Arkansas COVID-19 cases rise but below projections; death estimate reduced

The number of COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to rise in Arkansas, but Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Friday (April 10) the rate of growth is below projections and is proof his targeted approach guidelines are working to contain the virus.

COVID-19 cases in Arkansas totaled 1,171 as of Friday afternoon, up from 1,094 on Thursday. The number of deaths rose from 21 to 23. The number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Arkansas was 86 on Friday, up from 73 on Thursday. As of Friday at 1 p.m., there were 475,749 U.S. cases and 17,925 deaths. Globally, there were 1,650,210 cases and 100,376 deaths.

Of Arkansas’ COVID-19 patients, 33 were on ventilators, up from 31 on Thursday. The number of healthcare workers with COVID-19 was 168 on Friday, up from 158 on Thursday.

During Friday’s daily COVID-19 press conference, Gov. Hutchinson said the number of infections is below the 3,500 infections early projections suggested would be reached on April 10. Modeling from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington lowered the expected number of COVID-19 deaths in Arkansas from 619 to 199.

Dr. Tony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of President Donald Trump’s COVID-19 response team,  praised the efforts of Arkansas and other central U.S. states during a COVID-19 press conference at the White House.

“They are doing an extraordinary job,” Fauci said of governors in the central U.S.

Fauci spoke Friday morning by telephone with Gov. Hutchinson and Arkansas Secretary of Health Dr. Nate Smith.

RECOVERIES, JOBLESS CLAIMS
Following are other items noted in Friday’s press conference.
• Gov. Hutchinson said Richard Richardson is the first state employee to die from COVID-19. He was recruited to play football for the Arkansas Razorbacks by Lou Holtz, and played as a nose guard. Richardson was a substance abuse counselor for the state.

• Of the 1,171 COVID-19 infections, there are 836 active cases, meaning the other patients either recovered or died. Smith noted 312 recoveries as of Friday.

• There were 1,348 tests reported on Thursday, the largest one-day number., with a 3.6% overall positivity rate. Of the test, 40 were from a mobile unit managed by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

• More than 132,000 jobless claims have been filed in Arkansas since the crisis began, but the pace is slower than the previous week, according to Arkansas Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston. He also said 172 loans valued at around $3.5 million have been made to small businesses in the state through the Quick Action Loan Guaranty Program.

FEDERAL FUNDS INJECTION
Arkansas’ Congressional delegation also announced Friday that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded $326.53 million to Arkansas hospitals and healthcare providers to help facilitate the COVID-19 response in our communities.

The grants, awarded to 2,905 health care providers in Arkansas, comes from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. It will support healthcare-related expenses or lost revenue attributable to COVID-19 and ensure uninsured Americans can get the testing and treatment they need without receiving a surprise bill from a provider.

The money is being distributed immediately proportionate to providers’ share of Medicare fee-for-service reimbursements in 2019. This quick dispersal of funds will provide relief to both providers in coronavirus hotspot areas and those providers who are struggling to keep their doors open due to canceled elective surgeries, the delegation statement noted.

The delegation also announced more than $100 million in emergency grants to support postsecondary students and institutes of higher education impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. The CARES Act provides nearly $14 billion to support postsecondary students and institutes nationwide. The funding is based on a formula which includes factors such as the number of full-time students who are eligible for Pell grants in addition to total enrollment. Additional funding will be made available by the Department of Education in the coming weeks.

Following are some of the larger grants given to universities.
• University of Arkansas: $15.454 million
• University of Central Arkansas: $9.604 million
• Arkansas State University: $9.258 million
• Arkansas Tech University: $7.098 million
• University of Arkansas at Little Rock: $5.956 million
• University of Arkansas at Fort Smith: $5.511 million
• University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff: $4.295 million