During the press briefing held on August 13th, Governor Hutchinson started by saying there had been 652 new COVID-19 cases in Arkansas over the last 24 hours. He also said that Arkansas was down by 13 hospitalizations, and that the daily number of new cases and active cases have also lessened this week.
After a discussion of the current numbers, Governor Hutchinson began talking about the "Arkansas Ready To Learn Healthy School Guide" for educators and families on how to go back to school in person safely. This guide was written and assembled by a team of medical, behavioral health, and education experts from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Arkansas Children’s, the Arkansas Department of Health, the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, and partners. The goal of the guide is to bring together good health information. This information includes the latest scientific advice, guidelines, and best practices. Every school is different. This guide can help school officials, educators, and families plan for in-person learning.
Read the Arkansas Ready to Learn Healthy School Guide
And watch the video below to hear more from Governor Hutchinson, Dr. Cam Patterson with UAMS, and also to hear from Sarah Turner, an Elementary teacher from Hot Springs, talk about her experiences and how she's getting ready for the upcoming school year.