DeltaplexNews.com reported Sunday that the first healthcare worker from the State of Arkansas passed away due to the Coronavirus Saturday at UAMS in Little Rock. That healthcare worker was a nurse at Jefferson Regional and is believed to have been infected by the first cluster of positive cases in the hospital.
That nurse has been identified to DeltaplexNews.com as Lois Ashcraft-Merrell by numerous sources.
Ashcraft-Merrell was the first healthcare worker from both Pine Bluff and the State of Arkansas to succumb to the virus.
Pine Bluff has now had eight deaths linked to the coronavirus according to Jefferson County Coroner Chad Kelley. Those deaths are listed below:
- Date of Death: 04/04/2020. African American female at JRMC age range in her 60’s.
- Date of Death: 04/09/2020 African American male at JRMC age range in his 40’s.
- Date of Death: 04/09/2020 African American female at JRMC age range in her 80’s.
- Date of Death: 04/10/2020 White female at JRMC age range in her 80’s.
- Date of Death: 04/13/2020 African American male at JRMC age range in his 70’s.
- Date of Death: 04/14/2020 White male at JRMC age range in his 70’s
- Date of Death: 04/18/2020 White female at UAMS age range in her 50’s
- Date of Death: 04/19/2020 White male at a nursing home age range in his 80’s
