Arkansas governor declares public health emergency, announces special session on mask law
by KATV
Thursday, July 29th 2021
LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Thursday declared a public health emergency amid a surge in COVID-19 cases and announced a special legislative session to change a law that prevents public schools from requiring masks.
Hutchinson said the declaration will allow the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management to seek staffing assistance from health workers outside the state. It also eases the process for retired health workers to re-enter the workforce and for medical students to become licensed.
The Republican governor said the White House is sending federal assistance at his request.
A previous emergency declaration expired May 30 as cases declined and vaccinations increased. But vaccinations have since reached a plateau, leaving the state with one of the lowest vaccination rates in the nation. The low vaccination rate and the spread of the highly-transmissible Delta variant have driven a surge in new cases and hospitalizations.
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https://katv.com/news/local/arkansas-governor-to-hold-news-conference-as-covid-19-cases-surge
