Governor: In-person classes off through end of school year
ARKANSAS — School campuses in Arkansas will be closed for in-person instruction through the end of the academic year, Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced Monday, as the number of covid-19 cases in Arkansas hit 875.
Students had previously been set to return to classrooms on April 20. Schools across the state have been closed to in-person instruction since at least March 17.
Year-end testing for the state has already been called off.
Education Secretary Johnny Key said graduation ceremonies will be subject to Health Department rules on social gatherings. Some districts have started plans for virtual ceremonies, Key said, while others are on hold to see when an in-person commencement may be possible.
The partnership between schools and Arkansas PBS for kindergarten through eighth-grade education will continue through May 1, Key said, giving districts time to create lesson plans for remote instruction.
He said districts in need of extra support in creating those plans can contact the Education Department.
Of the 875 positive covid-19 patients reported Monday afternoon, Health Secretary Nate Smith said 2.3% are children, 6.7% are ages 18-24, 30.3% are 25-44, 34.9% are 45-64 and 25.7% are 65 and older.
Smith said 74 patients are hospitalized, including 22 on ventilators. The number of deaths remained at 16, the same as Sunday, while 102 have recovered.
Healthcare workers account for 122 cases or about 14%. Smith said 59 nursing home residents are ill, as are 32 nursing home employees.
The residents and employees are spread out among 13 nursing homes in the state. Smith said four of the 16 deaths in Arkansas have been associated with a nursing home.
In Benton County, there were 42 positive cases reported on the Arkansas Department of Health website on Monday.