‘A little blind’: Officials, health experts frustrated after State Health Department stops publishing local COVID-19 data | State and Regional News

Gov. Kevin Stitt has repeatedly said he wants to be transparent with data to allow individuals to make their own decisions on how best to protect themselves and their loved ones.

The Governor’s Office didn’t answer written questions from the Tulsa World about whether Stitt supports cutting off ZIP code and city COVID data or about how Oklahomans are supposed to make informed decisions without local data.

“The Governor’s position hasn’t changed with regard to full transparency — on COVID or any other issue,” wrote Stitt spokeswoman Carly Atchison.

‘I’d love to see it expanded’

Carter said Sand Springs will be “a little blind” without data more granular than county- or state-level. He said he trusts citizens to make good choices but that he doesn’t think anyone can do so without information.

His city, a town of about 20,000 people, is dwarfed by Tulsa County’s population.

So what is happening specifically in Sand Springs won’t be noticeable in county data. The same is true for Broken Arrow, Jenks, Bixby, Catoosa, Sapulpa and other smaller municipalities, he said.

“If I had my druthers (the state) would turn it back on and they would add some columns about demographics included with that,” Carter said. “I’d love to see it expanded because I think a lot of people — on all perspectives — I think there are people that have made the choice that is good for them.