As our state deals with the spread of covid-19 in the midst of a global outbreak, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette will publish five things you need to know each week. We'll be publishing these roundups in English, Spanish and Marshallese. You can read our full coverage at arkansasonline.com/coronavirus/. Coronavirus coverage pertaining to crucial public health information will be available for all readers.
Here are this week’s five important things to know about the coronavirus.
• Arkansas has recorded 225,138 confirmed and probable cases of covid-19 since the pandemic began, according to data posted Jan. 1. State health officials also have reported 3,676 covid-19 deaths and 199,247 recoveries.
• An increase in staff member cases prompted the Department of Corrections on Dec. 30 to announce a "lockdown" of the state's prisons until at least Jan. 15. The lockdown means that "all non-essential movement within facilities or between facilities will be suspended," and a visitation pilot project launched earlier this month at four state prisons will be suspended.
• University of Arkansas for the Medical Sciences Chancellor Cam Patterson said in a series of tweets Dec. 30 that the university's hospital "has had difficulty keeping pace” with the needs of patients with and without covid-19. The hospital is taking steps to accommodate more patients including constructing an addition to its emergency department in the adjacent parking deck. This came after Hutchinson announced a plan to renovate two facilities over the next few weeks to house up to 124 additional virus patients.
•Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed an order Dec. 29 that extends the emergency declaration because of covid-19 by another 60 days, keeping in place measures such as a telemedicine expansion, an option for children to attend school virtually and Health Department directives designed to prevent the spread of the virus. He announced the same day a record 66 deaths and said he was "not satisfied" with the pace of vaccinations in nursing homes, which began last week.
• Starting Jan. 2, indoor gatherings of 10 or more people – with the exception of those covered through separate directives, such as churches, school sporting events and restaurants – will require a plan be submitted state health authorities before the event, Hutchinson announced Dec. 23.
SPANISH: arkansasonline.com/news/2021/jan/01/viernes-1-de-enero-cinco-hechos-importantes-sobre-/