Craighead County leads the state with 180 new COVID-19 cases

The Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus continues to spread across Arkansas and cases have spiked in Northeast Arkansas following the Christmas holiday.

Craighead County reported 180 new cases on Monday (Dec. 27) which topped the state, according to the Arkansas Department of Health. There have been 24,038 confirmed cases in the county since the pandemic began in March 2020, and at least 256 deaths.

The county has more than 1,200 confirmed active cases.

To combat the steep rise in cases, one area medical provider, NEA Baptist, has opened a drive-thru COVID testing location at 909 Enterprise Drive in Jonesboro for patients seeking testing. Patrons are asked to use the lane marked “Urgent Care” and to remain in vehicles during the visit.

Craighead County isn’t the only county in Northeast Arkansas that has experienced a COVID-19 spike in recent days and weeks.

Crittenden County, once a hotbed for virus infections, has 236 active cases. At least 188 people in the county have died from the disease. The region’s second most populous county, Greene, has 194 active cases and a reported 132 people have died from the virus.

In Mississippi County, there are 198 active cases with an estimated 157 deaths. Poinsett County has 130 active cases and 105 reported deaths.