As of Monday, March 30, not a single positive test for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) had been reported in Eureka Springs. Data from the Arkansas Department of Health showed no positive tests in Carroll County, but only 19 people had been tested. Tests have been in such short supply all around the country that health authorities are recommending testing only when someone has symptoms of the respiratory disease combined with serious complications, such as trouble breathing.
A disease that barely registered on the radar of most people at the first of the month was rapidly spreading by the end of the month. Concerns were continuing to mount about shortages of equipment such as ventilators and Personal Protection Equipment for healthcare workers. There were 508 COVID-19 positive tests in Arkansas with seven deaths as of Tuesday morning.
The United States has more cases than any other country, about 153,000. The disease has been fatal for more than 3,000 people in the United States as of Tuesday.
While the rapid spread was a big concern, there were hopes that less crowded places like Eureka Springs and rural Carroll County would be able to avoid the problems of major cities. Arkansas officials said the rate of spread for the virus was much slower than in other parts of the country.
Governor Asa Hutchinson urged people to stay the course when it comes to social distancing and stay at home if possible, especially those over 65 who have existing health problems such as diabetes, heart disease and lung problems.
Some in Arkansas have urged the governor to “shut down” the state, but considering the large amount of interstate traffic and reliance on interstate transportation for food and household supplies, that would not be practical. Other states that tried to restrict traffic from states with high contagion rates have dropped those efforts.
Hutchinson has declared the entire state an Emergency Disaster Area. The governor said due to the high risk of community spread of COVID-19, gatherings of more than 10 people in any confined indoor or outdoor space are prohibited until further notice. Gatherings subject to this directive include, without limitation, community, civic, public, leisure, commercial, or sporting events, concerts, conferences, conventions, fundraisers, parades, fairs, and festivals.
Mayor Butch Berry said he was getting requests to stop people from coming into Eureka Springs, but he doesn’t have the authority to do that.
“The Arkansas Secretary of Health, in consultation with the Governor, has sole authority over all instances of quarantine, isolation, and restrictions on commerce and travel throughout Arkansas, as necessary and appropriate to control disease in the state of Arkansas,” Berry wrote in an email.
He wanted to dispel rumors that the Eureka Springs Hospital had closed.
“That is not true,” Berry said. “The hospital employees are also very grateful to the community effort that is being made in preparation of meals and the masks that are being made. I know we have a very loving community that is pulling together to help everyone get through this crisis. I, on behalf of the city, express my sincere thanks to everyone for their part in helping slow down this virus. Eureka Springs is truly a loving and helping community.”
Berry said he is in daily contact with the area’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Team made up of the hospital administration, chair of the Hospital commission, and the Carroll County/Eureka Springs Emergency Management Director.