Choctaw County sees spike in positive COVID-19 cases

Choctaw County seeing a spike in COVID-19 cases this week.

The state of Oklahoma reports as of Tuesday, their number for positive cases in the county is at 76.

"That's when there were more family gatherings, get togethers and that's when we really saw the numbers begin to spike." said Choctaw County Emergency Management Director Pam Collins.

Officials with the county said a little over fifty percent of those cases come from the Baptist Village nursing home in Hugo, and about twenty percent of the cases are due to community spread in Hugo, and ten percent across the county.

"At this nursing home, there were approximately twenty eight residents that tested positive, along with twenty three workers there at the facility." said Choctaw County Sheriff Terry Park.

County Health officials said they've seen the numbers climb since the state began to reopen in phases.

"With the second phase we saw a sharp increase in cases, under phase 3, (which) started June first, we don't know what our numbers are going to be after that. " said Lewis Collins, Choctaw County 9-1-1 Coordinator.

Officials said the health department is working with the nursing home facility to contain further spread of the virus.