According to the Arkansas Department of Health, there are over 57,000 active cases of COVID-19 as of January 8, 2022–almost 50,000 more than just a month ago.
Due to the high number of cases in central Arkansas, the Little Rock School District and Pulaski County Special School District moved to virtual learning last week and extended those days until tomorrow. Hampton Public Schools, Hope School District, and North Little Rock School District also held virtual classes due to COVID-19.
However, it’s not just schools that are affected–even Walmart has closed stores due to employee shortage and for sanitizing. Stores in Texarkana, Jonesboro, Fort Smith, as well as other stores across the nation, have closed for 2 days or more.
ACHI updated its website this morning and added a new color to reflect more precise data. The pink color represents school districts that have had 200 or more new cases reported within a 14-day period. These cases are people who live within the limits of that particular district. Here’s a look at ESD’s trend table for the last few weeks:
Here’s a current look at the state of Arkansas as of January 10, 2022:
The El Dorado School District is doing everything we can to keep our focus on educating our students. Due to the high numbers of active cases, we are wearing masks while indoors and on buses. We are contact-tracing and following the CDC’s recommendations on quarantines. We encourage proper hygiene practices, clean daily, and, when possible, practice social distancing.
As with any highly-contagious virus from the flu to a cold to COVID-19, the CDC recommends the following to help prevent the spread:
- Cover your cough and sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands.
- Do not touch your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
- Stay home when you are sick, except to get medical care.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
Our goal remains the same: educating our students. In order to do so, we need your help. If your student is ill, please keep them at home until they are better. If we all do our part, we can continue to keep our students, faculty, and staff safe, while keeping our doors open.
For more information, visit https://achi.net/covid19/.