Governor’s press conference today, FRIDAY APRIL 17th, 2020:
? 1,695 total cases: 1,065 active cases, 593 recovered
? Chief Petty Officer Charles Robert Thacker, Jr. passed away yesterday. He was serving aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt. He was hospitalized in Guam. He was from Ft. Smith, was 42 yrs old, and in good health.
? We will begin using Proposed State or Regional Gating Criteria the President announced yesterday. We are not yet to Phase 1 but we can get there if we continue social distancing and other guidance.
DR NATE SMITH, SEC OF ADH:
?Out of 1,695 cases:
93 currently hospitalized
23 currently on ventilators
0 new deaths
?228 healthcare workers tota
l
?116 nursing home residents
10 tests (2 residents/8 staff) were from
a lab that gave false positives.
?Correctional facilities:
Forrest City: 57 inmates/9 staff
LR Comm Corr: 62 inmates/27 staff
Cummins: 83 new cases since
yesterday however those are not all
included in today’s numbers. Little Rock
VA hospital is helping test but is not
connected online with ADH lab so new
positives are being entered manually.
?COVID-19 Post Peak Medical Advisory
Committee submitted report to
Governor on opening AR back up.
4 PRIORITIES POST-PEAK RESPONSE
1️⃣ Restore AR economy in timely fashion
2️⃣ Protecting our most vulnerable (65+
and those with underlying medical
conditions)
3️⃣ Maintaining adequate healthcare and
public health capacity. (i.e. We need
more capacity for contact tracing and
PPE)
4️⃣ Prevent a resurgence
?Using the Opening Up America plan,
our target date is May 4th to meet the
criteria allowing us to begin the slow
reopening of our state.