News

Mayor Matt White confirmed late Monday that the Canadian County Health Department will be conducting tests for the COVID-19 virus on Tuesday, April 7.

Testing will be done at the El Reno office between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Those wishing to get tested must sign up ahead of time and testing will be done at your car according to calls made to the health department.

“We had offered a different location for drive-thru but the health department said they only had 25 to 35 people sign up,” said White.

El Reno Public Schools has a plan for the remainder of the school year.

COVID-19 has caused schools across the country to improvise within new and strange territories.

While El Reno Mayor and Acting City Manager Matt White has not ruled out a citywide shelter-in-place order, he is asking residents to use common sense and take the COVID-19 pandemic seriously.

“Just don’t take a chance with the stuff. It’s here (in the county) and what I understand from the numbers sent out from the state that the number of cases will start to climb.”

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has not declared a statewide shelter-in-place order, but White expects one soon. The state is one of 12 nationally not to have such an order.

Vaccines intended to combat or cure the virus that has created a worldwide pandemic could first be given to the Chinese government to be tested there.

Congressman Frank Lucas, R-Cheyenne, said pharmaceutical companies based in the United States know “China will start lining people up and injecting them” without a second thought as to what the reaction to the drugs might be for their people. He said the same vaccine will need approval from the Federal Drug Administration before human trials begin here.