DUMAS -- School leaders voiced strong opinions to Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Tuesday saying that they should have the ability to require the use of masks in their buildings as the school year quickly approaches.
"From a school district, I just think it is absolutely ludicrous for the numbers to go up and the General Assembly has a law that dictates or prohibits school districts from placing restrictions in place to govern the students of that particular school district," Dumas School District Superintendent Kelvin Gragg said to a packed room inside the Dumas Community Center.
Gragg also mentioned a possible lawsuit from Rogers lawyer Tom Mars, who reportedly planned to file for a temporary injunction to keep Act 1002, which prevents local entities from requiring the use of masks, from going into effect.
"I know it was passed, and I don't mean to be negative, but I just think that for us to not be able to dictate that our students ... because in all honesty, the people in Little Rock don't know what's going on or what's best for our students in Dumas," Gragg said.
During a short pause in Gragg's thought, Hutchinson uttered: "I got you."
Alan Minor, president of the Dumas School Board, echoed Gragg's sentiments and asked Hutchinson if he gave any thought to reinstating his statewide mask mandate, which has been lifted since March 31.
"The answer is, I would like to see the local choice and option there," Hutchinson said. "But the General Assembly passed a law that prohibits me or any state entity or school board from issuing a mask mandate."
Hutchinson made Dumas his latest stop in a series of covid-19 community discussions aimed at encouraging people to take vaccinations against the disease, which has seen a sharp rise in the number of cases over the past two months, largely because of the more contagious delta variant.
Act 1002 also takes away the governor's power to reestablish a statewide mask mandate.
"In order to change that, I would have to call the General Assembly back in special session to address that and amend that law," he said. "There's a few hurdles to change where we are right now, so in the near future, we've got to stick with the plan that we've outlined of asking those 12 and under to wear a mask; otherwise get vaccinated because there's no mandate in the schools."
People 12 and older are eligible to take the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. Those 18 and older can opt for the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
PLEAS FOR MANDATES
Hutchinson didn't indicate whether he was leaning toward favoring the return of a statewide mandate but said he would provide feedback from the town hall tostate legislators later in the day.
He also remarked that Gragg was committed to holding in-person classes in the Dumas district because students were struggling to learn virtually.
Sara Williams, nursing director for the McGehee School District, reminded Hutchinson of an incentive he offered to schools to continue requiring masks -- if a person who has covid-19 and another who comes in contact with the affected person are masked, the person in contact does not have to quarantine. When she asked if that incentive could continue to be offered, Hutchinson answered: "The answer is yes."
"I would feel a lot more comfortable if we were able to mandate masks," Williams said. "We were a school district that continued our mask policy through the end of the school year."
On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidance on wearing masks, asking people to wear them indoors in public if in an "area of substantial or high transmission" to prevent possibly spreading the delta variant. Most if not all Arkansas counties are considered to be areas of high transmission, defined by the CDC as either more than 100 new cases per 100,000 people in the past seven days or greater than 10% of the nucleic acid amplification tests that are positive during the past seven days.
"Here's the challenge that we face, and that's the reason why I'm having these covid community conversations, is that we are really at a more risky place not just in Arkansas but the United States of America just because of the new delta variant that has come along," Hutchinson said.
LOCAL DATA
Data from the Arkansas Department of Health shows a spike from 1,592 active cases of coronavirus on June 7 to 15,491 active cases as of Tuesday, and 175 hospitalizations from July 7 to 1,025 as of Tuesday, 45 more than on Monday. Data as of Tuesday reflected 15,491 active cases across the state, 2,052 new cases, as well as 6,087 deaths.
Jefferson County had 474 active cases and 178 deaths from covid-19 as of Tuesday, according to department data.
Hutchinson credited Desha County, which includes Dumas, McGehee and Arkansas City, for being one of nine Arkansas counties to reach the governor's goal of 50% or more of the population fully vaccinated. Desha County's full vaccination rate stood at 53% as of Tuesday, Hutchinson said.
According to covidactnow.org, Jefferson County's vaccination rate for one or more doses was 36% through Tuesday, ranking 42nd out of 75 counties. Desha County was second only to Pulaski County in one-plus dosages at 49%, with Bradley, Monroe and Dallas counties ranking third through fifth.
"Desha County has really done a good job of working from a community standpoint to encourage vaccinations and making sure they are available," Hutchinson said.
DUMAS' STANCE
People are required to wear masks inside Dumas City Hall, Mayor Flora Simon said.
"I definitely believe in the mandate for masks. I believe also that masks actually protects one," she said. "Now, I can't control what the businesses do, but for the government buildings, we do require a mask when they come into the building. Now, we've asked the businesses to also require the same thing, and most of them did. But as a lady said earlier, you always got those people who reject them, but you can't do a thing about that."
Out of the estimated 90 city employees in Dumas, Simon added, one has not been vaccinated.
"We're going to urge him again to take the vaccination," she said.
Mike Akin, president of Akin Industries in Dumas, told Hutchinson he offered a day off with pay for employees who get vaccinated. Bob Ware, vice chancellor of the University of Arkansas at Monticello College of Technology's McGehee campus, said he has strongly encouraged students to be vaccinated or wear masks if not vaccinated.
When Hutchinson asked about enrollment at the campus, Ware said it is increasing despite the threat of covid-19.
Minutes after arriving at the community center, Hutchinson inked a letter he mailed to Dumas Family Pharmacy without his signature. The letter, dated July 7, commended the pharmacy for supporting covid-19 vaccinations throughout Arkansas.
"As the top pharmacies for covid-19 vaccinations in the southeast region, I would like to commend each of you for your efficiency, perseverance, and adaptability in our fight against covid-19," the letter reads in part.
Cheryl Stimson, the pharmacy's owner, took the letter to the town hall to have it signed. Stimson said Dumas Family Pharmacy has given about 5,800 vaccinations.
