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Coronavirus in Oklahoma: Lankford frustrated with pace of coronavirus testing, while Oklahoma City reacts to Horn's concerns

Chris Casteel
by Chris Casteel
Published: Fri, March 13, 2020 2:06 AM Updated: Fri, March 13, 2020 2:24 AM

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U.S. Sen James Lankford expressed frustration Thursday with the pace of coronavirus testing in the United States, while Rep. Kendra Horn's efforts may ensure water service is restored to Oklahoma City residences where it was cut off.

Speaking on Facebook after a briefing for lawmakers with top federal health officials, Lankford said, “Most of the questions circled around testing and a lot of the frustrations about seeing how quickly testing is not happening.

“We have testing happening in America by the tens of thousands, but we’re not moving it through it as fast as it needs to be able to move through by far. There are other countries that are getting testing faster than the United States. There’s been a lot of work to try and get the diagnostics right, to make sure the test is accurate and reliable, but it’s not fast yet and it’s not available to every American.”

Lankford said the goal “is within a few weeks to have anyone who wants to do a test to be able to get a test. The focus is how quickly can we get the testing ramped up.”

Meanwhile, Oklahoma City responded to Horn’s concerns about residences with people living in them where water service has been shut down. Horn, D-Oklahoma City, said Wednesday that people need to be able to wash their hands to prevent the spread of COVID-19. She and other lawmakers urged congressional leaders to send federal aid to cities and towns to restore water service to all residents who had it cut off.

Last year, the city of Oklahoma City shut off water to about 14,700 residences with people living in them.

On Thursday, city spokeswoman Jennifer McClintock said, “Utilities staff have begun discussions to develop protocols concerning the temporary termination of residential water shut-offs. We are working closely with the city’s Emergency Management office and City Manager’s office on the matter, and will implement a response as necessary in the interest of public health.”

Some members of the Oklahoma congressional delegation have had to cancel appearances because of the virus. Horn canceled a town hall meeting scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday in Shawnee. Lankford had been set to attend an event on Saturday in Lawton called Embrace Hope, but organizers canceled it.

Members are keeping their offices open for now.

Rep. Tom Cole, R-Moore, said Thursday, “We are still operating normally in all of our offices.

“Should local health and government authorities direct otherwise, we have a contingency operations plan in place to continue operations and ensure staff is available to serve constituents. Depending on the circumstances locally, staff will be available either in our offices or by telework. No events have been canceled by our office at this time. However, we certainly understand if others feel the need to postpone or cancel.”

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<strong>This illustration provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in January 2020 shows the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). This virus was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via AP)</strong>

This illustration provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in January 2020 shows the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). This virus was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via...

Rep. Tom Cole
Horn
Lankford
<figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-ac21c149d2d53e25b90316a265a7dbb2.jpg" alt="Photo - This illustration provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in January 2020 shows the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). This virus was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via AP) " title=" This illustration provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in January 2020 shows the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). This virus was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via AP) "><figcaption> This illustration provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in January 2020 shows the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). This virus was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via AP) </figcaption></figure><figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-3e42fb830fec818f3727200d4f68b27f.jpg" alt="Photo - Rep. Tom Cole " title=" Rep. Tom Cole "><figcaption> Rep. Tom Cole </figcaption></figure><figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-2e0a0f93385f79cdfb1e067c48477085.jpg" alt="Photo - Horn " title=" Horn "><figcaption> Horn </figcaption></figure><figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-c097104d58a969969194d459b141e4e5.jpg" alt="Photo - Lankford " title=" Lankford "><figcaption> Lankford </figcaption></figure>
Chris Casteel

Chris Casteel began working for The Oklahoman's Norman bureau in 1982 while a student at the University of Oklahoma. Casteel covered the police beat, federal courts and the state Legislature in Oklahoma City. From 1990 through 2016, he was the... Read more ›

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