Arkansas reports biggest one-day spike in coronavirus cases

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas reported its biggest single-day increase in coronavirus cases on Thursday, as the state's governor said concerns about the virus will be a valid excuse to vote absentee in the November election.

Health officials said at least 22,075 people in the state have tested positive for the virus, an increase of 878 new confirmed cases si nce Wednesday. The department said 6,098 of those cases are active, meaning they don't include people who have died or recovered.

Arkansas' cases have dramatically risen since May, when the state allowed businesses closed because of the pandemic to reopen. Active cases in the state have risen 266% since Memorial Day, though the state had seen much lower increases in cases in recent days.

The true number of cases in Arkansas is likely higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick.

“We don't see a trend yet because the last trend we had was headed down," Gov. Asa Hutchinson said. “We'll see whether this is a trend or whether it is an isolated day. We hope that is an isolated day."

Thursday marked the biggest single-day increase since the state reported 731 new cases on June 12, and it more than doubled the number of new cases reported Wednesday.

The number of people who died from COVID-19, the illness caused by coronavirus, increased by two to 279. The number of people hospitalized decreased by 272.

Hutchinson has resisted calls to enact a statewide requirement to wear masks in public, though two cities have enacted their own measures requiring them in some settings. Hutchinson also said he didn't see a need to close bars again because of the pandemic.

State health officials have said there's not evidence linking the state's rise in cases with bars and restaurants reopening, and state Alcohol Beverage Control officers are monitoring bars to see if they're complying with capacity limits and other coronavirus restrictions.

“Until we have that correlation, until we have that data, that would just be the wrong thing to do to rip somebody's investment out of their hands and the employees, put them on the unemployment line," Hutchinson said.

Hutchinson a Republican, was joined by the state's GOP and Democratic Party chairmen as he announced that concerns about the virus were a valid excuse for requesting absentee ballots.

“They just have a concern, a fear, of going to the polling place because of COVID-19, that's enough of a reason," Hutchinson said. The governor's comments echo a statement from Secretary of State John Thurston, who last week said he believed the state's absentee ballot laws would cover those concerned about the pandemic.

State law currently only allows absentee ballots due to illness, physical disability or the voter being unavoidably absent. Hutchinson issued an executive order allowing for no-excuse absentee voting in an April because of the pandemic, but said he didn't believe an order was needed to formalize that COVID-19 concerns are a valid excuse.

The attorney for three voters who have sued the state seeking no-excuse absentee voting or an order allowing COVID-19 concerns as an excuse said their lawsuit would still move forward since there's no formal order.

“I think we have to protect all of the voters and get a court order," attorney David Couch said.

Pulaski County Clerk Terri Hollingsworth asked Hutchinson and Thurston for additional funding for the state's 75 counties to deal with a surge in absentee ballots expected because of the pandemic.

“If planned deliberately and funded as needed, my fellow county clerks, election officials and I can prepare and hold an adequate election in the middle of a health crisis while setting the standard for future elections," Hollingsworth wrote.