Shut state’s schools, governor orders
Reopening set March 30; illness cases at 16
Public schools in Arkansas must close for nearly two weeks to help the state get a better understanding of the local spread of the new coronavirus, Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced at a briefing on Sunday.
K-12 schools have permission to close today, but superintendents can keep their districts open to help teachers and families prepare to shift to remote learning for the rest of the week, Hutchinson said. Mandated closures start Tuesday and will continue through next week, a scheduled spring break.
With the move, Arkansas joins states including Illinois,
Florida, Kentucky and Louisiana in shutting down schools in response to the global outbreak of the virus, which causes the respiratory illness covid-19.
While federal health guidance does not currently recommend widespread school closures, “it is also important to listen to the parents and educators, who do not have a level of confidence in terms of their safety,” Hutchinson said.
“As a result of this legitimate concern, and in order for our testing to be able to catch up, and for us to be able to have a better handle on exactly where we are in the state of Arkansas in terms of any positive cases, I am authorizing on Monday each school district to close their schools for on-site instruction.”
Education Commissioner Johnny Key said at the briefing that the closure was “a tough call to make” but “prudent,” and that the education board will work with districts to make sure meal programs that feed students continue.
Districts that are prepared to close today can go ahead, Key said. Others can use the day to distribute materials, such as computers, to
students and ready staffs for shifts to online classes or other instruction methods.
The announcement expands closures of schools in Pulaski, Saline, Jefferson and Grant counties, ordered last Thursday, to the state level. Those four counties had connections to the first local covid-19 cases.
It also follows a shift to remote coursework for numerous public and private universities, including UA-Fayetteville, that’s meant to limit the virus’s reach.
The plan is to reopen public primary and secondary schools on March 30, the governor said, though there may be additional spot closures in some areas for a few days as new infections are found.
“We expect there to be positive cases that have developed; we don’t expect this to end. But we also want school to resume in a normal fashion,” in part to limit disruptions for workers with school-age children, he said.
He added that the state will continue to review advice from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as the local Health Department, to make decisions about the schools going forward.
Officials also said Sunday that 16 people have now been diagnosed with covid-19 in Arkansas, up from 12 on Saturday. The first case, a patient hospitalized in Pine Bluff, was identified Wednesday. Thirty tests are pending.
Of the four new positive tests, two people — residents of Garland County — contracted the virus while out of state and were isolated since their return, meaning they had no additional contacts, Health Secretary Dr. Nate Smith said.
Citing the two positive tests in Garland County, Oak
lawn Racing Casino Resort announced late Sunday night that it will close its casino in Hot Springs for two weeks, from today through March 30, according to a news release. The closure will include the casino, Silks Bar and Grill, Bistro 2705 and the Sports Book. Live racing will continue without spectators, according to the news release.
Nationally, diagnosed cases of covid-19 are nearing 3,000, with at least 59 deaths. Cases are in every state except West Virginia.
Like much of the United States, Arkansas has struggled to obtain tests to confirm infection with the novel virus. The national shortage has frustrated patients by restricting testing to people with high-risk factors or a recent travel history.
Arkansas officials on Sunday reiterated that they are
pushing hard to expand testing, and Smith said the state health agency’s capacity has now doubled to 40 per day, from 20 last week.
With the addition of an on-site test being developed at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, the target is the ability to run 440 tests per day by the end of next week, Hutchinson said.
But scant testing abilities, which clouded an understanding of the outbreak’s presence in Arkansas, was a factor in the
decision to close schools for a period of time, officials said.
School closures announced Sunday do not apply to private day care centers, but they do include Arkansas Better Chance programs for preschoolers run through public school districts.
While children are at less risk of serious complications from covid-19, they are thought to be able to able to carry the virus, according to reports.
BUYING AND SELLING
Hutchinson on Sunday cautioned against frantic shopping and hoarding of goods after a weekend in which photos of barren shelves in grocery and bigbox stores circulated on social media.
“We’ve seen the illustrations of panic buying, urgent buying, and we don’t need that,” he said.
“While it is wise to have enough for a short period of time in the house, we don’t need to have purchases that are going to last for a month, or two months.”
The supply chain hasn’t broken down, and grocery stores and pharmacies are going to stay open, he said.
Attorney General Leslie Rutledge also reminded retailers and members of the public of the state’s price-gouging law, which was triggered by the emergency situation. It’s in effect for at least 30 days and can be extended, she said.
The law applies to essential goods such as medicine, medical equipment, food and water and applies to both individuals or retailers selling products at “excessive and unjustified” prices.
For example, the attorney general’s office got a headsup about a western Arkansas pharmacy selling a $4 case of water for $8, behavior that carries stiff penalties, she said.
“With this bad situation, unfortunately, comes bad actors,” she said.
Rutledge also said she’d heard reports from UAMS Chancellor Cam Patterson of price fluctuations for needed medical supplies, including protective masks typically sold for 80 cents that priced at $22.
Patterson and a task force of health providers were meeting to discuss the problem late Sunday, but individuals, businesses and hospitals should continue to report price gouging to her office, Rutledge said.
‘NOT JUST YOUR HEALTH’
Smith said the Health Department has only seen “limited” evidence of community transmission — patients with no known connection to an existing case — thus far.
The state doesn’t have as many patients compared with some others, such as Louisiana, which now has more than 90. But some are likely undetected, Smith said, and “people who have a high level of vulnerability” should take extra precautions.
“Many of our older Arkansans, or those with underlying medical conditions, should consider how much they want to be out there in the public, especially those who are in Central Arkansas,” he said.
Medical conditions thought to contribute to an increased risk of complications from covid-19 include diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, high blood pressure and cancer, as well as a history of smoking, experts have said.
Asked whether hospitals around the state were seeing more patients with covid-19type respiratory issues, Patterson said it is still the season for other respiratory pathogens such as the flu.
In terms of an uptick, “I think what we’re seeing is increased concern from people in the community, who otherwise wouldn’t necessarily present to health care systems,” he explained.
UAMS in Little Rock has set up a screening center to discuss symptoms potentially related to covid-19, and there are hotlines at the hospital and Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Washington Regional Medical Center opens a hotline at 8 a.m.
Common symptoms of the disease include fever, cough and shortness of breath. It may be possible to have no symptoms and pass the virus to others, but scientists don’t yet know how often this happens.
Hutchinson on Sunday again urged Arkansans to take a second look at travel plans and assess risk related to the coronavirus. He said he doesn’t intend to travel out of state in the near future.
“Any trip that is planned, we need to ask some fundamental questions, and that is: Am I going to an area that has an extensive outbreak, and reportable cases?” Hutchinson said.
“It’s not just your health — it’s your children; it’s your family; it’s the community.”