Virus aid of $2.6B allotted for state

Funding to flow in all 75 counties

Arkansas will receive nearly $2.6 billion in covid-19 aid as a result of the American Rescue Plan, the Biden administration said Monday.

The largest amount, $1.57 billion, is earmarked for state government.

More than $1 billion will be designated for local governments.

The announcement comes at a time when the state’s covid-19 numbers are low and its economy is rebounding.

Arkansas’ 75 counties will each get money — a total of $586.2 million. Pulaski County, with a population of 391,911, will receive the most — $76.1 million — while Calhoun County, population 5,189, will get just over $1 million.

The average amount per resident appeared to be roughly $195.

Fourteen Arkansas cities will receive aid totaling more than $208.8 million. Little Rock, with $37.7 million, gets the largest share, followed by Springdale, $21.4 million, and Fort Smith, $21.2 million.

Others receiving funds included Bentonville, $6.9 million; Conway, $12.2 million; Fayetteville, $17.9 million; Hot Springs, $11.4 million; Jacksonville, $5.4 million; Jonesboro, $15.6 million; North Little Rock, $16.8 million; Pine Bluff, $16 million; Rogers, $11.7 million; Texarkana, $7.9 million; and West Memphis, $6.6 million.

Under the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, a total of $350 billion will be distributed to state, local, territorial and tribal governments.

The covid-relief package was signed into law in March by President Joe Biden after narrowly passing in Congress. Democrats supported the measure; Republicans opposed it.

Of the $350 billion, $195.3 billion is for states; $65.1 billion is for counties; $45.6 billion is for cities; $20 billion is for tribal governments; and $4.5 billion is for territories.

Another $19.5 billion is for smaller communities; Arkansas’ share is $216.2 million. State officials will be responsible for distributing the money. The Treasury “expects to provide further guidance on distributions to non-entitlement units next week,” department officials said.

State and local officials will be given latitude in deciding how to use the money.

The Treasury Department on Monday said the money can be used to “support public health” or to “address negative economic impacts caused by the public health emergency.”

Water, sewer and broadband internet projects qualify. The money can also cover shortfalls caused by pandemic-related revenue shortfalls.

The money can’t be used to cut taxes or to bail out public pension plans.

Like the rest of the country, Arkansas’ economy suffered after the imposition of a public health emergency last year.

Unemployment, which had been 3.9% in March 2020, spiked to 10% in April, then began falling.

In March of this year, it stood at 4.4%.

Since the start of the public health emergency, 337,586 Arkansans have been infected by covid-19 — roughly 11% of the population.

Of those, 15,993 cases were severe enough to require hospitalization, and 1,635 patients were placed on ventilators. Thus far, 5,764 Arkansas deaths have been attributed to the virus.

In recent months, the pandemic has eased in the Natural State.

The number of covid-19 cases in Arkansas increased by 76 Monday, while the number of deaths rose by three, the state Department of Health reported.

The number of active cases fell by 170, to 2,053.

“I think the numbers are pretty encouraging in the sense that they’re kind of low and fairly stable,” said Dr. Jennifer Dillaha, the state epidemiologist. “I think we are fortunate in that we have a very rural state.”

While some states have seen their numbers rise, Arkansas’ numbers have remained steady in recent weeks.

Statewide, 169 people were hospitalized due to covid-19, up three from Sunday. The number needing ventilators rose by five, to 41.

Pulaski County reported the most new cases, 17, followed by Benton County with eight and Lonoke County with seven.

The number of vaccine doses administered rose by 73,257 over the past week to 1,813,895 — an average of 10,465 per day.

This was the fifth straight week that vaccination numbers declined after peaking at 155,467, or 22,210 per day.

In a written statement, Gov. Asa Hutchinson portrayed the state as continuing to make progress.

The state reported 4,511 additional vaccinations on Monday, compared with 4,479 the previous Monday and 3,102 on April 26.

“Vaccine administration is higher in today’s report than the same day in the previous two weeks, and our seven-day average of new cases remains steady. This report is a good start to the week, and we will hopefully continue to get more Arkansans vaccinated,” Hutchinson said.

Assuming the age limit is lowered, there’s likely to be an uptick in vaccinations later this week, said University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences spokeswoman Leslie Taylor.

“Once the [U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] does that, which we expect to happen on Wednesday if not before, then we’re ready to vaccinate 12-to-15-year-olds,” she said.

For anyone under the age of 18, “we have to have a parent or a guardian with them to sign the forms,” she said.

“Hopefully, people want to get their families vaccinated. That’s very important,” she said. “Even though we’re starting to see a decrease in cases, if that’s going to continue, we need to get more people vaccinated.”