Arkansas has now had six deaths connected to the COVID-19 crisis as the positive cases has risen to 426 cases as of Sunday afternoon.
The Arkansas Health Department said the total case count includes 15 children and that 67 of the people infected are healthcare workers.
Dr. Nate Smith, Health Secretary said 16 patients in Arkansas are currently on ventilators with 43 total patients hospitalized. He also said no new counties reporting cases and 43 positive cases in nursing homes.
Additionally, the numbers in Arkansas are not accelerating as fast as other states according to Governor Asa Hutchinson.
“We are not accelerating as fast as other parts of the country,” said Hutchinson. “We are on the right strategy.”
Smith said people at grocery stores need to do a better job of social distancing, especially while waiting in line. He also advises sending someone younger to get groceries for the elderly, in addition to shopping during hours when lesser amounts of people are not in the stores, and to try to leave to return later if the parking lot is full.
Smith also said the risk of COVID-19 in northern Louisiana doesn’t look different from Southern Arkansas, however the hotspots are in New Orleans and surrounding parishes. Anyone traveling from those hotspots to Arkansas should self-quarantine for 14 days.
