9:30 PM
Confirmed cases in Arkansas: 1,475
Deaths: 30
Recoveries: 427
Active Cases: 1,018
Total Tested: 21,014
Many of the new cases reported on Monday were at the Cummins Unit. At least 43 inmates tested positive for the coronavirus. Read more here from 40/29 News.
“We have to assume we have not reached our peak yet,” Hutchinson said. “So let’s stick with it.”
With help from Dr. Pat Carroll, D.D.S., NEA Report has begun to track new cases added by each date. So as not to skew the results, we’re also tracking how many total tests have been performed each date.
Finally, we’re tracking new cases in Arkansas in addition to currently active cases.
9:30 PM
NEA County Numbers:
- Randolph County: 8 positive, 6 recoveries, 160 negative
- Clay County: 1 positive, 0 recoveries, 65 negative
- Cleburne County: 70 positive, 36 recoveries, 111 negative, 4 deaths
- Craighead County: 36 positive, 15 recoveries, 354 negative
- Crittenden County: 115 positive, 16 recoveries, 587 negative, 2 deaths
- Fulton County: 0 positive, 0 recoveries, 21 negative
- Greene County: 6 positive, 3 recoveries, 334 negative
- Independence County: 6 positive, 4 recoveries, 65 negative
- Jackson County: 1 positive, 0 recoveries, 29 negative
- Lawrence County: 11 positive, 0 recoveries, 106 negative, 1 death
- Mississippi County: 7 positive, 4 recoveries, 47 negative
- Sharp County: 2 positives, 0 recoveries, 20 negative
- Don’t see your county? Click here to find it on ADH’s map.
9:30 PM
United States: 581,918 positive
23,608 have died.
Global: 1,919,913 positive
119,666 have died.
Source: Johns Hopkins University
WHO investigating reports of recovered patients testing positive again
On Saturday, the World Health Organization said it was looking into reports of some COVID-19 patients testing positive again after initially testing negative for the coronavirus while being evaluated for medical discharge. South Korea reported 91 patients thought cleared of COVID-19 had later tested positive again. Read more from Reuters.
Large scale antibody testing being performed in LA County
Los Angeles County, which has a larger population of more than 40 states (10 million), launched Friday and Saturday a new effort to learn more about antibodies that could provide immunity from COVID-19. The idea is, most of the testing has only been performed on the sick. This will include healthy people in the testing so as to give a better idea of how deadly the epidemic is to all people – not just those with the worst symptoms. Read more from NBC News.
Be sure to #takebreaks from news and social media about #COVID19. Too much news about the pandemic can be upsetting. When you do need information, get the latest from your local or state health department and CDC. https://t.co/Xf3wah2G31 pic.twitter.com/zYEQ8kaSZv
— CDC (@CDCgov) April 12, 2020
Governor’s update
A 1:30 PM press update is scheduled from the Arkansas capitol. It will be streamed on YouTube.
Fever is most common distinguisher between COVID-19 and seasonal allergies, local medical official says
As spring reaches full bloom in the south, the beauty of budding plants also brings the yellowish powder that covers our cars and irritates our allergies.
Weather.com’s allergy tracker ranks pollen counts as “high to very high” throughout Arkansas and much of the Mid-South over the next week, which means many residents of this region are seeing or will soon experience their sinuses and respiratory systems respond as they typically do this time of year.
In the midst of a pandemic, those typical irritations have many people concerned that their body is reacting to COVID-19, not just the routine sinus issues that are common this time of year.
According to Shane Speights, DO, Dean of New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University, individuals who usually experience sinus irritation each spring shouldn’t be alarmed.
“If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s probably a duck,” Speights said. “If you always get affected by seasonal allergies during this time and you’re having the same symptoms, that’s probably what it is.”
One of the most common symptoms of COVID-19, also known as coronavirus, is a high fever, which Speights said is not consistent with allergic reactions to pollen. Muscle aches, fatigue and shortness of breath are also common of COVID-19 but not of the common cold that is often brought on by seasonal allergies.
“You shouldn’t run a fever with your allergies,” Speights said. “You shouldn’t have significant muscle aches or significant fatigue with your allergies. Typically, COVID-19 doesn’t cause sneezing. It can, but that’s not a typical sign or symptom we would see.”
Additionally, COVID-19 patients typically experience a “dry” cough as opposed to the “wet” caught that often comes with the congestion brought on by allergies. A wet cough is characterized as one that produces mucus while a dry cough does not.
Speights does caution that a sinus infection can bring on a fever that would require medical attention, but without experiencing that symptom, people should treat their allergies with antihistamines and other over-the-counter medications as they normally would.
Regardless, people should follow the precautions that have been repeatedly recommended to everyone in effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including regular and thorough hand washing, practicing social distancing, staying away from anyone who is sick or has been ill recently and avoiding touching the face.
“It’s understandable that people would be concerned and confused,” Speights said. “If you have a fever, you should contact your health care provider. Otherwise, continue to be diligent in your efforts to keep those around you healthy and address your allergies as you do most years.”
Hotline for COVID-19 positive patients
The Arkansas Department of Health has set up a hotline for individuals in our area who are COVID-19 positive but lack a safe place to be quarantined/isolated, Jonesboro Grants and Community Development Direction Regina Burkett said Monday.
Anyone in this situation should call the hotline number 501-614-5822. ADH has a process in place, and will determine what steps need to be taken, including providing transportation, for any individual who tests positive.
U.S. TRUSTEE PROGRAM ACTS QUICKLY TO PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH AND ENSURE EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF THE BANKRUPTCY SYSTEM DURING COVID-19 EMERGENCY
WASHINGTON – In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Justice’s U.S. Trustee Program (USTP) has taken a number of steps to protect the health of the public and those involved in bankruptcy proceedings while ensuring that the bankruptcy system remains functional during the current public health emergency.
“Our first priority is the safety and health of the general public and all individuals involved in the bankruptcy process,” said USTP Director Cliff White. “In partnership with the courts, private trustees, and other stakeholders, the U.S. Trustee Program has taken steps to protect safety while keeping the bankruptcy system functioning for businesses and consumers who need financial relief.”
Actions taken by the USTP include:
- Halting about 60,000 already scheduled in-person administrative proceedings (known as section 341 meetings) that would have been attended by large numbers of debtors, creditors, and professionals;
- Mandating that future section 341 meetings be conducted by telephonic or other alternative means not requiring in-person attendance, while using best practices to preserve the evidentiary value of the debtor’s sworn testimony;
- Suspending the audit of bankruptcy cases to limit the need for in-person contact by those involved in the audits; and
- Ensuring that debtors going through the bankruptcy process can keep the “recovery rebates” provided for in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Section 341 meetings. To promote social distancing, in mid-March, the USTP postponed already scheduled section 341 meetings to enable them to be rescheduled telephonically or by other alternative means not requiring in-person attendance. At section 341 meetings, the debtor must appear and testify under oath, including answering questions from the U.S. Trustee, the case trustee appointed by the USTP, and creditors. These meetings are open to the public and typically are conducted in person with more than 50 parties in a meeting room at any given time. The USTP subsequently mandated that section 341 meetings for all cases filed through at least May 10, 2020, with meetings scheduled through early summer, be held telephonically or by other alternative means. In cooperation with the courts, special notices are being sent to more than one million parties. The USTP also has issued guidance on preserving the evidentiary value of testimony provided over the telephone and purchased 1,200 conference lines and other equipment to permit remote access to the meetings.
Debtor audits. By law, the USTP contracts with independent firms to perform audits of a sample of individual chapter 7 and chapter 13 cases. Because these audits require debtors to produce additional documentation and often to confer with counsel and financial institutions in responding to auditor requests and reports, the USTP suspended all audits until the current public health emergency allows debtors to meet their obligations in a manner that does not compromise their safety or the public health. Debtor audits are just one of many tools used by the USTP to detect fraud, abuse, and errors.
Recovery rebates. The USTP provided notice to case trustees on the CARES Act to help ensure that the direct payments that many debtors will receive under the law are protected from turn over during bankruptcy proceedings.
The USTP continues to refer instances of suspected fraud and criminal activity in bankruptcy cases to its law enforcement partners and to assist in the prosecution of bankruptcy crimes. Debtors who believe they are victims of a COVID-19 related fraudulent scheme are encouraged to contact their local U.S. Trustee or make a report to the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via email at disaster@leo.gov.
The USTP is the component of the Justice Department that protects the integrity of the bankruptcy system by overseeing case administration and litigating to enforce the bankruptcy laws. The U.S. Trustee Program has 21 regions and 90 field office locations covering 88 judicial districts. Learn more about the U.S. Trustee Program at https://www.justice.gov/ust.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
This story will be updated throughout Monday, April 13 with coronavirus related headlines. Check back/refresh for the latest.
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