After more than three years, the covid pandemic emergency in the United States officially ended May 11, 2023. An evaluation of how the individual states performed during this three-plus-year period (2020-2023) was completed by 247Wallst.com.
In summary, Arkansas failed.
The report ranked Arkansas fifth in deaths per 100,000 people. Arkansas' total of 434 deaths per 100,000 people was far higher than the national average of 340 deaths per 100,000.
However, when it comes to covid deaths, it's more than just statistics; it was and is about human experience, suffering and grief. The current Arkansas total of over 13,200 deaths would make it the state's 30th largest city. Even high-growth areas in northwest Arkansas haven't expanded at that speed.
What makes the high pandemic emergency death ranking even more stunning is that Arkansas was ranked 20th in the percentage of reported cases. There's a big gulf between being fifth in deaths and 20th in cases. This high death rate in Arkansas happened for several reasons including but not limited to:
Arkansas was slow to react to the 2020 covid spread in congregate settings such as prisons, processing plants and houses of worship.
Arkansas was among states that relaxed covid restrictions too quickly. As part of his "Ready for Business" public relations initiative, Gov. Asa Hutchinson disregarded a Trump White House task force report and moved the state into another response phase. This new phase was "for states and regions with no evidence for a rebound." Arkansas quickly rebounded.
In July 2021 the governor told a national television audience that he did not believe Arkansas was in for another covid surge. He couldn't have been more wrong. In August the Delta variant resulted in records for hospitalizations, intensive care and ventilators.
The public discussions over vaccinations and masks became politicized and often evolved into debates over personal freedom versus public health and safety. Emotion too often overruled reason. As Sgt. Joe Friday said 70 years ago on the television series "Dragnet," "All we know are the facts, ma'am."
One of the things I've experienced over the years in both the public and private sectors is the value of a quality evaluation. It's a factual way to see what worked and what didn't as well as to better plan for the future. When it came to facts about covid deaths, Arkansas failed a pandemic evaluation.
Thankfully, the covid public health emergency is behind us even though new covid cases, long covid and deaths continue and should not be minimized. According to Arkansas Department of Health data, reported covid cases in the state recently exceeded 1 million. The overall case numbers are even higher because the Department of Health totals do not include unreported positive home tests.
As a result, I'm just grateful an updated covid vaccination is expected sometime this fall. And I'll be among the first in line to get it.
Skip Rutherford of Little Rock is Dean Emeritus of the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service.