Miller County and Texarkana Arkansas officials gave an update today on Covid-19 and the Governor’s proclamations on re-opening the economy.
Miller County Judge Cathy Hardin Harrison
Mayor Bob Bruggeman, Mayor of Texarkana, Arkansas
Here is a Press Release from the Miller County Emergency Operations Center:
Miller County Emergency Operations Center Notification
May 5th, 2020
State of Arkansas Corona Virus Case Update: As of Monday, May 4, the State of Arkansas has confirmed 3,458 COVID-19 cases, which is an increase from Sunday to Monday of only 27 out of 1,629 tests performed.
Miller County Corona Virus Case Update: As of Monday, May 4, Miller County reports 35 positive cases, 312 negative cases, 27 recovered, and one (1) death.
Miller County Update Judge Cathy Harrison: We would like to commend the citizens of Miller County for their patience during the COVID –19 pandemic. I realize has been hard on everyone. Although we are not clear of the virus, we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. As you know Governor Hutchinson is starting to open the State of Arkansas back up with restrictions. I ask that you please adhere to these restrictions so that we will continue to see our local numbers decline. The list of restrictions are listed on the Miller County Office of Emergency Management Facebook page, published in the Texarkana Gazette, and attached to this release. As of today, the Arkansas Department of Health is showing 35 positive cases of the COVID-19 virus for
Miller County with 312 negative results and 27 patients that have recovered. With the numbers declining for Miller County, a decision was made last week to reopen the Miller County Courthouse to the public. Citizens must continue to use the South, Fourth Street, entrance and be prepared to have their temperature taken.
Please, continue to follow the Arkansas Department of Health guidelines. You have heard this routinely, stay home if you are sick, keep social distancing, cough in the bend of your arm, wear a mask if possible, and wash your hands often. This is for your protection as well as our employees. It is still recommended that our senior citizens and at-risk individuals stay home when possible. Remember, most of the day to day business conducted at the courthouse can now be done on the internet or by telephone.
Currently, the JDC and Miller County Jail is closed to the public.
Smith Park is now open for all Arkansans to enjoy. Whether that be fishing, hiking or just playing at the playgrounds.
To thank the many citizens and businesses of Miller County by name who have stepped up during this crisis would be lengthy. We all have a job to do, whether it is keeping the public informed, making masks for our first responders or just staying home. You did it and you did it WELL! Sometimes it takes a crisis to show the strength and unity of a community. From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!
City of Texarkana, Arkansas Update Allen Brown: We want to thank the citizens of Texarkana Arkansas and Miller County for their patience and understanding as we work to keep our community safe and healthy. We now ask for your continued cooperation as we work to ‘re-open’ our city and state by continuing to follow the Arkansas Department of Health and Arkansas State Governor
directives.
For the City of Texarkana, Arkansas our parks with regards to the playground equipment, basketball courts, and pavilions will remain closed. The Public Works Department remains open on an appointment basis only.
The reopening of the Public Works Department and these aspects of the parks will be assessed on a weekly basis. As for the parks, the use of walking trails and fishing are permitted. The Jefferson dog park remains open.
Yard waste pick up and the recycling center will resume operations on May 13th.
The city Board of Directors will be conducting a board meeting by conference call on Monday, May 18th at 1pm. Information concerning the meeting will be published soon. Anyone interested in participating will is provided a phone number and access code to call in.
As for future board meetings conducted in person at City Hall, the city is following the recommendations of the municipal league. At this time, we do not have any additional meetings scheduled. The municipal league is updating their recommendations weekly.
Office of Emergency Management:
At this time there are no future COVID-19 screenings scheduled at this time. The city is currently discussing future COVID-19 testing three times a week with our local Walmart. More information will be announced when it becomes available.
The Bowie/Cass County OEM is offering no-cost COVID-19 testing by appointment. You can find out more information about the testing on the coronatxk.org website.
State of Arkansas Directives and Guidelines-Phase I: The Governor’s Directives for the State of Arkansas’ Phase I for the re-opening of specific entities have been updated. The directives mentioned and listed on the Arkansas Department of Health website are to be adhered to during Phase I of the re-opening process.
Effective May 4 th : Gyms, fitness centers, athletic clubs and weight rooms reopening directives include, but are not limited to:
Screening must be completed on the entry for all staff and participants
Staff should wear masks at all times
Make hand sanitizer available throughout the facility
A complete list of the directives for gyms, fitness centers, athletic clubs and weight rooms can be found on the Arkansas Department of Health website under COVID-19.
Effective May 6 th: Barbershops, body art establishments, cosmetology establishments, massage therapy clinics/spas, and medical spas directives include but are not limited to:
Appointment Only-No Walk-Ins
Clients will be pre-screened for potential COVID-19 related symptoms
Employees will wear a face covering at all times
These directives are just to name a few. For a complete list for barbershops, body art establishments, cosmetology establishments, massage therapy clinics/spas, and medical spas directives, please visit the Arkansas Department of Health website under COVID-19.
A free webinar is today from 6-7:30 pm
concerning the barbershops, body art establishments, cosmetology establishments, massage therapy clinics/spas, and medical spas directives. You must sign up through the Arkansas Department of Health website to view the webinar.
Effective May 11th: Restaurant dine-in operations directives include but are not limited to:
Seating to be limited to 33% of total seating which includes both indoor and outdoor seating Seating shall be adjusted to maintain 10-foot physical distance between tables
Reservations are encouraged
All staff must wear masks. Patrons must wear face coverings upon entry until food and drink are served
Again, these are only a few of the directives, a full list of directives can be found on Arkansas
Department of Health website under COVID-19. Guidelines, not directives, are put forth for places of worship, which are:
Online platforms are encouraged
6ft physical distancing except for family members
12ft physical distancing for church leaders
No meet and greets/No physical contact
These are just to name a few.
Effective May 18th: Directives for indoor/outdoor events:
Most Important: Limited to 50 people. Please see the Arkansas Department of Health website for a full listing of the indoor/outdoor large event directives.
Please understand Phase I is dependent on all of us adhering to the directives in hopes that we can move towards normalcy and our efforts decrease the number of positive tests and hospital admittances across the state. When we are able to move to Phase II, we will be able to increase capacity within the entities/establishments as well as decrease the personal limitations.
While we will strive to accomplish Phase I without any issues, the directives are subject to change depending on the outcomes of the Phase I initiatives/directives.
Also in an effort to help Arkansas business as they prepare to transition back towards normal operating capacity, the Ready for Business Grant Program is designed to provide grants from $1,000 to $100,000, depending on the number of employees, to assist with COVID-19-related expenses, such as personal protective equipment (PPE), deep cleaning, signage, hand sanitizer dispensers, marketing, and more. Eligible expenditures must be made between March 1, 2020-December 31 st, 2020.
The purpose of the Ready for Business Grant Program is to assist companies in protecting their employees and visitors while establishing customer confidence. The grants will be administered by the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. Applications will be reviewed in the order in which they are received.
Again, we thank everyone for the personal sacrifices made during this time to keep our community safe and healthy. We cannot let up at this point. We are at a critical juncture in the overall recovery process and we must continue to cooperate with our state and state’s health department directives for a safe re-opening of Arkansas.
A special thank you to our First Responders and all of our employees working in the medical industry. In closing, please continue to practice the elements necessary to stop the spread of the virus:
Wash your hands often
Social distancing
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects
Avoid close contact with people who are sick
Stay at home if you are sick