Gov. Hutchinson: No further reopening as virus cases spike

wireready_06-25-2020-20-34-03_00018_coronavirusupdates

LITTLE ROCK (AP)- Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Thursday he is not ready to further ease restrictions on businesses while coronavirus cases in the state continue to spike.

He made the statement after neighboring Texas paused its aggressive reopening plans.

Arkansas on Thursday posted one of its highest one-day increases in coronavirus cases since the pandemic began, with 687 more people testing positive. Health officials said 5,695 of those cases are active, meaning they don’t include people who have died or recovered.

Arkansas’ virus numbers have dramatically risen since last month, when businesses began reopening. The governor of neighboring Texas on Thursday said his state’s aggressive reopening plans were on pause and halted elective surgeries in some counties because of a major outbreak there.

Hutchinson earlier this month allowed restaurants and other businesses to serve more customers.

“We’re clearly on pause here in the state in terms of moving to lift further restrictions until we’re comfortable where we are in controlling the spread,” Hutchinson told reporters.

The Health Department said two more people died from the illness caused by the virus, bringing the state’s total fatalities. The state’s hospitalizations rose by 17 to 284.

WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI