Arkansas COVID-19 cases up to 4,043 over weekend

(05/11/20)  Arkansas COVID-19 cases up to 4,043 over weekend  The following stats were shared Monday at Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s daily COVID-19 news conference in El Dorado and posted on the Arkansas Department of Health’s website:

• 4,043 total confirmed cases, up 296 from 3,747 on Friday.
• 803 active cases, up 112 from Friday.
• 3,149 recoveries, up 181 from Friday.
• 94 deaths, up six from Friday.
• 61 cases requiring hospitalization, down three from Friday.
• 11 cases on a ventilator, down three from Friday.
• 289 nursing home residents infected, up 19 from Friday.
• 119 cases in Garland County, up one from Friday.
• 113 recoveries in Garland County, up one from Friday.
• 1 death in Garland County, no change from Friday.

Hutchinson, in talking about the economic crisis that followed the health crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic, said that the state is in good position to rebound because Arkansas did not shut down completely, as well as the underlying fact that the Arkansas economy is very diverse. Arkansas also has $780 million in reserve funds for unemployment compensation, which puts the state in good position to meet the needs of those struggling and have been unemployed.

Dr. Nate Smith said that two important elements of the economic rebound are regaining trust in our hospitals and medical clinics and the increase of testing. Getting our hospitals and clinics back in operation is critical, and Smith encouraged Arkansans to trust the extensive measures being taken by these facilities to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and maintain appointments and seek treatment for medical issues. Broad testing allows for the rapid detection and response of outbreaks, and it takes all of us, including individuals seeking out a test if there are symptoms or exposure involved.

Mike Preston said that more than 100,000 unemployment insurance checks will be issued across the state this week. The Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation system is up and running, and it allows people out of work prior to the pandemic an extra 13 weeks of eligibility thanks to the CARES Act. The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance system also went live last week, and 23,000 claims have been filed thus far. Preston said he hopes checks will be issued in the next couple of weeks. Visit ARUnemployment.com to process the application.