Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson was joined by members of his cabinet to update citizens on the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic on Monday.
Listen to the address in full here:
Arkansas schools resume classes during coronavirus pandemic
LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Students throughout Arkansas on Monday headed back to class, online and in person, as the state’s coronavirus deaths continued to rise but hospitalizations dropped.
The Department of Health on Monday said at least 56,894 people have tested positive for the virus, an increase of 320 new confirmed cases. The department said 5,509 of those cases are active ones that don’t include people who have died or recovered.
The state reported nine more deaths from COVID-19, bringing the total number of fatalities from the illness caused by the virus to 687. The number of people hospitalized fell by 34 to 466. One of the deaths occurred in July but was reported late.
Public schools throughout the state resumed classes, despite objections from teachers’ and pediatricians’ groups. Although schools are allowed to offer online classes or a hybrid approach that includes some onsite classes, the state is requiring them to be open five days a week for students who need in-person instruction.
The Woodlawn School District announced late Sunday night it was delaying the start of school so its staff could receive COVID-19 testing.