The number of coronavirus cases statewide has risen by 190 to 7,443, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Monday.
The governor held his almost daily coronavirus update in Rogers on Monday from Mercy hospital. He came to Northwest Arkansas to underscore a recent jump in new cases of covid-19 in the region.
No new deaths were reported, leaving the state total at 133.
Hutchinson said he spoke with community leaders, including those from the Marshallese and Hispanic communities, about the increase in cases in the Northwest region. He said state officials asked the minority leaders what more the state should do to get the message out about testing and guidelines.
Statewide, 121 people remained hospitalized, 45 in the Northwest, Hutchinson said. He added hospital space remains more than adequate.
Dr. Nate Smith, state health secretary, said last week during Hutchinson's daily news briefing covid-19 cases are rapidly increasing in the Hispanic community, particularly in Northwest Arkansas.
Smith on Monday detailed the disproportionate number of new cases, noting more than 40% of the new cases in Benton and Washington counties are in the Hispanic community. In Benton County, 27% of the Hispanic cases were poultry workers, Smith said.
He noted the Northwest region is behind the state average in the numbers tested.
"So we need to do even more testing in the Northwest," Smith said.
Hutchinson praised the steps taken by the poultry industry in the region, saying Tyson Foods now tests every worker and Simmons Foods also tests all applicants.
"They have really set a national model for best practices for the poultry industry" nationwide, he said.
The spike in cases among poultry workers prompted protests last week, including demonstrators at four plants owned by Cargill, George's and Tyson Foods. The protests were organized by poultry workers rights group Venceremos.
EARLIER:
Gov. Asa Hutchinson and state health officials will provide an update on Arkansas' covid-19 response from Rogers at 1:00 p.m.
The total number of covid-19 cases reported in Arkansas remained at 7,253 late Monday morning, according to the Arkansas Department of Health. The death toll remained at 133.
Check back to watch the live video.
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NW News on 06/02/2020