With 59 more positive novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the state, raising the number to 643, Gov. Asa Hutchinson clarified why the state is not under a shelter-in-place or stay-at-home order during the daily press briefing Thursday.
Hutchinson said shelter-in-place orders don’t actually mean every person in the state would stay at home. He said if he entered a stay-at-home order, the next morning over 700,000 Arkansans would get up and go to work and leave a couple hundred thousand out of jobs.
“The question is are you accomplishing anything by doing that order, and that’s what we measure every day,” he said. “We’re trying to make good judgments based upon good public health data that is scientifically based and that makes sense in Arkansas. Let me assure you if we need to do more, we will.”
The governor also showed another version of the projected cases of the virus in the state through mid-April, which was based on initial data from hospitals across Arkansas. He noted there are over 400 less cases than what was initially projected.
Instead of a shelter in place order, Hutchinson said the state is operating under a targeted response to an emergency plan, which has proven to be successful at bending the curve. Responses include closing in-person education and finding alternate methods of instruction, closing restaurants and bars except for dine-out, closing casinos and other non-essential businesses, and closing lodges at state parks, among other measures.
“The result of these targeted measures and the strategy we’ve implemented has given us some good results,” Hutchinson said.
Sec. of Health Dr. Nate Smith also addressed why the state hasn’t entered a shelter in place order. He said he looks at the situation with the data he has and asks himself three questions: what do you mean, what are you trying to accomplish and do stay at home orders work?
Smith agreed with Hutchinson, saying there are essential businesses and workers that need to be working to help others stay afloat. He said the state is trying to accomplish flattening the curve and decrease the rate of positive cases.
“If you look at where we are compared to other states, our recent rate of growth is at least as good as any other state,” he said.
Finally, Smith said the jury is still out on whether stay at home orders work. He said there isn’t much evidence it works in other countries, and that while he hopes it’s helpful for states who’ve entered into one, there isn’t much better evidence it works.
“Our population density is a lot lower than some other areas, so a stay at home might be more effective in a more densely populated area than in a more lightly populated area,” Smith said. “What we’re doing at this point seems to be working in terms of flattening our curve. … There’s always the option of going to more stringent measures if we need them or if what we’re doing stops working.
“Whatever we do, we’ve got to be able to sustain,” he said. “The big question for me about stay at home orders is how long can people sustain those? How long are people willing to actually abide by them, and how long can the economy of the state sustain it? And if we have states coming out of their stay at home orders too soon, they can have either increased growth or fail to get past that peak when they hope to do that.”
Smith said there are 643 cases of COVID-19 in the state, an increase of 59 from Wednesday, and two new deaths from central Arkansas, making it 12 total. One was 65 or older and the other was in the 18-64 range, both with underlying medical conditions.
Smith said 20 cases are 18 and younger, 183 are 65 and older, and 440 are adults 18-64.
He said 91 are health care workers who have tested positive for the virus, which is up seven from Wednesday. The breakdown includes 10 that are physicians, 26 nurses, four certified nursing assistants (CNAs) and the others are licensed and unlicensed health care workers and unspecified professions.
Smith also said there are 51 nursing home residents who have tested positive, while 66 are hospitalized, 23 are on ventilators and 47 have recovered. He said the demographics represented in positive cases have remained steady.
He also said the state health department is still in the process of setting up a way for those recovered to safely donate plasma, if they choose to, and to screen them to make sure they no longer have the virus in their systems.
Local Numbers
According to the Arkansas Department of Health, Union County has 10 positive cases and 101 negative tests.