News Flash

Governor Hutchinson 2/2/21 COVID Press Conference 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8CoLefFLKM   

> Monthly revenue report is up. Exceeding forecasts. Surplus over forecast is over $400 million. Shows people are returning to work and have confidence in the economy.  

> Not extending the 11:00 pm curfew on bars that goes through February 3.  

> Total cases in last 24 hours- 1,150 

> Active cases are down 334 

> Hospitalizations are down by 20 

> 7,223 tests in the last 24 hours 

> Up 44 deaths- 4,939 Arkansans who have died from COVID 

> Have received 486,500 doses, given out 301,291 doses, about 61.9%.  

> CVS/Walgreens program- allocated 49,400 doses, given 17,117, about 34.6%. This is through the federal program.  

> Almost completed the long-term care facilities- second doses and follow ups are still in process.  

> Arkansas will receive a 5% increase in vaccine supply. On top of the 16% increase announced last week.  

> Walmart will receive 10,000 Feb 11. Will be distributed through about 60 stores.  

> Trendlines are down for hospitalizations, active cases, infection rate, etc.  

> Although we are making improvements against COVID, we all still need to Wash our hands, Wear a mask and Watch your distance.  

> Reminder that there are variants out there- more critical than ever to be offensive against the disease. Once they are here, they will soon be the main strain.  

> Encourage Arkansans to take the vaccine. It is safe. It has been studied across all groups. Prevent death 100% decrease hospitalizations significantly. Possibility of a third vaccine- a single dose vaccine through Johnson and Johnson.  

> Pandemic Unemployment Assistance- call 844-908-2178 with any questions or go to ARunempployment.com . Staff is working on getting that unemployment to those who need it; must exhaust traditional unemployment before moving to pandemic unemployment assistance. Will require more information to help prevent fraud.  

> Did you receive a 1099G for a fraudulent unemployment claim? If you have not already done so, email your police report to adws.internalaudit@arkansas.gov by February 12.  

> We have gotten through 100 days of school in the 2020-2021 school year. Teachers and staff are working hard to have in-person school.  

>74% of schools and 56% of districts have not had to implement large-scale education modifications.  

Additionally, please see “Local Leaders Letter to the Public” regarding the COVID-19 vaccine.  

Dear Friends and Neighbors, 

We all recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic has tragically cut short the lives of many in the U.S. and around the world, has created great economic hardship, and has interrupted the “normal” life for all of us. We also know that the number of positive cases is growing exponentially, not just in our region, but here in Siloam Springs. 

According to the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement website (https://achi.net/covid19), on November 30, Siloam Springs had 35 new cases per 10,000 residents, ranking us seventh among the ten cities of Northwest Arkansas. As of January 11, Siloam Springs had 144 new case per 10,000 residents, ranking us first out of those ten cities. This increase is putting a strain on our hospital system, as well as the hospitals throughout NWA. 

We all know the standard actions we should take to minimize the spread of COVID-19, which are the Three-W's: Wash your hands; Watch your distance; and Wear a Mask. Those strategies will remain important for a while, and we encourage you to continue them. 

However, we also now have a wonderful new resource to respond to the pandemic; safe and effective vaccines that are slowly becoming available in Siloam. Healthcare workers have already received them; our emergency responders are receiving them, employees of Siloam Spring Public Schools and JBU will be receiving them in the next week as will citizens over age 70 and other essential workers in the coming weeks. As city leaders, we are all committed to doing all we can to making COVID-19 vaccines available as quickly as possible in Siloam.

We realize that people have questions about the vaccines, so we wanted to provide you with what we believe is reliable information to answer those questions as you consider your options. (Center for Disease Control FAQ https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/faq.html and UAMS vaccine video Vaccine Q & A with Dr. Bob Hopkins, UAMS  

As community leaders, we are personally committed to take the vaccine when it becomes available to us. But suppressing the pandemic will require us to join together in our efforts. We strongly encourage you, our friends and neighbors, to join us in rolling up your sleeve and receiving a vaccine when it becomes available to you so that together we can end the pandemic. 

Respectfully,