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Governor Meets With Local Officials Ahead of Primetime Address

Governor Asa Hutchinson held his weekly coronavirus response briefing Tuesday between meetings with local officials and community leaders throughout the state. Yesterday the governor traveled to Benton, today he was in Springdale, and Thursday morning he'll be in Jonesboro. Then, on Thursday at 7 p.m., Hutchinson will deliver a statewide, primetime address. The governor said based on the feedback from those who attended yesterday's meeting in Benton, he's not ready to implement specific regulations regarding large gatherings, but he encouraged anyone planning any events, especially this month, to call the Arkansas Department of Health for guidance. Hutchinson again praised the state's healthcare workers, but issued a familiar reminder that continued increases in cases could become incredibly problematic. Arkansas Health Secretary Dr. Jose Romero said the familiar practices of wearing a mask, social distancing, and handwashing have to be adopted by more people to slow the current spread of COVID-19 and the CDC's latest recommendations on masking and non-essential travel are straightforward. Washington Regional Medical System President and CEO Larry Shackelford, who is a member of the governor's Winter COVID-19 Task Force, also spoke at the briefing. He said Northwest Arkansas's hospitals continue to have the capacity for patients, but the margin is thin. Governor Hutchinson said contact tracing efforts have also been hampered by the surge in cases because the people doing that job are overwhelmed. Arkansas Education Secretary Johnny Key reported 16 schools had to make learning modifications last week due to the pandemic and currently there are 22 active modifications. He noted the vast majority of schools across the state have not had to make any pivots to virtual learning. To watch the full briefing, click here.

Kyle Kellams is KUAF's news director and host of Ozarks at Large.
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