After weeks of public confusion about how to get tested and restrictions on who was eligible, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt changed course on Wednesday.
"Anyone with symptoms of COVID-19, or those who have come into contact with someone with COVID, needs to be tested this week," Stitt said.
The state now has more than 13,000 test kits and an Oklahoma State University lab can now run more than 2,000 tests per day. Previously, officials had requested only high risk populations including older and immunocompromised people be tested.
Update: Gary Cox, the Commissioner of the Oklahoma State Department of Health, clarifies that in order to be tested, a person's symptoms must include a fever of 100.4 F, cough and shortness of breath.
Stitt also announced he's expanded his executive order for non-essential businesses to close and those high risk people to stay home to the entire state, rather than just in counties where positive cases have been found. The non-essential businesses closures and stay-at-home orders will stay in place until at least April 30.
"I also want to remind Oklahomans how important it is that we limit physical interaction," Stitt said. "This is a lot about personal responsibility."
Stitt said he would not order a stricter shelter-in-place requiring all people to stay home, saying it would be impractical.
