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Two COVID-19 deaths reported in Arkansas Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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I WANT TO AGAIN THANK THE GOVERNOR FOR HIS LEADERSHIP DURING THIS VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION IN TERMS OF OUR NUMBERS AS THE GOVERNOR’S NOTED WHERE IT 218 WHICH IS UP 44 FROM OUR LAST PRESS CONFERENCE FOR THE FIRST TIME. WE HAVE ACTUALLY MORE POSITIVE RESULTS COMING IN FROM COMMERCIAL LABS THAN FROM OUR DEPARTMENT OF HEALT LAB AND ALSO THE UAMS HE HAS STARTED DOING TESTS AND WE’VE ALREADY GOTTEN A POSITIVE RESULT FROM THEM THAT WAS REPORTED TO US. OF THESE 218 WE HAVE ELEVEN WHO ARE CHILDREN. WE HAVE 73 WHO ARE ADULTS 65 AND OLDER AND WE HAVE A HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FOUR WHO ARE AGED 19 TO 64 THE GENDER AND THE AND THE RACE BREAKDOWN IS PRETTY SIMILAR TO WHAT IT’S BEEN THE LAST FEW DAYS. WE CURRENTLY HAVE 14 WHO ARE HOSPITALIZED AND SIX WHO ARE O VENTILATORS. WE HAVE 38 WHO ARE IN NURSING HOMES? WE HAVE 10 WHO HAVE RECOVERED AND AS THE GOVERNOR MENTIONED WE UNFORTUNATELY HAVE OUR FIRST TWO DEATHS BOTH OF THESE ARE IN CENTRAL ARKANSAS ONE INDIVIDUAL IS IN THE 50S AND THE OTHER IS GREATER THAN K JT AND NEITHER OF THEM WERE NURSING HOME RESIDENTS. WE ALSO HAVE THREE NEW COUNTIES PIKE COUNTY HEMPSTEAD COUNTY AND CROPS. A FEW THINGS THAT I WANTED TO MENTION THAT I THINK ARE IMPORTANT. FUNERALS IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE REMEMBER OUR LOVED ONES AND THAT WE HONOR THEIR LIVES, BUT FUNERALS CAN ALSO BE A TIME WHEN COVID-19 CAN PASS EASILY AMONGST FAMILY MEMBERS AND ESPECIALLY IF THERE ARE OLDER OR VULNERABLE INDIVIDUALS AND PUT AT THE FUNERAL I THINK WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT WAYS THAT WE CAN HONOR THE LIVES OF OUR DOESN’T INCREASE THE SPREAD OF COVID-19. I THINK THAT PERHAPS SMALL SMALLER FAMILY GATHERINGS, MAYBE EVEN OUTSIDE AS THE WEATHER GETS BETTER AND THEN MAYBE PUTTING OFF A LARGER MEMORIAL SAVAGE RINGS, MAYBE EVEN OUTSIDE AS THE WEATHER GETS BETTER AND THEN MAYBE PUTTING OFF A LARGER MEMORIAL SERVICE TO LATER ON MIGHT BE ONE STRATEGY, BUT THERE ARE OTHERS THAT AND THINK OF BUT I THINK WE NEED TO BE MINDFUL AND REMEMBER THAT IT’S NOT JUST OUR FAMILY MEMBERS, BUT ALSO OUR FUNERAL HOME DIRECTORS WHO WERE POTENTIALLY EXPOSED AND I WANT TO THANK THEM FOR THE THEY BUT THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT I WANT TO BRING YOUR ATTENTION. ANOTHER ONE IS IS SMOKING THERE’S A INCREASING EVIDENCE. THAT SMOKING IS A SIGNIFICANT RISK FACTOR FOR SERIOUS ILLNESS 19 FOR THOSE WHO SMOKE THIS IS A GOOD TIME TO STRONGLY CONSIDER QUITTING. WE HAVE MANY RESOURCES THROUGH OUR BE WELL, ARKANSAS WEBSITE AND AND LINE: LINE AND I WOULD REFER YOU THERE, BUT THAT’S A THAT’S AN EMERGING EVIDENCE. I WANT TO TAL TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT EMPLOYERS. THERE ARE THINK HAS BEEN A BIT OF A MISCOMMUNICATION. I’VE HEARD REPORTS THAT SOME EMPLOYERS ARE SAYING THAT THEIR EMPLOYEES HAVE TO BE TESTED FOR COVID-19 BEFORE THEY’LL LET THEM ON-SITE OUR GUIDANCE WAS THAT THEY WOULD SCREEN ON A DAILY BASIS THEIR VISITORS EMPLOYER EMPLOYEES FOR SYMPTOMS AND PERHAPS EVEN CHECK TEMPERATURES, BUT IT WOULD NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR A WORKER WHO HAS NO SYMPTOMS TO GET SCREENED FOR COVID-19 BEFORE COMING TO WORK. ANOTHER THING THAT I’VE BEEN HEARING IS WELL, WE NEED TO KNOW WHERE ALL THE CONTACTS ARE AND ALL THE CASES ARE SO WE KNOW WHETHER IT’S SAFE IN OUR COMMUNITY OR NOT WITH COVID-19 BEING REPORTED FROM MANY PARTS OF OUR STATE. I THINK WE NEED TO CONSIDER THAT ANY PUBLIC SKATE PUBLIC SPACES IS POTENTIALLY A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE COULD BECOME INFECTED AND WE HAVE TO PRACTICE SOCIAL AND AND BE VERY CAREFUL. TO MAKE UNNECESSARY TRIPS OUT OF OUR HOMES AND THEN CROWDED PLACES. AND FINALLY, I MENTIONED CHLOROQUINE YESTERDAY AND SOME CAUTION ABOUT SIDE EFFECTS. I WANT TO PARTICULARLY HIGHLIGHT THE DANGER TO CHILDREN EVEN A SINGLE ADULT CHLOROQUINE TABLET IS ENOUGH TO CAUSE A FATAL OVERDOSE IN A SMALL CHILD AGED, TWO THREE FOUR OR YOUNGER. SO WE NEED TO BE VERY MINDFUL ABOUT HOW WE USE THESE MEDICATIONS AND WHAT I’D LIKE TO DO NEXT IS TO TURN IT OVER TO DOCTOR. NEVER DELAHAYE WHO IS OUR MEDICAL DIRECTOR FOR OUTBREAK RESPONSE AND IMMUNIZATIONS