Like South Carolina, Arkansas has seen a dramatic rise in Covid infections over the past week. With schools opening in only a few weeks, the Governor is having second thoughts regarding a law banning mask mandates as a tool for fighting the spread of the virus. In his remarks, the Governor expresses concern for “a vulnerable group that cannot get the vaccine”.
At the news conference, Hutchinson said while he is not in favor of a statewide mask mandate, local directives should be a tool available to school districts because children under the age of 12 cannot be vaccinated. “In hindsight, I wish that it had not become law,” he said at a news conference on Tuesday.
Nearly 72,000 children in the United States tested positive for COVID-19 last week, according to a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
That’s an increase from 39,000 cases the week before.
Here are his remarks on the mask mandate and school safety
South Carolina Pediatricians are Concerned as Covid Cases Spike
The Delta variant of the Covid virus has given rise to a dramatic increase in new Covid infections across Upstate South Carolina in the past month. On June 30th, the 7-Day Average New Cases stood at 39; this number stood at 378 on July 30th. This represents an 869% increase in new cases and the trend continues to move upward.
