LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas no longer requires students exposed to the coronavirus to quarantine so long as they’re fully vaccinated against the virus, Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced Tuesday.
Hutchinson said the new quarantine policy aligns with guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or their only shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
About 40% of Arkansas’ population has received at least one dose of the vaccine, and nearly 32% are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, according to the CDC.
Hutchinson announced the change as the state saw a jump in its coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. The state reported 231 new virus cases, bringing its total since the pandemic began to 342,726. The state’s COVID-19 hospitalizations increased by 29 to 204.
The state’s COVID-19 deaths rose by three to 5,852.
