LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) – Arkansas’ governor said Tuesday he’s looking at closing some state parks over concerns about visitors coming to the state during the coronavirus outbreak.Gov. Asa Hutchinson said he has heard concerns about large numbers of people crowding the state’s parks, despite the state’s prohibition on gatherings of more than 10 people in confined spaces. He said he has asked state parks officials to recommend ways to curtail the flow of out-of-state recreational visitors.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 and death.
Hutchinson said the number of cases in Arkansas has risen Tuesday to at least 523 from 508 the night before. Health officials said an eighth person in the state has died from COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus.
Hutchinson said he has asked that the federal government declare a major disaster in Arkansas because of the coronavirus outbreak.
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