Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced a revision to the Arkansas Department of Health’s public health directive regarding indoor venues recently.
Venues like the Murphy’s Art District (MAD) and the South Arkansas Arts Center (SAAC), where gatherings are held, will have to implement several changes, including submitting a plan to be approved by Secretary of Health Dr. Jose Romero any time an event is planned where more than 10 people will be in attendance.
Before the new directive was announced, events with 100 people or more were the only ones that needed approval from the Secretary of Health. According to the ADH, based on available scientific evidence, it is necessary and appropriate to take further action to ensure that COVID-19 remains controlled and that residents and visitors in Arkansas remain safe.
The remainder of the outlined requirements in the new directive can be found on the ADH website.
MAD gave the News-Times the following statement in regards to the revised directive:
“MAD has submitted plans for indoor events to the Arkansas Department of Health prior to the newest directive including Hocus Pocus Movie Night, the El Dorado Film Festival, MAD Battle, and Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular. We will continue to submit plans to the Arkansas Health Department for any MAD related event or any private rentals of our facility. Fortunately, our venue space is large enough to be able to lay out different socially distanced plans as needed. The Arkansas Department of Health has been easy to work with and quick to respond, so the new directive will not change how we currently program events.”
MAD has events slated from February to November, including the MAD Battle and Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular referenced in the nonprofit’s statement on the new health directive, and concerts from the Allman Betts Band, the Avett Brothers and Tyler Childers and Snoop Dogg.
Laura Allen, executive director of SAAC, gave the News-Times the following statement on how SAAC will move forward:
“At SAAC, our primary consideration is keeping our members, volunteers, students and staff safe, and we are grateful for the guidance offered by the governor and the Arkansas Department of Health. We are artists, not public health experts, so any time we can get input from the doctors, scientists and government leaders in this fight on the best ways to keep our community safe, we are happy to cooperate. Over the course of this pandemic, SAAC has worked hard to find ways to meet our mission of bringing the arts to our community while following the directives from the Arkansas Department of Health, and I have often consulted the ADH when planning events, even when we were not required to request approval. I have found their help to be invaluable. I’ll be submitting plans for approval for our January 2021 events as soon as possible.”
SAAC has several events planned in January, including a reception for their upcoming Membership Showcase and another Hour for the Arts lesson. Spring Arts Academy classes also begin next month.