Arkansas reported 294 new cases of COVID-19 out of more than 5,100 tests in the past 24-hour monitoring period. There were also nine additional deaths. The number of hospitalized Arkansans grew by 10. Three counties reported more than 20 new cases, including Washington County, which had 29. Governor Asa Hutchinson said the majority of new cases, nearly 17 percent, are being reported in people between the ages of 18 and 24. When asked about the nearly 1,000 active cases reported on the University of Arkansas campus, Hutchinson said the chancellor has taken an aggressive testing approach to get the case numbers under control. The governor also provided an update on the partnership between Arkansas, several other states, the National Governors' Association and the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation to purchase a large volume of antigen tests. He said the state will use $4 million to buy 120,000 tests that will be used at Arkansas Department of Health's county units, 10 college health centers and select community testing sites from October through the end of the year. Arkansas Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston announced the first payments of the Lost Wages Assistance Program, which was approved by President Trump this summer, will be sent to eligible Arkansans soon. The $300 a week in federal money will come from FEMA funds and replaces the now-expired Pandemic Unemployment Assistance checks of $600 a week approved in the CARES Act. Preston said the application system is now live in Arkansas. He also said the state has seen seven consecutive weeks of dropping unemployment claims, putting the state's unemployment rate at 7.1. percent. To watch the full briefing, click here.
State Reports Jump in COVID-19 Cases in 18-24 Age Group, Launches Lost Wages Assistance Program
