There remain no confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Arkansas but one person is currently under investigation for the illness, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Friday.
Jennifer Dillaha, the state Department of Health’s medical director for immunizations and outbreak response, said samples from the person have been sent to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s laboratory in Atlanta for testing. The state had not received results as of midday Friday.
The person developed symptoms consistent with a possible coronavirus infection while being kept under home quarantine after returning from a country affected by the outbreak, Dillaha said.
Nine other people are also under quarantine in their homes in Arkansas after returning from trips to China or other affected countries, Dillaha said. They are not candidates for testing because they haven’t developed symptoms, she said.
One person in Arkansas was previously tested for the illness but results were negative.
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At a news conference on Friday, Hutchinson said he had spoken earlier in the morning with Vice President Mike Pence, who President Donald Trump on Wednesday said would be in charge of the federal response.
"He noted that the risk of infection for the coronavirus remains low" in the United States, Hutchinson said.
But Hutchinson said he has directed his cabinet secretaries to develop plans for providing state services and instruction for public school students if the coronavirus begins spreading in the state.
He said he also spoke to Pence about the need for Arkansas to be able to test for the coronavirus and for masks and other protective equipment to be available.
The Health Department expects to be able to start testing as soon as next week, Dillaha said.
Read Saturday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
Information for this article was contributed by Nyssa Kruse of the Democrat-Gazette.