The latest data from public health professionals shows that COVID-19 cases in Arkansas are skyrocketing. Arkansas is quickly becoming the focal point for COVID-19 spread in the United States, while at the very same time Republican officials are peeling back health guidelines, sidelining medical professionals, and declaring the state “Ready for Business.”
Washington Regional has seen a 350% increase in the number of hospitalized #COVID19 patients in the past week. We are not seeing more hospitalizations simply because of more testing, but because more people are being infected. Read more from our COO https://t.co/PqiaSmyrfM
— Washington Regional (@wregional) June 11, 2020
Arkansas’s elected officials are not doing what’s right, and it’s costing lives.
Thankfully, Democratic State Rep. Nicole Clowney is speaking out and standing up to protect the lives of her community, neighbors, friends, and loved ones. But the situation is growing increasingly stark.
Washington County has 154 new cases of COVID today.
%-positivity rates should be <5%, according to the World Health Organization. Today, ours was 39%. This is the 21st consecutive day that Wash. Co.’s rate has been above 10%.
This is very serious, Washington Co. Stay safe.
— Nicole Clowney (@NicoleClowneyAR) June 11, 2020
Washington Co. had more new cases today than 23 STATES.
We had more new cases than KS, ME, WY, WV, AK, VT, HI, & MT *COMBINED*.
And that’s w/ a 39% positivity rate, which means we aren’t yet scratching the surface of what is really out there.
(H/t @John_Pijanowski for info)
— Nicole Clowney (@NicoleClowneyAR) June 11, 2020
Northwest Arkansas is a hot spot, but the entire state continues to be at risk. That includes the risk of exhausting our medical professionals and the limited number of ventilators and hospital beds. That problem is especially acute for rural Arkansans who may have to travel long distances to seek medical care and to support their loves ones.
The mixed messages comes from our elected Republican leaders is one identifiable cause of the rise in infections.
We are being warned of daily new records in hospitalizations and infections, but Governor Asa Hutchinson and Republican lawmakers continue to push forward with re-opening the economy no matter the cost in lives. During the governor’s press conference on Thursday he said, “Regardless of what we see next week, we made the right decision…”
As the governor prepares to re-open all businesses in Arkansas, dismantle public health practices, and set an agenda for the Fall semester for our children — we must keep in mind that our health and safety must come first.