PINE BLUFF, Ark. — Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson will be hosting an anniversary event in Pine Bluff on Thursday (March 11) to look back at how the virus has impacted Arkansans one year after the pandemic started.
He did provide an update on Monday of this week, though, where he announced that Phase-1B of the vaccine rollout plan was opening up to all categories and a new hotline to help Arkansans book COVID-19 vaccine appointments has been set up.
As of Tuesday afternoon, 5,343 Arkansans have died due to the virus since last March, and 324,951 positive cases have been identified in the state, according to the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH).
A new variant of the virus was detected earlier this year, Dr. José R. Romero, Secretary of the ADH, announced.
Hutchinson has begun loosening COVID-19 restrictions for businesses as case numbers have declined and announced he has plans to readdress the state’s mask mandate at the end of March if new cases and hospitalizations continue to remain low.
The CDC still recommends wearing a mask and practicing social distancing even as states begin to reopen.
