Mayor’s Covid briefings return

With the recent surge of COVID-19 cases across the state, Blytheville Mayor James Sanders has resumed his weekly briefings every Wednesday at 3 p.m.

Sanders reported 109 active cases in the county on July 28, as compared to just 18 in his June 2 briefing. Surrounding counties are also seeing the increase with 706 active cases in Craighead County, 240 in Greene, 118 in Poinsett and 101 in Crittenden County.

For the state as a whole, the Arkansas Department of Health recorded 15,801 active cases on its website as of July 29.

The Center for Disease Control released new recommendations July 27, advising even fully vaccinated people to wear a mask in public spaces.

Mississippi County health officer Dr. Valencia Andrew-Pirtle supported the guidance for adults, as well as children.

“When I visualize a class of students and teachers, with no masks, it gives me chills. And as a mother, I ask my kids to wear a mask. I know sometimes your children may go somewhere and do something different, but I hate the thought of everyone having to shut down because of Covid spreading like wildfire,” Andrew-Pirtle said.

The idea behind both getting vaccinated and wearing a mask has also been strengthened by the Delta variant, which is proven to be more infectious. A concern Pirtle sees in the future includes more variants strengthening the virus if the vaccination rate doesn’t increase.

“The problem now is that because this Delta variant has existed so much and so many people are catching it, we could have another variant,” she said. “Then we could have a virus with even more affinity for us.”

Pirtle added, “I know the government mentioned individual responsibility in making your decision, [whether or not to get vaccinated], but you are making a decision for your community. What you do affects what happens to me, your neighbor or your mother. You really need to rethink how your decision can affect your community.”

Sanders is encouraging more people to get vaccinated because of what he’s seen frequently in recent weeks.

“When I sit there and look at television and I see people laying in their [hospital] beds, after not believing in the vaccine, the first thing they ask for is the vaccination. But then they're being told they can’t take it at that point anyway. It’s just hard to see people suffering,” Sanders said.

“Don’t think that the vaccine will [keep you from] catching COVID-19, but it lessens the effects of it. You may still [experience symptoms], but you won’t die. And that’s the key.”

On July 29, Governor Asa Hutchinson signed an executive order to declare a statewide public health emergency due to the impact of the Delta variant.