News

The Governor announced today that restrictions for gyms and fitness centers will be lifted May 4. Directives for gyms and fitness centers will include Screening for staff and patrons. No entry for:  Recent travelers to NY, NJ, CT, New Orleans, and overseas. Those with fever, symptoms, recent contact with COVID-19 patient. Anyone with compromised immune […]

The Governor announced today that restaurants will be allowed to offer limited dine-in service beginning May 11.Initially, restaurants will be limited to 33% capacity. Phase 1 directives for dine-in operations include:·     Physical distancing between patrons and tables·     Reservations encouraged·     Face coverings·     Gloves for staff·     Daily […]

Arkansas State Parks made several announcements today. First, camping for self-contained RVs for in-state residents can resume on May 1.On May 15, cabins, lodges and RV rentals will be available to in-state residents on Friday-Monday.Park restaurants and foodservice facilities, museums and exhibits, retail including visitor centers and gift shops, marinas and rental equipment will open […]

Arkansas saw an increase in testing over the weekend as a result of the testing surge campaign promoted by the administration. More than 40,000 tests have been conducted in Arkansas so far with an average positivity rate of 7.5%. Yesterday’s testing of 1,506 had a positivity rate of 1.8%.This afternoon, the Governor reviewed the gating […]

In the last 24 hours, health officials have received results for more than 2,800 tests. It is the largest single day of testing so far. To date, 34,745 tests have been conducted in Arkansas. Overall, 7.9% had positive results.Anyone who thinks they have symptoms is being encouraged to get a test today and tomorrow.The Arkansas […]

Child abuse does not stop during a pandemic. But since many of the state’s mandated reporters such as teachers and pastors are not interacting face to face with Arkansas children right now, the number of reports coming into the hotline have decreased by 50%The director of Children Advocacy Centers of Arkansas, Elizabeth Pulley says that […]

There has been a recent decline in testing in Arkansas. At one point 1,600 tests were being performed daily. Now the average is 1,000. The Governor is now launching a 2-day testing surge campaign. If you have think you have symptoms, don’t wait. Get tested. The goal is to have 1,500 tested daily on Friday […]

The Governor announced today that restrictions for elective medical procedures will be lifted April 27.  The health department is asking hospitals to start with a small number of surgeries that do not require an overnight visit. Patients will need to be tested for COVID-19 with-in 48 hours of the procedure.The Governor also announced a timeline […]

·       The Governor signed an Executive Order today to create a working group focused on testing capacity in the state. He said Arkansas’s ability to conduct adequate diagnostic and surveillance testing will affect the state’s public-health strategy and economic-recovery efforts after Arkansas reaches its peak number of COVID-19 cases. The working group […]

The Governor said today that while he hopes to lift some restrictions on May 4, Arkansans will still need to practice social distancing and wear a mask. The Governor says compared to other states, Arkansas is doing well in per capita testing. He plans to meet with hospital administrators and state labs tomorrow to determine […]