PINE BLUFF -- City, county, and hospital officials met in Jefferson County to explain recent actions taken to limit the spread of covid-19 and to update residents and media on the progress being made in fighting the novel coronavirus disease that has become a worldwide pandemic.
The officials met in a news conference open to the media but closed to the public that was held in the banquet hall at the Pine Bluff Convention Center, allowing the handful of attendees adequate social distancing space in what has become the new normal for such public gatherings.
The city livestreamed the news conference on its Facebook page.
Near the podium, Mayor Shirley Washington, Pine Bluff Fire Chief Shauwn Howell, Pine Bluff Police Chief Kelvin Sergeant, and Jefferson Regional Medical Center CEO Brian Thomas stood in a wide semi-circle, and Jefferson County Judge Gerald Robinson stood some distance off to the side, each waiting in turn to provide an update.
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Thomas said the current number of positive covid-19 cases in Jefferson County stood at 33 Tuesday afternoon, and that an additional 10 people who tested positive at Jefferson Regional Medical Center are residents of other counties.
"We've tested 129 negative tests so far and we have a number of patients in the hospital at this point, but we feel comfortable we've got a number we can manage very easily," Thomas said. "We've got a number of employees and team members who have actually contracted the covid virus by their early services of patients in the early front of this epidemic."
He said the hospital is closely monitoring the conditions of those employees and, he said, the hospital currently has sufficient personal protective equipment to help provide a barrier to transmission for health care workers who are currently caring for covid-19 patients.
Thomas said testing services are keeping pace with the demand for covid-19 testing in the county.
"We've heard a lot about testing limitations throughout the state, but I would love to share with you that right now we are keeping pace with that," he said. "We are being selective with the patients that we actually do the swab tests for the covid virus, just simply because we want to be good stewards of the products that we have so far, but we are keeping pace with the people that need to be tested."
Robinson, the county's chief executive, said that although directives to maintain social distancing, vigorous disinfecting practices and limits to public gatherings can become onerous, he stressed that such measures are necessary to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
"Be patient with us," Robinson said. "We just want to make sure that our county and our citizens are kept safe."
Howell said the fire department is continuing to respond to all emergency calls for service but has scaled back some non-emergency activities and curtailed its public outreach programs. He said firefighters have begun wearing personal protective equipment such as masks and gowns on some calls.
"This is for our protection and for your protection," Howell said. "We don't want to have the possibility of spreading anything to an individual or having someone possibly spread something to one of our firefighters."
Sergeant said police will be watching for people congregating in public spaces between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., the hours that a citywide curfew is in effect, although he stressed that people out driving for legitimate purposes, such as going to work or to the grocery store, can do so without fear of being stopped.
"When it comes to gathering on parking lots or things of that nature, that is no longer acceptable," he said. "This is a serious situation. One of the reasons I supported the mayor on the curfew is I didn't think our citizens were respecting the social distancing."
He said a daytime juvenile curfew -- 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. -- which has long been in effect during the week when school is in session, will be enforced, but he noted that from 2:30 until 9 p.m. -- hours that juveniles 17 and younger are not under curfew -- young people will still need to observe guidelines of limiting public exposure, social distancing, and other precautions designed to help limit the contagion.
"Children can come out and get some exercise at your residence," Sergeant said. "This does not give you the freedom to roam and walk around the streets and the parks and things of that nature."
Washington noted that the daytime curfew for juveniles, originally intended to ensure that school students were in school and not out in the streets, provides opportunity for scholastic instruction at home while the schools are closed.
She said all three of the school districts in Pine Bluff -- the Pine Bluff School District, Dollarway School District and Watson Chapel School District -- provide materials online for alternative methods of instruction approved by the state Board of Education to keep students from falling behind in their studies during times in the school year that public schools are unable to meet.
"We're asking parents to make sure they are using the packets of materials that some schools sent home with their students," she said. "And parents, be creative in doing things with your kids that are fun and educational."
Washington said all public schools are closed at least through April 17.
"Beyond that, we'll listen for instructions from our governor," she said.
She said the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff is closed through the end of the current semester and that commencement exercises have been postponed until an unspecified date.
"All non-essential businesses are closed," Washington said. "Those include salons, massage parlors, tattoo parlors -- those are closed."
She said Pine Bluff Transit is continuing to run regular and handicapped routes daily from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. She said City Council meetings will be closed to the public and that signs will be posted on city offices with instructions for anyone needing to do business with those offices.
Washington exhorted residents to conduct all business possible online, by phone, or by mail, and to stay home as much as possible.
"We need you to stay at home because it is safer at home. This is the only way we can stop the spread of this virus," she said.
"Let's take this pandemic seriously. These are serious times."
State Desk on 04/01/2020