Arkansas governor: Call on lifting limits stays with state

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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) – Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Tuesday that he will decide how to lift Arkansas’ restrictions issued in response to the coronavirus pandemic, despite President Donald Trump assertion that he has total authority over states.Hutchinson and state health officials announced that the state had at least 1,498 coronavirus cases, an increase over the 1,410 reported a day earlier. Two more people died because of the virus, bringing the state’s total deaths to 32.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

The Republican governor said he is looking to his newly created medical advisory board for criteria for lifting restrictions once the state hits its peak.

“I welcome national guidance and assistance. We’ve been a good partner. We’ve tried to follow CDC guidelines,” Hutchinson said of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “But we will do what is needed in the best interest of Arkansans, and I think that’s what the people expect.”

The president on Monday declared that he has “total” authority for deciding how and when to reopen the economy, but he has faced pushback from governors of both parties.

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