State sees 784 new virus cases; death toll rises by 15

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson speaks to reporters at the state Capitol in Little Rock on Tuesday in this still of video provided by the governor's office.
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson speaks to reporters at the state Capitol in Little Rock on Tuesday in this still of video provided by the governor's office.

Arkansas tallied 784 new cases of covid-19 Tuesday as deaths attributed to the virus rose by 15 and hospitalizations reached a new high, according to Gov. Asa Hutchinson.

Officials discussed the new data as part of a wider-ranging midday news conference about the virus and how it has affected the state -- including an announcement that Arkansas has frozen tens of thousands of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims amid concerns about fraud.

Total known Arkansas cases of covid-19 since the pandemic started have now eclipsed 45,000. The death toll as a result of the virus is at 490, the governor said.

Of the 784 additional people who tested positive for covid-19, 149 live in Pulaski County, according to the governor.

Seven other counties reported at least 20 new infections: Sebastian with 56, Mississippi with 55, Washington with 45, Benton with 35, Saline with 25, Crittenden with 24 and Jefferson with 23, the governor said.

Nearly 7,000 of those cases are currently active, interim Department of Health Secretary Jose Romero said.

Hutchinson, characterizing Arkansas' cases of covid-19 as flat, said he hopes to see hospitalizations decline. The governor reported a net increase of 13 hospitalizations on Tuesday, bringing the current total to 526.

According to Romero, the number of people being treated with a ventilator to assist their breathing declined by seven to 101.

Commerce Secretary Mike Preston said ongoing concerns about a "national -- even international -- ring" of "fraudsters" targeting unemployment benefits has prompted the state to freeze tens of thousands of pending unemployment claims.

The frozen claims include 27,000 for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and 10,000 more within traditional unemployment assistance, Preston said.

People whose claims have been frozen will be mailed letters with instructions on how to verify that they are individually making the claims. The process will require people to show up in person to regional offices.

The fraud scheme, which is under FBI investigation, involves people who are making claims under the names of other people, Hutchinson said.

Hutchinson and several cabinet secretaries are among those whose names have been used by fraudsters, Preston said.

Hutchinson and Preston urged people to report suspected fraud cases by email at [email protected] or by phone at 501-682-1058.

EARLIER:

Gov. Asa Hutchinson and state health officials will provide an update on Arkansas' covid-19 response at 1:30 p.m.

The total number of coronavirus cases reported in Arkansas remained at 44,597 Tuesday morning, according to a state website. The death toll remained at 475.

Check back to watch the live video.

[Video not showing up above? Click here to view » https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Z3IcK2vFIs]

Upcoming Events