CDC reports 65 new local cases over past week
Mayor, Senator hoping state will reconsider face covering mandate
An additional 65 Covid cases have been diagnosed in St. Francis County over the past week, an increase of 66.67%, according to the Centers of Disease Control.
In its report updated Monday afternoon, the CDC shows 38.8% of eligible county residents have received at least one dose of a vaccine, an increase of one-tenth of a percentage from Sunday’s CDC report.
The Arkansas Department of Health shows that since the beginning of the pandemic, 3,795 Covid cases have been diagnosed in SFC, with 46 people dying from the virus. The ADH also reports 3,664 people in the county have recovered from the illness.
On Wednesday, Act 1002, which prohibits state agencies, as well as state and local officials from mandating face coverings, becomes law. Also becoming law on Wednesday is Act 977, which prohibits state agencies and local government entities, including public schools, from mandating coronavirus vaccinations.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed the legislation in April, a month after lifting the statewide mask mandate.
Hutchinson said Monday he was planning to talk today with GOP House and Senate leaders to discuss the laws, particularly the face coverings, as virus cases across the state have been surging in recent weeks. Democratic lawmakers and others have called on Hutchinson to lift the state law banning mask mandates.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University report the rolling average number of daily new cases in the state has increased by 161% over the past two weeks. The CDC shows that only 36% of the state’s population is fully vaccinated.
Forrest City Mayor Cedric Williams said he appreciates the leadership at the state level shown by Hutchinson and Dr. Jose Romero, Arkansas Secretary of Health.
“I do commend Gov. Hutchinson and Dr. Romero for going to local communities, trying to deliver the facts straight from the leadership level. I hope they continue to have these community Covid conversations,” said Williams.
That being said, Williams hopes state leaders will reconsider the mask situation.
“I understand the governor’s executive orders as of tomorrow will be limited as to what can and can’t be done from a mask standpoint,” said Williams. “I do think they need to definitely revisit the mask mandate and leave that up to local control to where local mayors can make that decision in their communities as far as the masks.”
Williams also voiced concerns about children who can’t get the vaccine as schools get ready to start the new year in mid-August.
“Honestly, without the vaccine being available for those 12 and under, personally, I think they should be told to wear a mask,” said Williams. “The Delta variant is so transmittable. I hope from the school standpoint they truly, truly revisit the mask
mandate, especially for those 12 and under.”
Sen. Keith Ingram, D-West Memphis, who serves as the Senate Minority Leader, also believes Hutchinson should call the General Assembly back into session to repeal the state’s ban on mask mandates.
“It has become painfully obvious that the Delta Variant of Covid-19 is having a serious impact on the people of Arkansas. Unlike previous iterations of the virus, the Delta variant is more harmful to our children,” said Ingram. “We just experienced our first pediatric death due to Covid-19, and at least a dozen children are hospitalized with severe cases of Covid pneumonia.
“To make this surge in cases even more alarming is the fact that Arkansas schools no longer have the authority to require students to wear masks, thanks to the provisions of Act 1002 of 2021,” Ingram continued. “The surge in Covid19 cases, combined with the draconian provisions of Act 1002, are a recipe for disaster when students return to school.”
Ingram said neither he nor his colleagues are “calling for a statewide mask mandate. We are only seeking to repeal a statewide ban on mask mandates. That will enable our communities, and especially our local school boards, to make decisions that are best suited for protecting the health of the children they serve.”
Ingram continued, “Act 1002 was supported by the same legislators who consistently express outrage over federal mandates and executive orders with which they do not agree. In fact, when Act 1002 takes effect on July 28 it will impose an expanded version of big-government power over Arkansas communities and schools.”
Williams continued to stress the need for more people to get vaccinated.
“The shots work. It’s been proven,” said Williams. “Early in the year when people were getting vaccinated, our Covid infections, deaths and hospitalizations were going down. When we got lax in vaccinations, this Delta variant took hold and is going through our communities and the unvaccinated portions of our communities.
“The vaccine doesn’t say you’re not going to get Covid,” continued Williams. “The vaccine has been proven to keep people from getting seriously ill and keeping them out of the hospital and keeping them from dying. We’re losing co-workers, friends, family members to Covid. At one point in time we did not have a defense other than staying away from each other. Now we have a defense against it and that’s taking the shot.”