LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas — Arkansas State University on Friday said it will shift to mostly online instruction as new coronavirus cases are hitting record levels in the state.
ASU Chancellor Kelly Damphouse announced the Jonesboro school will make the shift after Thanksgiving. Arkansas on Thursday posted a new record one-day increase in coronavirus cases.
Damphouse said the number of COVID-related hospitalizations doubled in October in northeast Arkansas, and noted the White House Coronavirus Task Force has put Craighead County and Jonesboro in the “red zone" for new virus cases.
“While the number of cases on our campus has remained relatively stable, COVID-19 continues to rise in our region, across the state, and around the country," Damphouse posted on Twitter. “Because of that, I have announced that ArkansasState will transition to mostly-online instruction post-Thanksgiving."
Arkansas ranks 21st in the country for new cases per capita, according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The state has had more than 117,000 probable and confirmed virus cases since the pandemic began.
The true number of cases in Arkansas is likely higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick.