LITTLE ROCK - Arkansas' COVID-19 hospitalizations climbed to a new high on Friday as the state Supreme Court suspended jury trials in response to the latest spike in coronavirus cases.
The Department of Health reported 36 more people were hospitalized with the illness caused by the coronavirus, bringing the state's total hospitalizations to 935. The state's probable and confirmed virus cases rose by 2,061 to 141,916.
The state's COVID-19 deaths jumped by 24 to 2,321.
The actual number of cases in Arkansas is likely higher because many people have not been tested and people can carry the virus but not feel sick.
The state Supreme Court suspended jury trials that have not yet begun because of the surge in cases until January 15. Justices said courts can move forward with other proceedings, including arraignments and hearings, either in-person or over videoconference.
"The dramatic uptick in cases in Arkansas requires us, as leaders of the state judiciary, to do our part to help protect Arkansans," the court said in its order. The court had previously suspended jury trials in March because of the pandemic, but they resumed in July.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson told reporters he saw no need for further restrictions, though, the day after he ordered bars, restaurants and clubs that serve alcohol to close by 11 p.m. That earlier closing time began Friday and is in effect through Jan. 3.
Hutchinson said the 11 p.m. cutoff time was based on discussions with Alcohol Beverage Control officials, and the earlier closing was based on a recommendation from a task force he formed to assess the increase in cases this winter.
"Our businesses are working very hard on compliance, and I've indicated on numerous occasions that we want to keep our businesses going, we don't want to slow them down, we don't want to put undue hardship on it," he said. "We want our decisions to be based upon good facts and analysis, and so we don't see a justification for any further economic restrictions that there's not any way to compensate for the losses."
Hutchinson has resisted calls for more sweeping restrictions, including a White House panel's call to scale back restaurants' indoor capacity in most of the state. Nearly 300 doctors have called on the governor to take other steps, including closing bars and gyms.
The Department of Health also released new guidance for allowing essential health care workers who have been exposed to or infected by the virus to return to work before the end of the 14-day quarantine or 10-day isolation period.
The guidance details additional precautions that should be taken by hospitals in those instances. For example, the guidance recommends that essential healthcare workers who have tested positive who return to work during their isolation period should be asymptomatic and should only work on dedicated units for patients with COVID-19.
Hutchinson also said he was expediting the licensing process and waiving the license fee for more than 1,100 nursing students who are graduating next month.
"We need to get those nurses on board quickly," Hutchinson said.