Governor Hutchinson breaking down COVID cases by region, northwest Arkansas seeing highest growth

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Testing numbers are reaching over 71,000 for the month of May and the second day of over 200 community cases in the state.

Today Governor Hutchinson broke things down by region as the Northwest part of the state is seeing the highest rate of growth by far in the state.

Officials are concerned with younger adults and the Latino community in the state saying that of active cases, Latinos represent a quarter of active cases.

The Governor says that the loosening of regulations has not been a reason for the uptick. He says that no more than 2% of new cases visited any business that has reopened.

Secretary of Health Dr. Nate Smith attributes things more to workplace environments.

“Probably the largest ones with these workplaces where we’ve had clusters, what with just the one industry, the poultry industry we’ve had over 400 cases associated with that. It’s probably less about where people go and more about what they do when they’re there,” said Dr. Nate Smith.

Now despite some of those numbers, the state is reopening state park campgrounds and bathhouses starting Monday, June 1. Secretary of Tourism Stacy Hurst said that they have sufficient protection and protocols in place for officials to be comfortable with the reopening.