID-19 who have pets or other animals in the same home. Visit the CDC web page.
Currently there is no evidence of food or food packaging being associated with the transmission of the coronavirus. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is working in many ways to help keep people safe while the nation is coping with COVID-19. Food availability and food safety are vitally important to our well-being, and the FDA is working hard to help ensure the foods you, your family, and your pets eat are safe and available.
THD Guidance for Food Safety:
Poster Printables for Food Establishments:
COVID-19 Plan Review
Public health officials encourage event planners to review the guidance available on the CDC website and this website. Plans can be submitted for review to covid19plans@tulsa-health.org or you can call the Tulsa Health Department at 918-582-9355. More information can be found on the City of Tulsa website.
The Oklahoma State Department of Health has established a call center to answer COVID-19 related questions. The number is 877-215-8336. The call center is available seven days a week, 24 hours a day. The call center has the capability to connect callers to Spanish-speaking interpreters.
Tulsa Health Department has a dedicated call center as well available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The number is 918-582-WELL (9355). THD has activated the Stress Response Team with the Oklahoma Medical Reserve Corps (OKMRC) to assist with the response. OKMRC are credentialed volunteers from diverse backgrounds, including many non-medical staff as well. If you or a loved one need help coping with anxiety, grief, worry or other behavioral health issues, you may also consider calling the free Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990.
For more information, please dial 2-1-1.
Local Resources:
First Responders Resources
Taking Care of Family
Resources for Leaders
SAMHSA
CDC
Health Professionals and Non-Medical Professionals
Oklahoma Medical Reserve Corps (OKMRC) is looking for volunteers in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The OKMRC is a volunteer organization that helps out in times of disaster/emergencies and assist with various public health initiatives in non-disaster times. The favorable part about their program is that volunteers can be as involved as they like. Their organization understands that folks are busy, so one of their main goals is simply to pre-identify and pre-credential volunteers before a disaster occurs. To become a member, individuals must be 18 years or older and fill out our application and complete orientation; both required and can be completed at www.OKMRC.org. Once the orientation is complete, it will automatically cue a background check. The background check normally takes about two to four weeks to return. Once the background check comes back successfully, individuals will be eligible for an OKMRC ID badge and shirt. They will also begin receiving emails from their unit coordinator about upcoming trainings, events and deployments. The volunteer then simply selects which occurrence interests them.
Additionally, in order to be deployed, individuals will need to complete the required trainings:
All of these trainings are free to their volunteers. You do not have to be a medical professional to join. It takes at least four non-medical personnel to support every medical personnel. They have four specialty teams: Stress Response Team (mental health), State Animal Response Team, Nursing Team and a Choctaw Nation Team.
Residents and Non-Profit Organizations
If you are a residents or a non-profit organization looking to support the regional response to COVID-19, visit Tulsa Area Regional United Way for updated information on how you can help.
CDC Resources/Materials:
Poster Printables for Food Establishments:
Oklahoma State Department of Health Materials:
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We have 10 locations across Tulsa County that offer a variety of services to help you and your family stay healthy.
