COVID-19 update
EDITOR’S NOTE: As a service to our readers, The Sentinel-Record will publish updates released each weekday by the city of Hot Springs and the state of Arkansas.
At Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s daily COVID-19 news conference Wednesday in Little Rock the following updates were shared:
• 2,276 confirmed cases statewide, up 49 from Tuesday (Wednesday’s new cases included 13 from the Cummins Unit of the Arkansas Department of Correction).
• 29,713 test results.
• 7.7% rate of infection.
• 863 recoveries, up 54 from Tuesday.
• 42 deaths, down one from Tuesday (Missouri resident counted in Tuesday’s stats).
• 97 cases requiring hospitalization, up 11 from Tuesday.
• 262 health care workers infected, up 13 from Tuesday.
• 170 cases in nursing homes, up 35 from Tuesday (31 facilities with active cases).
• 23 cases on a ventilator, down four from Tuesday.
• 109 confirmed cases in Garland County, no change from Tuesday.
• 1,590 test results from Garland County, up
80 from Tuesday.
• 6.9% rate of infection for Garland County, down from 7.2% Tuesday.
• 67 recoveries for Garland County, up five from Tuesday.
Hutchinson released a timetable for executing the May 4 target date for reopening parts of the state’s economy. Effective Monday, hospitals and clinics will be able to perform some elective procedures.
The timeline for decisions on other sectors was issued as follows:
• April 29 — Announcement on decision for reopening restaurants.
• April 30 — Announcement on decision for reopening gyms.
• May 1 — Announcement on decision for reopening beauty salons and barbers.
• May 4 — Announcement on decision for places of worship and larger venues.
Places of worship were excluded from the directive limiting indoor and confined space gatherings to 10 or fewer people. Hutchinson said the May 4 announcement will focus on additional guidelines for conducting worship services consistent with good public health practices.
Dr. Nate Smith, the secretary of the Arkansas Department of Health, said a data-driven approach informed the timetable for future decision points.
“We’re using knowledge we gained in the last few months as well as all the principles that apply to communicable diseases,” he said. “Our approach seems very reasonable. Of course, we’ll monitor it. If we see a resurgence of cases we can always back off.”
Smith said as of late Tuesday 681 inmates in the Cummins Unit of the Arkansas Department of Correction had tested positive for COVID-19. The figure represents roughly half of the inmates in the main barracks of the southeast Arkansas prison. Smith said most of the prison’s positive cases have been included in the 2,276 statewide total the state announced Wednesday afternoon.
Reported cases in Garland County increased by six from April 15 to Wednesday, reaching 109 total cases. The total number of infected people who have recovered, which the Health Department defines as being seven days from the onset of symptoms and at least three days free of fever, increased from 39 April 15 to 67 Wednesday.
Cases took nine days to double from the 29 reported March 30 to the 58 reported April 8. A subsequent doubling had yet to occur as of Wednesday. Two new cases were reported April
16 and 17. No new cases were reported Saturday, Sunday, Monday or Wednesday.