Arkansas officials are working to address coronavirus, also called COVID-19, concerns.
An Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) spokesperson has announced that the department is currently testing two individuals for COVID-19. These individuals are considered “person under investigation.”
According to the ADH website, the department is also currently monitoring 29 individuals. These individuals are listed as travelers who are receiving “daily ADH check-in and guidance.”
In a press conference on Friday, Feb. 28, Gov. Asa Hutchinson addressed the disease, saying that there had been no confirmed cases in Arkansas. He urged citizens to take precautions against the disease but to continue to go about their daily lives.
“We also want to make sure that the people of Arkansas do not overreact,” he said. “We go about our business. We spend our money. We drive the economy and we conduct businesses, because there’s no confirmed cases in Arkansas and it’s important that we go about our daily lives without fear.”
The ADH lists the following measures as the best safeguards against contracting/spreading COVID-19:
- Avoid close contact with sick people
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unclean hands
- Stay home when you are sick
- Cover all coughs and sneezes with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands
- Cough and sneeze into your elbow instead of on your hand
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces with a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
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