Arkansas' tally of new coronavirus cases rose by 2,789 on Thursday, setting a one-day record that is more than 400 cases higher than the old record set one week ago.
The announcement came as Gov. Asa Hutchinson said that he has requested 10 hospital beds in the Veterans Administration hospital in Little Rock to expand the state's hospitalization capacity.
The reported number of Arkansans who have been diagnosed with the coronavirus since the pandemic began rose to 164,310.
An additional 33 coronavirus deaths were reported, the largest increase since the record 42 deaths on Nov. 16. That raised the reported death toll to 2,555.
The numbers were announced by Hutchinson during his briefing Thursday.
Hutchinson also said that the state will follow federal guidelines for quarantines, keeping 14 days as the safe standard. However, the state will now allow people who have been exposed to the virus to quarantine for 10 days without a test, as long as they take precautions over the next four days. People who have been exposed to the virus and who test negative may leave quarantine after seven days, but must monitor themselves for symptoms and take precautions.
Check back for more details.
– Brian Smith
EARLIER:
Gov. Asa Hutchinson and state health officials will provide an update on Arkansas' covid-19 response at 3 p.m.
The total number of coronavirus cases reported in Arkansas remained at 161,521 early Thursday afternoon, according to a state website. The death toll remained at 2,522.
Check back to watch the live video.
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