FAYETTEVILLE, Ark — One local family is speaking about their first-hand experience with COVID-19 after every family member tested positive for the virus.
Alister Tarkwon lost his father, 63-year-old Murjel Tarkwon to COVID-19 on May 25. Loved ones say this virus is devastating to their Marshallese community.
“It breaks my heart, it’s not fair, it’s just tragic,” Alister said.
Alister says his father was kind and humble. Murjel had diabetes and was in the hospital, at times on a ventilator, for three weeks battling COVID-19 before he succumbed to the virus.
Alister recalled the last conversation with his father saying, "telling me to look after my mom and the kids and to let all my older siblings to do the same."
According to recent numbers from health officials, the Marshallese population in Northwest Arkansas has been hit hard by COVID-19, sometimes affecting an entire family, like the Tarkwon's.
“It was my mom, me, my wife and my two little sisters and we all had it,” Alister said.
He says his mother was the first one to show symptoms and test positive for COVID-19. Then his wife, father and two sisters who all live together tested positive.
Alister says his mother works at the Tyson plant on Berry Street in Springdale, where they believe she contracted the virus. As of Monday (June 15), the Arkansas Department of Health shows 219 total cases at the plant with 186 of those being active.
According to Washington and Benton Counties coroners, as of Tuesday (June 16) 18 out of the 38 COVID-19 deaths in Northwest Arkansas were in the Marshallese community.
The Republic of the Marshal Islands Consul General, Eldon Alik, says there are many factors as to why this virus is desolating their population.
“Social distancing is something that is not in our culture we are culture of being together, family orientated tight-knit community,” Alik said.
Alik says that along with underlying health conditions and the language barrier, as well as a lack of access to health care is why the Marshallese community is being hit hard by COVID-19.
Pregnant women and children have access to Medicaid, but adults are facing unemployment with jobs that never carried insurance benefits.
The Arkansas Coalition of Marshallese estimates 82% of Pacific Islanders have someone deemed an essential worker in the household.
About 51% have a household member with diabetes, obesity or high blood pressure. 15% have household members who are 65 and older, which is the most vulnerable age group.
Alik wants those in his community to continue to stay home and go out only if necessary. Even with Arkansas in Phase 2 of reopening, he says he can't see any more of his own succumb to the virus.
“Let’s be persistent and patient for a few weeks or months until this thing has passed. Let’s work together on this. We have to all be together on this,” he said.
Governor Asa Hutchinson said if any Marshallese resident needs to be treated for COVID-19 they can go to their local department of health to get things situated.