During his weekly COVID-19 response briefing yesterday, Governor Asa Hutchinson extended the health emergency he first initiated in March for another 60 days. He said the extension is necessary to allow school children to have the option to learn from home, for small businesses to have a measure of liability immunity, for businesses to accept e-signatures on legal documents and for operations of telemedicine to continue to get reimbursements from Medicare. The extension of the emergency declaration comes after the Arkansas Department of Health reported another 25 deaths and 680 new and probable cases of COVID-19. More than 600 Arkansans remain hospitalized. Dr. Jennifer Dillaha, an infection disease expert with ADH, said she's concerned about the recent upward trends in the state's deaths, hospitalizations, and the need for ventilators. She also urged Arkansans to get the flu shot. The governor, meanwhile, urged Arkansans to patronize businesses that are following guidelines for mask-wearing and social distancing. To watch the full briefing, click here.
Governor Extends COVID-19 Health Emergency Into December
