News

The State of Arkansas will observe Memorial Day as an official state holiday on Monday, May 25, 2020.   The State Capitol building & offices and all state buildings will be closed. The Capitol Cafe (500 Grill), and the Capitol Gift Shop will also be closed. Due to current COVID-19 precautions, the State Capitol remains […]

Of the 97 new additional cases reported today, 18 are from correctional facilities. The cases from the community were reported in Jefferson, Crittenden, Pope, Pulaski, and St. Francis counties. The state is nearly half-way to the goal of testing 60,000 Arkansans during the month of May. The Arkansas Department of Health says in addition to […]

The COVID-19 pandemic could be a source of stress, fear, or anxiety for many Arkansans. May is Mental Health Awareness Month and a good time to remind Arkansans of the resources available to help during this time.If you currently visit a provider for mental health services, these services can now be accessed by telephone or […]

The number of new cases of COVID-19 increased by 130 since yesterday. Of those 17 are from correctional facilities. The remaining cases were reported from Union, Craighead, Pulaski, Washington and Jefferson counties.Commerce Secretary Mike Preston said the department has received close to 30,000 applications for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). This is the unemployment available to […]

Governor Hutchinson shared a map showing where the active COVID-19 cases are located in the state broken down by county. The county with the most active cases is St. Francis, where the Forrest City federal prison is located. Pulaski County, which is also the state’s most populous, has the second-most number of cases. Pulaski and […]

The state has received a shipment of the COVID-19 drug Remdesivir from the CDC. There is currently enough for 50 patients and it will be distributed by the Arkansas Department of Health. Governor Hutchinson says he will make an announcement on these openings on the following dates:·       May 18 – Bars·   […]

More than 23,000 Arkansans have filed for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program benefits. The state will hopefully begin issuing PUA payments within the next couple of weeks. Secretary Mike Preston provided an update on the Arkansas Ready for Business Grant Program. The program received more than 12,000 applications during the enrollment period. The funding requests for […]

The Arkansas Legislative Council voted in favor of a motion this morning to direct an additional $92.7 Million from the CARES Act funding to the Arkansas Ready for Business Grant Program. The program received more than 12,000 applications during the enrollment period. The funding requests for businesses totaled $147.7 million. The vote for the funding […]

Since the beginning of this health emergency, more than 60,000 tests for COVID-19 have been processed in Arkansas. While testing was initially limited, the capacity at commercial labs has increased significantly resulting in shortened turnaround times. Earlier this week, the CDC committed to providing 90,000 kits and swabs per month to the State of Arkansas. […]

Health Secretary Dr. Nate Smith says he spoke with CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield who was very pleased with Arkansas’ results. Since yesterday, 2,174 test results have returned with a 3.7% positivity rate. There are 97 new cases today, 30 of those are from correctional facilities. The number of recoveries is up by 758 from […]

Arkansas House Speaker Matthew Shepherd released the following statement: “Murphy Oil Corporation has been a staple of my hometown for decades and I’m saddened to hear that El Dorado will no longer be its home. My heart goes out to the employees and their families who are facing uncertain times. I’m thankful for Murphy Oil’s […]

The CDC has made a commitment to the Arkansas Department of Health to provide 90,000 swabs and testing kits this month. The goal to conduct 60,000 for the month of May. In an effort to help oil and gas producers in South Arkansas, the Governor signed an executive order to waive the annual well fees […]