LITTLE ROCK - Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Thursday he is not ready to further ease restrictions on businesses while coronavirus cases continue surging, while the mayor of the state's capital city ordered people to wear masks in public to prevent the virus's spread.
Arkansas on Thursday posted one of its highest one-day increases in coronavirus cases since the pandemic began, with 687 more people testing positive for the virus. The latest figures brings Arkansas' total reported virus cases to at least 18,062. Health officials said 5,695 of the cases are active, meaning they don't include people who have died or recovered.
Arkansas' virus numbers have dramatically risen since last month, when businesses began reopening. The governor of neighboring Texas on Thursday said his state's aggressive reopening plans were on pause and halted elective surgeries in some counties because of a major outbreak there.
Hutchinson earlier this month allowed restaurants and other businesses to serve more customers. The state had not set a timeline for moving into the next phase of reopening.
"We're clearly on pause here in the state in terms of moving to lift further restrictions until we're comfortable where we are in controlling the spread," Hutchinson told reporters.
Arkansas' active cases have risen 242% since Memorial Day, while hospitalizations have nearly tripled the same period.
The true number of cases in Arkansas is likely higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick.
The Health Department said two more people died from the illness caused by the virus, bringing the state's total fatalities to 242. The state's hospitalizations rose by 17 to 284.