COVID-19 Arkansas

ARK J&J VACCINES — Arkansas health officials say nearly 60,000 doses of the state's Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine are nearing their expiration date and would have to be discarded if not used.  Arkansas’ State epidemiologist  expects most of the vaccine will be administered rather than discarded as the earlier expiring doses are being moved to vaccination sites around the state for use.   

EMERGENCY DECLARATION  TO EXPIRE— Arkansas' governor says he won't seek another extension of the emergency he declared because of the coronavirus pandemic, allowing it to expire at the end of the month. Governor Asa Hutchinson on Thursday said the declaration that he first issued in March 2020 because of the pandemic will expire on May 30.

PANEL FOR CORONAVIRUS RELIEF—Arkansas Governor  Asa Hutchinson has formed a panel to come up with ways to spend the $1.5 billion dollars  the state is receiving from the latest federal coronavirus relief package. Democrats passed the bill in Congress without a Republican vote through the budget reconciliation process.   The Republican governor on Tuesday signed an order creating a 14-member steering committee for the state’s share of the $1.9 trillion relief measure that became law in March.

 ARK ENDS UNEMPLOYMENT  SUPPLEMENT— Arkansas is ending its participation in the federal unemployment program that gives workers an additional $300 a week. Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Friday announced the decision citing a shortage of workers. He directed the Department of Workforce Services to end the state's participation in the program June 26. The Republican governor said businesses in retail, restaurant and other sectors are struggling to return to employment levels before the coronavirus pandemic.

ARKANSAS COVID VACCINE GOAL— Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson has set a goal to have half of the state’s population at least partially vaccinated against the coronavirus within the next three months. Hutchinson on Tuesday announced the goal as the state continues to lag most of the country in vaccinations.

ARKANSAS VACCINATIONS-Arkansas is expanding eligibility for coronavirus vaccines to another 180,000 people.  Gov. Asa Hutchinson made the  announcement  yesterday  and said the state  would  fully  open  up  the  shots  to  the remainder  of  the  1B  category  under  its vaccination  plan.

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.