COVID-19 Arkansas

ARK EXPANDS COVID-19 VACCINE PROGRAM - Arkansas has  expanded  its  distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine to teachers and people aged 70 or older.  Governor Asa Hutchinson, who is 70, got his first dose of the vaccine Monday afternoon.  It has been reported that Arkansas has delivered almost  half of it’s allocation of Covid-19 vaccines.  On Sunday,  the Republican Governor Arkansas told Fox News Chris Wallace that more needs to be done to reach incoming President-elect Joe Biden’s plan to vaccinate more people in the next 100 days.
 

ARK COVID-19-  The number of Arkansans hospitalized with covid-19 increased by 22 on Sunday to a record high of 576.    Arkansas coronavirus hospitalizations were at record levels Tuesday through Friday before dropping by six on Saturday. The total on Saturday is still the third-highest number of coronavirus hospitalizations in Arkansas since the pandemic began.  The state’s  Covid-19 death count  rose Sunday by 17, to 1,569.  In an interview with CNN on Sunday morning, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said he was concerned about the increase in hospitalizations.

DR BIRX VISITS ARKANSAS -    President Donald Trump's top coronavirus adviser Dr. Deborah Birx paid Little Rock, Arkansas a visit yesterday as part of a 19 city tour she’s conducting to meet with Governors and state and local health officials to see how well each state is handling the Coronavirus pandemic. Speaking before a press conference at the Governor’s Mansion yesterday-  Dr. Birx revealed that a big cause for the recent spikes in Covid-19 has to do with  families and friends holding parties are helping spread the virus.

CONCERNS OVER  REOPENING -  A lot of schools are scheduled to reopen in a few weeks and in Arkansas- it’s August 24th.  However not everyone is on board with that start date. During a meeting of the Arkansas legislative Education Caucus in Little Rock yesterday members of the Arkansas Education Association -- told state lawmakers it is unsafe for schools to return to in-person learning as Arkansas continues to struggle to limit the spread of the coronavirus.  Carol Fleming is the president of the AEA.

ARKANSAS COVID CASES RISE  -    More than 49,000 Arkansans have tested positive for Covid-19. Governor Asa Hutchinson announced on Friday the state saw more than 1,000 positive cases in a single day.  The Covid-19 death toll in Arkansas stands at 544.  During his daily briefing from Little Rock, Hutchinson said he believes the spread of COVID-19 in Arkansas is under control despite the rise in cases.

"Whenever you look at over the last five or six days, it's been very flat," Hutchinson explained. "Obviously today 

ARKANSAS COVID-19 RISING - The state of Arkansas has experienced a steady rise in Covid-19 cases and deaths from  mid June  through July.  Arkansas reported 637 more confirmed cases of COVID-19 Sunday. The Arkansas Department of Health says the new tally bring the state’s total to 43,810 confirmed cases of the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.  Officials say the state has a 10% positivity rate for new cases.

ARKANSAS MASK MANDATE - Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson says that wearing masks to help stop the spread of the coronavirus shouldn’t be about politics.  Hutchinson has issued a statewide Mask-wearing mandate for Arkansas that goes in effect beginning today.  Hutchinson had resisted following other Governors who had issued state mask mandates but during an appearance  Sunday  on  ABC television’s  “This Week”,  Hutchinson explained his mandate was motivated by the increasing Covid-19 numbers in his state.

ARK COVID-19 -  Arkansas has seen its largest single-day increase in new coronavirus cases among non-incarcerated people.     Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced Friday that  703 people tested positive  including 41 inmates at correctional facilities. An additional six deaths from COVID-19 increased the state’s death toll to over 200.   Speaking in his daily briefing, Hutchinson explained the State Department of Health’s Guidelines that strongly recommend people wear face-mask protection in the workplace and in public as doing so would reduce community spread of the disease. 

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  As more state economies re-open during the Coronavirus pandemic,  there have been growing concerns among business owners and operators  about exposure to not just Covid-19 but also to legal liabilities should a customer or employee claim they contracted the illness while  at  the business.  State lawmakers in Arkansas had considered holding a special session to address passing immunity bills however majority support from both house and senate had paved the way for  Governor Asa Hutchinson  to sign  three executive orders yesterday  that included Covid-19