COVID-19 in Craighead County

The COVID-19 virus is officially in Northeast Arkansas.

Jonesboro Mayor Harold Perrin and Craighead County Judge Marvin Day issued a joint press release today (Thursday) announcing the county had been notified by the Arkansas Department of Health that a person tested in the county has been found to be infected with the virus.

Day said local authorities had not received specific information on the infected individual as of 1:30 p.m., Thursday.

"We have not been made aware of any of those details yet," Day said. "We're hopeful they will give us a little more information as time goes on. We just know it's one case in Craighead County."

According to the state health department, 46 positive test results for COVID-19 had been identified within the state as of 10:30 a.m. today. On Wednesday, state officials had said roughly one-third of all positive test results had been connected to the state's first positive test last week in Jefferson County.

Day also said this afternoon he wanted to clear the air of a rumor that has kept his office and that of Perrin busy answering questions about the health of the mayor and county judge.

"Neither the mayor nor I are infected," Day said.

A total of 113 persons in Arkansas remain "under investigation" for the coronavirus, information from the ADH states, while 441 individuals in the state are being monitored by the state health department "with daily check-in and guidance because of identified risk."

There have been 310 negative test results for the virus in Arkansas, the department announced.

Of the 46 positive tests in the state, 38 were conducted and identified through testing at an Arkansas Department of Health lab while the other six positive test results were conducted by commercial labs.

The state health department's lab had conducted 223 of the state's negative tests to date, with the other 87 negative tests having been conducted by commercial labs.

The number of identified cases of infected individuals continues to climb as the Center for Disease Control and state health departments roll out tests for the virus. According to the New York Times COVID-19 database, there were 10,822 positive tests across all states, Washington D.C. and three U.S. territories as of this afternoon.

The database also claimed at least 168 people have died of the coronavirus as of today.

The Arkansas Health Department has unveiled a call center for both healthcare workers and the public to acquire information on the virus in the state. Urgent and non-urgent calls are to be made to 800.803.7847, information from the ADH states. During weekends and after hours, calls may be made to 800.554.5738.

Information on COVID-19 in Arkansas also may be found online at ADH.CoronaVirus@arkansas.gov.