Gov. Asa Hutchinson started his daily press conference today (Sept. 1) by reminding Arkansans that they have 30 days to complete the census, stating that participating in the census is our “constitutional responsibility as citizens.”
Today’s active cases are up by 273, totaling 5,036. The state has had 61,497 total cases. Hospitalizations have increased by three, totaling 423. There have been 17 deaths, bringing the death toll to 814 Arkansans. Of the 17 deaths, 6 were delays in reporting, 5 were from multiple nursing homes, and 1 was from a correctional facility. Testing has increased by 3,530 tests. In August, Arkansas conducted a total of 186,379 tests. The number of Arkansans on ventilators has gone down 2, totaling 85.
In response to a question yesterday, in which reporters mentioned CDC data indicating that 94 percent of COVID-19 deaths nationwide had a pre-existing disease or illness, Hutchinson showed data that indicates that 94.5 percent of the COVID-19 deaths in Arkansas have had other contributing factors. Additionally, he revealed that 78.9 percent of people admitted to the hospital recover, as opposed to die.
Hutchinson set a testing goal of 180,000 for September.
The four counties with more than 20 cases are Pulaski at 44, Benton at 29, Sebastian at 24, and Washington at 21.
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