LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Five new people are presumed to be infected with the coronavirus in Arkansas, with at least one a school-aged child.
That prompted Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson to call for schools to close for at least two weeks in four counties, including Pulaski, the state's most populated.
"The last 48 hours has been a whirlwind," said the Republican governor at a news conference Thursday. "Overnight, I've been informed we have an additional five presumptive positives."
Those cases bring the state total to six patients showing signs of the flu-like disease that has spread across the globe in two and a half months. Four of the new cases had contact with the first patient announced Wednesday.
The initial investigation into the contacts all the patients have made already affects Pulaski, Saline, Grant, and Jefferson counties.
"It could be the patient. It could be the family member. It could be where they go to school, but there's some contact with those four counties," the governor said.
With contacts coming in schools, the governor said he made the call to cancel classes for at least two weeks. Some indicated they would remain closed until the end of the month. Spring break is scheduled for five days this month.
"That allows us a time to get a handle on this. It allows us to do the checking that is necessary," he said.
Officials from the Arkansas Dept. of Health as well as UAMS, Arkansas Children's Hospital, lawmakers and members of the state national guard joined the governor for the briefing. Little Rock mayor Frank Scott Jr. was also on hand.
Only the first patient is quarantined in a Pine Bluff hospital. The others are being treated on an outpatient basis. UAMS has set up a special triage section for any new patients that arrive, but they also want people with symptoms to call and use telemedicine. They don't want potentially sick people arriving unannounced.
"The last two places that they want to be are in an emergency room or in a crowded clinic," said Dr. Cam Patterson, the chancellor at UAMS.
Patterson said UAMS has enough testing and protective equipment to handle the case load right now, but the governor renewed calls to the federal government to accelerate the process of getting more tests into more health care providers' hands.
While the governor and state secretary of health Dr. Nate Smith prepared for more cases to arrive and more tough calls, both sought to project calm.
"It's very very important that parents and schools not overreact to what we are doing today," the governor said.
"The people of Arkansas should continue to be aware," said Dr. Smith. "Knowledge will help us to understand how to act to protect ourselves."