SPRINGDALE — Gov. Asa Hutchinson met with Northwest Arkansas government, education, health care and business leaders for more than an hour Wednesday morning to discuss covid-19 response.
Hutchinson told reporters after the meeting he was meeting with community leaders at the recommendation of his winter covid-19 task force so he can learn from the communities and make better decisions. Mayors, county judges, hospital administration and school superintendents discussed the need for more information and marketing related to the covid-19 vaccines, he said.
The state plans to distribute vaccines to healthcare workers and people in long-term care facilities first, Hutchinson said. The state will follow guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as to how to distribute the vaccine further. Essential workers, including poultry plant workers, will be a priority for vaccines, he said. The state does not plan to mandate vaccines.
“The hospitals will have to prioritize their own staff with initial distribution,” he said.
The first round of vaccines is intended for health-care workers caring for covid-19 patients.
Hutchinson’s visit comes as Northwest Arkansas is seeing a surge in covid-19 hospitalizations. Benton and Washington county hospitals had 113 patients in their covid-19 units as of Tuesday, according to a joint statement from the region’s largest health care organizations by Martine Pollard, spokeswoman for Mercy Health System. The number is not a new record, but it is only the second time the region had that many hospitalizations in a single day. The region had 113 covid-19 patients on July 7.
Hutchinson’s community meetings are leading up to his planned address to the state set for 7 p.m. tonight, he said.
The meeting was closed to news reporters and the general public. Hutchinson answered questions from reporters after the meeting.
Hutchinson’s office sent out a news release Monday that stated he would host community meetings in Benton, Springdale and Jonesboro this week “to focus attention and develop local action plans to fight the current surge of covid-19 in Arkansas.”
The release did not specify the meetings were by invitation-only, and people outside The Jones Center said they had planned on attending because they were under the impression the meeting was open to the public.
The state’s Freedom of Information Act requires meetings of governing bodies such as city councils or school boards to be open to the public. Two council members, for example, cannot meet privately to discuss a city ordinance. The act does not prohibit private meetings between the governor and other government leaders such as mayors.
Kelly Thonell, 49, of Rogers said she was turned away at the door. She stood outside holding a double-sided sign that read “Masks don’t work” on one side and “Asa works for we the people” on the other.
Hutchinson issued an executive order in July requiring everyone, with some exceptions, to wear facial coverings in indoor settings if they cannot maintain 6 feet distance from others who are non-household members. Thonell said people should have the choice whether to wear masks and should focus on improving their immune systems.
“We understand he is not a health expert and Romero is not elected by the people,” she said.
Dr. Jose Romero is the state’s health secretary.
Thonell was one of a couple dozen people, including Benton County Justice of the Peace Carrie Perrien Smith, without masks outside the Jones Center. Some held up signs such as “I have an immune system” and “Your corona mandates kill small businesses.”
Smith said she planned to attend the meeting because she thought it was open to the public. She said businesses should decide whether they want to require masks.
The CDC recommends wearing masks because covid-19 spreads mainly from person to person through respiratory droplets, which travel into the air when people cough, sneeze, talk, shout or sing, according to the organization’s website. Masks reduce the spray of droplets when worn over the nose and mouth, according to the CDC.
Fast facts
Benton County had 1,190 active covid-19 cases as of Wednesday afternoon, including 757 confirmed cases and 433 probable cases.
Washington County had 1,508 active cases, including 1,129 active cases and 379 probable cases.
Active cases are those that have not recovered.
Source: Arkansas Department of Health
Alex Golden may be reached by email at agolden@nwadg.com .
