At Friday's coronavirus response briefing, Governor Asa Hutchinson reported 990 new cases of COVID-19, eight additional deaths and the largest single-day jump in hospitalizations with 17. Seven counties reported at least 37 new cases, including Newton County, a sparsely populated, rural area, which had 55 new cases. Hutchinson said Newtown County's population trends older, so the state is investigating whether the infection is spreading in a long-term care facility. The state received about 8,000 tests in the last 24-hour monitoring period with a cumulative positivity rate of eight percent. The governor was also asked about a Legislative Council decision to deny hearing a request made by the Department of Health to spend $7 million for targeted contact tracing in the Latinx and Marshallese communities, which have both been disproportionately affected by the virus outbreak. He was also asked about school reopening after President Trump announced some districts may need to considering delaying in-person classes in places with high rates of infection. Hutchinson also urged people to be responsible heading into another summer weekend. To watch the full briefing, click here.
State Reports 990 New COVID-19 Cases and Jump in Hospitalizations
