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State to give 500k face masks to Arkansas schools

Gov. Hutchinson says each district is in a different position to make the decision on whether or not they want a mask mandate, but masks will still be available.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Governor Asa Hutchinson provided an update on COVID-19 and the state's efforts to slow down the surge of cases.

Hutchinson says 500,000 high filtration masks are being sent to Arkansas schools this week and 325,000 of those are designed specifically for children.

Of the 262 school districts in Arkansas, 118 have adopted a mask policy. Hutchinson says 87 districts did not adopt a mask policy and 57 have not taken any formal action at this time.

The governor says each district is in a different position to make the decision on whether or not they want a mask mandate, but the masks will still be available for students who want them. 

All schools are open and no district-wide modifications have been reported at this time. State leaders say vaccinations and mask requirements have helped with the number of COVID cases in public schools.

Rogers School District vaccinated over 106 individuals, mostly students, in the past week during a vaccination clinic.

According to the CDC, 51.2% of the Arkansas population is at least partially vaccinated.

August 19, 2021, COVID-19 Case Report (all data confirmed through ADH):  

  • Total Cases: 429,100 (+3,549)
  • Total Active Cases: 24,787 (+999) 
  • Total Deaths: 6,581 (+16) 
  • Hospitalized: 1,410 (+38) 331 on ventilators (+5)
  • Eligible Arkansans Fully Vaccinated: 1,145,097 (+4,540)

RELATED: Parents sue over Bentonville School District's mask mandate

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